FOREVER ENTHRALLED
Leon Lai, Zhang Ziyi.
China, 2009, 147 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Chen Kaige.
The Peking Opera is highly valued by the Chinese, mysterious and fascinating to those who do not understand it.
In 1993, Chen Kaige won many awards for his film, Farewell My Concubine, for the film itself and its luminous cinematography, a drama about the Opera in the early years of the 20th century. He has now returned to this era but moves his action into the 1920s and 1930s, including a visit by the Opera to New York in 1930 and the Japanese occupation of Peking, Shanghai and Nanking in 1937.
The plot is based on the story of a star of the Opera who, from his teenage years, charmed and delighted the public. His more expressive movements changed audience perceptions from the rigid traditions and their less emotive gestures and movements. This is well illustrated in a sequence where Mr Qui, who advocates change, criticises the past – which leads to a competition staged between a traditional opera and a modern one.
By 1930, Mei (played effectively by Yu Shaoqun when young and Leon Lai when more mature) is China's most celebrated singer. Despite the American Depression, he goes on tour of the US trying to overcome his fears.
Other melodramatic incidents complicate his life and self-image: his marriage to a controlling wife (and the later unexpected appearance of four children), his love for fellow actress (Zhang Ziyi) who is told that Mei's artistry comes from his inner loneliness and she is told to move away from him, an occasion for a bizarre shooting incident at a party.
The film becomes political with the Japanese occupation and Mei's dilemma whether to sing and support Chinese morale or not sing and avoid any Japanese propagandising. This takes its toll, especially with the underhand actions of his mentor, Mr Qui.
After the war, Mei had 60,000 people meet him at the station when he returned to the Opera in 1950. He died in 1961.
A stately, beautiful and reflective tribute to a star and re-creation of several eras in Chinese 20th century history.
1.The traditions of Chinese cinema, Chen Kaige and his reputation? The world of Chinese opera and his films?
2.Based on a true story, a portrait of Mei, of the period, changes, the development of the opera?
3.The luminous photography, the capturing of the different atmospheres of the periods, China, New York? The musical score, the orchestration?
4.Chinese opera, its conventions, men playing the roles of women, the change and women acting and singing? Costumes, movement, the instruments, the music, the songs, the voices, the drama, the characters and situations? Operatic? The film communicating all these aspects?
5.Mei when young, his uncle’s letter, the visualising of his uncle’s humiliation, the dowager empress’s soldiers, the yoke around his neck? The issue of breaking the yoke? His advice to his nephew to give up the opera?
6.The boy, his decision? His memories, the flashbacks, quoting from the letter? Qui and his seeing the letters, finally reading it?
7.Mei as a young man, the performances, the crowds, the impatient crowds wanting their money back unless he came, his stepping on the nail, his performing despite the disability, the people’s acclamation? The veteran manager? The old singer? The competitiveness? His respect? His hurrying to the lecture?
8.The lecture, Qui, offering debate, the rigid regulations of opera, his consequence, the responses from the audience, defending the old? The discussions with Mei, his giving him tickets? Qui going to the opera, being moved, giving up his job, managing Mei?
9.The old master, his being put off in performance by Mei’s variations, the clash? Feng, the managers, the entrepreneurs? The challenge for the competition, the old master and his performance, Mei and the new opera and his success, the old man and the empty theatre, conceding defeat? His dying – and asking Mei to preserve the reputation of opera and improve it?
10.Mei and his skills, movements, conveying passion, interpretation of character and situations, the exhilarating responses, happiness, joy, sadness?
11.The passing of ten years, Mei and his success, his marriage, children? The severity of his wife and her strictness? His encounter with the actress, their discussions about performance, the bond, her suggesting the possibilities of more freedom for him, going to the cinema with her, talking about his fears? His loneliness?
12.Qui and Feng, their support of Mei, his wife and the actress, the clash, going to see the actress, persuading her to leave? Qui and his reaction, her rejection? The party, the transvestite assassin, the shooting? The actress facing the assassin? The later revelation that Qui engineered the scene? His being unrepentant, even about the death of the assassin?
13.Qui, his life, artistic taste, commitment to Mei? Affection for him, art, the set-up for the assassin, his not having regrets? To New York, his moods in New York, reading the critics, not hearing any applause, going out? His joy at the success? Later, Mei’s rejection of him? His trying to persuade Mei to sing for the Japanese? The phone-in and his betrayal? The confrontation with Mei’s wife? Asking forgiveness?
14.New York, Mei’s fears, motivations, the harshness of the New York critics, sight unseen? The performance, the standing applause? The actress and her letter, his reading it?
15.1937, the Japanese occupation, the military, his admirer? The Japanese trying to persuade him to sing, his refusal? The arrest, interrogation, the concern of his wife? The young Japanese, the officers’ angers? The occupation of Nanjing? His being considered a traitor by the public?
16.His being maligned, the press conference, the typhoid injection, his collapse, his stance against the Japanese?
17.After the war, his return to the theatre, the crowds? The information about sixty thousand at the station in 1950? The information about his life, death?
18.The changes in Chinese history and the first half of the 20th century? Warlords, the republic, the Japanese invasion, World War Two, the communist revolution? This film as a tribute to the singer?
