Shout! Factory
In 1984 Tsui Hark was riding high on a number of critical and commercial successes and decided to open Film Workshop, a new production company. Film Workshop was envisioned as a Hong Kong version of Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope: a company where notable filmmakers of what we now call the “Hong Kong New Wave” could pursue artistically important projects without having to swim upstream against conservative studio management.
Production companies require big hits to finance passion projects and Hark came out of the gate with two action-comedy musical odes to pre-war China: Shanghai Blues (1985) and its companion piece and the subject of this review Peking Opera Blues (1986).
Peking Opera Blues follows three women from very different backgrounds whose paths cross against the backdrop of the divided Republican China of the early 20th century.
Tsao Wan (Brigitte Lin), the daughter of a corrupt warlord (Kenneth Tsang), who is trying to use foreign money to overthrow the nascent republic and restore the Qing Dynasty.
Tsao Wan joins forces with Bai Niu (Cherie Chung), a resourceful con artist chasing a stolen box of jewels, and Sheung Hung (Sally Yeh), an aspiring Peking Opera performer who dreams of breaking into the Peking Opera, where women are forbidden. The three women join an underground group determined to intercept the foreign loans and break the warlords’ control of the people.
One could be forgiven for getting lost in the plot synopsis of Peking Opera Blues, but it plays a lot smoother in motion than it reads, thankfully.
Tsui Hark juggles plots and sub-plots deftly, and the wistful, humorous tone does much to make the film feel far simpler than it is. This is right up there with Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China (1991) as showpiece for Hark’s skill as a technical director: the period setting is effectively achieved on a Hong Kong budget, but the real standout here is the editing from David Wu (who also has a small role in the film) which really makes the combination of slapstick humor, historical intrigue, and action sequences all feel like one cohesive film.
This is one of the very best showcases for Hong Kong’s repertory of actors in the 80’s.
Brigitte Lin gives my favorite performance of her career as essentially the “straight man” to all the zaniness of the main plot. She’s genuinely hilarious in how put upon she is by Chung and Yeh’s characters’ more traditional femininity and a lesser actress would be swallowed up by how much is swirling around her character, but she really rises to the level of the material here.
From a non-fan’s perspective, Peking Opera Blues seems the odd man out in the first wave of releases from the recently acquired Golden Princess library from Shout! Factory. It is not a heroic bloodshed gangster film from John Woo, or a nihilistic thriller from Ringo Lam.
That said, the action that is here is spectacular– probably as good or better as anything in Hong Kong that wasn’t coming from Jackie Chan or Sammo Hung. Hark’s instincts for action scenes continue to ring true through this film: most of the film displays a really active, movement-heavy camerawork style, but he knows just how to place and frame impact for maximum effect, always allowing his fights to breathe and gain the jazz-like rhythm Hong Kong action is legendary for.
If you’re a long time fan of Hong Kong cinema, you likely don’t need this review to tell you to check out Peking Opera Blues when it plays near you, or to pick up the new release– you’ve been waiting for it.
However, if you’re a neophyte, or curious about the region’s films in this period, you’re not going to regret giving this film a look. It embodies the infectious fun of period pieces like Project A or Millionaire’s Express with a real technical mastery that makes it a great time at the movies for almost anyone.
Extras are plentiful with a critic’s audio commentary, interviews, featurettes, image gallery, and trailer.
Recommended.
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