Peking Opera Blues

1986 Hong Kong film by Tsui Hark

Peking Opera Blues

Directed by| Tsui Hark
Written by| Raymond To
Produced by| Tsui Hark
Starring| Brigitte Lin
Cherie Chung
Sally Yeh
Paul Chun
Wu Ma
Kenneth Tsang
Cinematography| Hang Sang Poon
Edited by| David Wu
Music by| James Wong

Production
company

Cinema City

Distributed by| Golden Princess Film Production

Release date

* 6 September 1986 (1986-09-06)

Running time

| 104 minutes
Country| Hong Kong
Language| Cantonese

Peking Opera Blues (traditional Chinese: 刀馬旦; simplified Chinese: 刀马旦; pinyin: Dāo Mǎ Dàn; Jyutping: dou1 maa5 daan2; Cantonese Yale: Dòu Máah Dáan) is a 1986 Hong Kong action comedy film directed and produced by Tsui Hark. It stars Brigitte Lin, Cherie Chung, Sally Yeh, Paul Chun, Wu Ma, and Kenneth Tsang. The film combines action comedy with scenes involving Peking Opera.[1]

Peking Opera Blues was nominated for six awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards including Best Actress.

## Plot

[edit]

During the early Republican era, China was in turmoil, with warlords dividing the nation and causing widespread suffering. It was rumored that a prince of the imperial family had hidden a vast treasure. However, after offending Empress Dowager Cixi, his entire family was executed, leaving only his young daughter, who fled with a traveling opera troupe's musician. Fifteen years later, various factions, including a warlord under Yuan Shikai, Japanese spies, and revolutionaries, begin a relentless pursuit of the hidden treasure, leading to a fierce battle between justice and evil.

Tsao Wan is the daughter of a general and a devoted patriot. She is torn between her love for the nation and her loyalty to her father, who aids Yuan Shikai in securing massive foreign loans that push the country further into financial despair. Meanwhile, Bai Niu, who grew up in an opera troupe, and Sheung Hung, a money-hungry courtesan, cross paths with Tsao Wan through fate. Together, their intertwined lives weave an epic tale of love, sacrifice, and patriotism, as they embark on a daring journey in the midst of political chaos.

## Cast

[edit]

* Brigitte Lin \- Tsao Wan, General Tsao's daughter
* Cherie Chung \- Sheung Hung
* Sally Yeh \- Bai Niu
* Kenneth Tsang \- General Tsao
* Wu Ma \- Mr. Wong
* Paul Chun \- Fa Gum-Sao
* Mark Cheng \- Ling Pak-Hoi
* Cheung Kwok Keung \- Tung Man
* Ku Feng \- Commander Liu
* Lee Hoi-sang \- Soldier with moustache
* Leong Po-Chih
* Sandra Ng
* Dean Shek
* Yin Szema
* Tien Ching
* David Wu

## Title

[edit]

The Chinese title translates as Knife Horse Actresses, a term used in Peking Opera to refer to male actors playing female warriors (See Dan article for details). It is sometimes erroneously translated as Knife Horse Dawn, because both words are represented by the same Chinese character.[2]

## Responses

[edit]

The film grossed HK$17,559,357 in Hong Kong.[3]

In his Wrap Up video to the Region 1 DVD of Wong Kar-wai's Chungking Express, Quentin Tarantino refers to Peking Opera Blues as "one of the greatest films ever made" and "a blast––it's a lot of fun."

## Awards

[edit]

Hong Kong Film Awards Year  | Category  | Recipient  | Result

|
|
|

1987  | Best Actress | Sally Yeh | Nominated
Best Supporting Actor  | Paul Chun | Nominated
Best Action Choreography  | Ching Siu-tung | Nominated
Best Cinematography  | Hang Sang Poon | Nominated
Best Film Editing  | David Wu | Nominated
Best Art Direction  | Vincent Wai
Kim-Sing Ho
Chi-Hing Leung  | Nominated

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Bleiler, David TLA Video & DVD Guide 2005 (St Martin's Griffin, 2004) p.478
2. ^ Jenny Kwok Wah Lau, 'Peking Opera Blues: Exploding Genre, Gender and History', in Film Analysis (Norton, 2005), p. 739.
3. ^ "Peking Opera Blues (1986)".

## External links

[edit]

* Peking Opera Blues at IMDb
* Peking Opera Blues at Rotten Tomatoes
* lovehkfilm entry

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Films by Tsui Hark

Films directed|

* The Butterfly Murders (1979)
* We're Going to Eat You (1980, also writer)
* Dangerous Encounters of the First Kind (1980, also writer)
* All the Wrong Clues for the Right Solution (1981)
* Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain (1983)
* Shanghai Blues (1984, also produced)
* Aces Go Places 3 (1984)
* Working Class (1985, also produced)
* Peking Opera Blues (1986, also produced)
* A Better Tomorrow III: Love & Death in Saigon (1989, also produced)
* Once Upon a Time in China (1991, also writer and produced)
* King of Chess (1991, uncredited, also produced)
* Once Upon a Time in China II (1992, also writer and produced)
* The Master (1992, also produced)
* Green Snake (1993, also writer and produced)
* Once Upon a Time in China III (1993, also writer and produced)
* The Lovers (1994, also writer and produced)
* Once Upon a Time in China V (1994, also writer and produced)
* The Blade (1995, also writer and produced)
* The Chinese Feast (1995, also writer and produced)
* Love in the Time of Twilight (1995, also writer and produced)
* Tristar (1996, also writer and produced)
* Double Team (1997)
* Knock Off (1998)
* Time and Tide (2000, also writer and produced)
* The Legend of Zu (2001, also writer and produced)
* Black Mask 2: City of Masks (2002, also produced)
* Seven Swords (2005, also writer and produced)
* Missing (2008, also writer and produced)
* All About Women (2008, also writer and produced)
* Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010, also produced)
* Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011, also writer and produced)
* Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon (2013, also writer and produced)
* The Taking of Tiger Mountain (2014, also writer)
* Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back (2017, also writer and produced)
* Detective Dee: The Four Heavenly Kings (2018, also produced)
* Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants (2025, also written)

Films written|

* A Better Tomorrow II (1987; also produced)
* A Chinese Ghost Story III (1991, also produced)
* Swordsman II (1992, also produced)
* New Dragon Gate Inn (1992, also produced)
* The Wicked City (1992; also produced)
* The East Is Red (1993; also produced)
* Once Upon a Time in China IV (1993; also produced)
* The Magic Crane (1993, also produced)
* Iron Monkey (1993; also produced)
* Black Mask (1996; also produced)
* The Era of Vampires (2002, also produced)
* Sword Master (2016; also produced)
* The Thousand Faces of Dunjia (2017)

Films produced only|

* A Better Tomorrow (1986)
* A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)
* The Big Heat (1988)
* I Love Maria (1988)
* The Killer (1989)
* A Terra-Cotta Warrior (1990)
* The Swordsman (1990)
* A Chinese Ghost Story II (1990)
* Shanghai Grand (1996)
* Once Upon a Time in China and America (1997)
* The Climbers (2019)

Collaborating director|

* The Banquet (1991)
* Twin Dragons (1992)
* Triangle (2007)
* Septet: The Story of Hong Kong (2020)
* The Battle at Lake Changjin (2021)
* The Battle at Lake Changjin II (2022)

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