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International superstar Maggie Cheung (In the Mood for Love) embodies tragic screen siren Ruan Lingyu in this unconventional biopic by Hong Kong New Wave master Stanley Kwan (Rouge). Known as the “Greta Garbo of China,“ Ruan was praised for her moving and emotive onscreen presence. But Ruan’s private life began to mirror the melodramas that brought her fame and was frequent fodder for the vicious Shanghai tabloids. This tumult culminated in her suicide at age 24.Kwan and Cheung paint a kaleidoscopic yet intimate portrait of the ill-fated actress, deftly blending lush period drama, archival footage, and metatextual documentary sequences of Cheung reflecting on Ruan’s legacy. The result is, much like the films of Ruan Lingyu themselves, “tender, vivid and almost overwhelmingly moving” (Time Out). Description adapted from Film Movement.
Cost: free, register in advance recommended.
Director: Stanley Kwan (Hong Kong). Released: 1991. Length: 154 min. Format: DCP. Language: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English with English subtitles.
Presented by Fortune Star Media Limited, the restoration of the film was carried out from the original 35mm picture and optical soundtrack negative. The prints were repaired, cleaned, and scanned in Hong Kong, then digitally restored in 4K resolution in Bologna, Italy, by L’Immagine Ritrovata. Endorsed by the director, Stanley Kwan, the color correction was completed by Interface Video Production Ltd in Hong Kong.
Image courtesy of Film Movement
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