BBB.5
(out of 5)
If this excellent Chinese drama ended sooner it would have been a much better film, but even at its excessive running time it is an eye-popping spectacle. Leslie Cheung is excellent as an opera singer who was sold to the Peking Opera as a child and grows up to be a famous performer in his country. The story plays out like a love triangle between him, the man he loves, and the man’s wife (Gong Li), while the background attempts to squeeze a whole dollop of Chinese history into one film. It doesn’t always succeed, especially in its last third, but it’s great to look at and often quite inspiring.
Beijing Film Studio, China Film Co-Production Corporation, Maverick Picture Company, Tomson Films
Directed by Kaige Chen
Screenplay by Pik Wah Lee, Wei Lu, based on the novel by Pik Wah Lee
Cinematography by Changwei Gu
Produced by Feng Hsu
Music by Jiping Zhao
Production Design by Yuhe Yang, Zhanjia Yang
Costume Design by Changmin Chen
Film Editing by Xiaonan Pei
