Center Stage (Chinese: 阮玲玉; pinyin: Ruǎn Língyù; Jyutping: jyun5 ling4 juk6; Cantonese Yale: yun5 ling4 yuk6), also known as Actress and Yuen Ling-yuk,[1] is a 1991 Hong Kong biographical drama film directed by Stanley Kwan. It follows the life and career of silent film actress Ruan Lingyu (1910–1935), portrayed by Maggie Cheung.
| Center Stage | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Stanley Kwan |
| Written by | Dai An Ping |
| Produced by | Willie Chan Tsui Siu-Ming |
| Starring | Maggie Cheung Tony Leung Ka-Fai Carina Lau |
| Cinematography | Poon Hang-Sang |
Production company | Golden Way Films Ltd. |
| Distributed by | Golden Harvest Media Asia Group |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 146 minutes 154 minutes (Extended version) 126 minutes (Edited version) |
| Country | Hong Kong |
| Languages | Cantonese Mandarin Shanghainese English |
Cheung won Best Actress award at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1992 for performance.
Plot summary
editThe film is based on a true story: the tragic life of China's first prima donna of the silver screen, Ruan Lingyu. This movie chronicles her rise to fame as a movie actress in Shanghai during the 1930s. Nicknamed the "Chinese Garbo," Ruan Lingyu began her acting career when she was 16 and committed suicide at 24.
The film alternates between present scenes (production talks between director Kwan, Cheung, and co-star Carina Lau, interviews of witnesses who knew Ruan), re-creation scenes with Cheung (as Ruan, acting inside this movie), and extracts from Ruan's original films including her final two films The Goddess (1934) and New Women (1935).
Cast
edit- Maggie Cheung as Ruan Lingyu
- Chin Han as Tang Jishan
- Lawrence Ng as Zhang Damin
- Tony Leung Ka-fai as Cai Chusheng
- Carina Lau as Li Lili
- Cecilia Yip as Lim Cho Cho
- Waise Lee as Lai Man-Wai
- Paul Chang Chung as Luo Mingyou
- Hsiao Hsiang as He Aying (Ruan's mother)
- Maryanna Yip as Lai Cheuk-Cheuk
- Yumiko Cheng as Child actress
- Fu Chong as Nie Er
- Xue Guoping as Jin Yan
- Sun Dongguang as Sun Yu
- Xiao Rongsheng as Wu Yonggang
- Zheng Dali as Zheng Junli
- Zhou Jie as Liu Qiong
- Huang Daliang as Wu Chengyu
- Claude Monges as Mr. Skinner
- Carrie Lanese as Mrs. Skinner
Two actors are the sons of their characters: Sun Dongguang is the son of director Sun Yu, and Zheng Dali is the son of actor Zheng Junli.
Music
editThe theme song "Zangxin" (葬心; "Burying the Heart") was composed by Taiwanese singer-songwriter Johnny Chen and recorded by Taiwanese singer Tracy Huang. It won Best Original Film Song at the 12th Hong Kong Film Awards.
The film also contains a scene in which Lianhua Film Company actors sang the "Dalu Ge" (大路歌; "The Big Road Song") composed by Nie Er, which would become the theme song for Sun Yu's 1934 anti-Japanese film The Big Road.
Reception
editAwards
edit- Golden Horse Awards,[2] 1991
- Best Leading Actress - Maggie Cheung
- Best Cinematography - Poon Hang Sang
- Best Feature Film (nominated)
- Best Director - Stanley Kwan (nominated)
- 42nd Berlin International Film Festival[3]
- Silver Bear for Best Actress - Maggie Cheung
- Chicago International Film Festival, 1992
- Silver Hugo Award for Best Actress - Maggie Cheung
- 1993 Hong Kong Film Awards
- Best Actress - Maggie Cheung
- Best Cinematography - Poon Hang Sang
- Best Art Direction - Pok Yuk Mok
- Best Original Film Score - Johnny Chen
- Best Original Film Song - Johnny Chen
Recognition
editProminent American film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum picked the film as one of his favorites of the 1990s. [4] [5]
References
edit- ^ "Yuen Ling-yuk" is the Cantonese transcription of "Ruan Lingyu".
- ^ "Golden Horse Awards 1991". goldenhorse.org/tw. Archived from the original on 22 December 2012. Retrieved 25 January 2012.
- ^ "Berlinale: 1992 Prize Winners". berlinale.de. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ Center Stage at HKMDB
- ^ Center Stage at chinesemov.com
