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In support of Cantonese Opera Day 2015, the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will present "Iconic Heroines in Cantonese Opera Films" in November. The programme will screen six Cantonese opera films featuring zing jan fa dan (the female lead in Cantonese opera), namely Yu Lai-zhen, Yu So-chow, Fung Wong Nui and Chan Ho-kau in a celebratory showcase of their operatic talents and dazzling acrobatic displays on the silver screen.
The films to be shown are "The Story of Muk Kwai-ying, Part One" (1959) on November 27; "The Invincible Yeung Generals" (1961) and "Lodging of a Complaint Before the Imperial Court by the Young Amazons" (1961) on November 28, and "Lady General Fa Muk-lan" (1961), "A Maid Commander-in-chief and a Rash General" (1962) and "The Capture of the Evil Demons" (1962) on November 29. "The Invincible Yeung Generals" and "The Capture of the Evil Demons" are specially chosen as a tribute to the recently deceased Cantonese opera master, Lam Kar-sing, who acted in the films. To complement the screenings, a seminar entitled "Female Warriors in Cantonese Opera Films" will be hosted by Tong Ka-wai on November 28 at 4.45pm at the Cinema of the HKFA. It will be conducted in Cantonese with free admission.
"The Story of Muk Kwai-ying, Part One" tells of woman warrior Muk Kwai-ying (Yu Lai-zhen) who, on their first encounter, incarcerates General Yeung Chung-bo (Yam Kim-fai) using her magic and makes him a captive. Yu's defiant role is accentuated by the humorous performance of a stellar operatic cast including Tam Lan-hing, Leung Sing-po, Poon Yat On and Lan Chi Pak, and the film is a fine crossover between Cantonese opera and the fantasy genre. Revered as the "Queen of the Art of Dan", Yu excels in female warrior roles, displaying her unique "bound feet" acrobatic moves, hair-swirling acts and sword fighting skills in the film.
Born into a Beijing opera family and mentored by Mei Lan-fang in the art of swordplay, Yu So-chow is acclaimed for her adept tuo shou artistry (footwork and wielding of tasselled spears). "The Invincible Yeung Generals" features a series of northern school acrobatic combats. Set in Northern Song when its borders were threatened by the Western Xia forces, the film follows Song chancellor Kau Chun (Lan Chi Pak) who enlists the Yeung clan to defend the country. Under the leadership of Muk Kwai-ying (Yu So-chow) and Yeung Man-kwong (Lam Kar-sing), the Yeung clan successfully defeat the Five-Dragon Formation led by the Princess of Western Xia (Chan Ho-kau).
"Lodging of a Complaint Before the Imperial Court by the Young Amazons" opens with a series of remarkable fighting scenes. Clad in grand armour (dakao), Yu So-chow showcases her acrobatic prowess by performing a choreographed series of martial arts cartwheels and somersaults. The film follows To Kam-ngo (Yu So-chow) who lodges a grievance against the emperor's father-in-law Poon Hung (Lan Chi Pak) for the murder of her husband. The shrewd Duke Fuyin Hin (Chan Kam-tong) devises a plan to arrest Poon, while the Manchu official Kau Chun (Mak Bing-wing) is appointed to preside over the case and authorises Poon to be drafted to fight on the frontier. Meanwhile, Grand Matriarch Sei marshals To and the Yeung troops at the frontier on the emperor's orders, thereby setting the stage for To to exact revenge. The drama is bookended by two fantastic fight sequences, while the narrative momentum and dynamics are driven by a stellar cast of operatic stars.
Fung Wong-nui is a versatile leading dan with a solid foundation in Cantonese operatic arts and techniques. In "Lady General Fa Muk-lan", Fung unleashes her own brand of stage wizardry, such as sword and dagger play, spear dancing and ma dang zi (a set of actions with a horsewhip). Adapted from the folk poem "The Ballad of Mulan", the film tells the story of a young woman, Fa Muk-lan (Fung) who takes her aged father's place in the army, where she meets Lau Yuen-to (Mak Bing-wing) and Wong Chung-yee (Chan Kam-tong). The trio quickly rise through the ranks for their valour on the battlefield, and Muk-lan develops romantic feelings for her comrade Yuen-to. Later, Muk-lan is found guilty by the emperor for taking her father's place but fortunately she is pardoned at the joint petition of the generals and becomes free to tie the knot with Yuen-to.
"A Maid Commander-in-chief and a Rash General" is adapted from a Tai Lung Fung Opera Troupe play of the same title. This gongs-and-drums drama follows the age-old tradition of Cantonese opera yet thrills with suspense, twists and turns. The story centres on a tangled romance between Man Chui-kwan (Fung Wong Nui), daughter of a famed general of the Chu Kingdom and Qi general Lau Siu-tin (Mak Bing-wing). However, an accumulation of lies leads to Man's sworn sister, Siu Yuet-ngo (Chan Ho-kau) accusing Lau of impregnating her, which escalates into a full-blown duel as the two kingdoms declare war on each other. Attired in her glamorous grand armour, Fung proves herself a consummate artist with strutting cartwheels and somersaults as well as wielding pheasant plumes, and even lifts co-star Mak in one of her acrobatic moves.
Chan Ho-kau had the privilege of receiving the tutelage of two masters, Cantonese opera virtuoso Chiu Lan-fong and Beijing opera maestro Fen Ju Hua. In "The Capture of the Evil Demons", Chan's all-action persona finds full expression in her role as Clam Spirit, showcasing her talent for spin-ups, ribbon dancing and banner-waving. Meanwhile, Fen impresses the audience with a balancing act involving water buckets and displays northern school acrobatics alongside her protégées. An adaptation of Peking opera, the film depicts Clam Spirit falling in love with scholar Yin Yuk-hoi (Lam Kar-sing) and abducting him to the Crystal Palace. Although Yin escapes, his lover Choi So-fong (Man Lan) is harassed by Serpent Spirit. The lovers are saved by their master, Madam Chiu (Fen Ju Hua), and their fellow disciples, who eventually shame the devil spirits into repentance.
All films are in Cantonese and without subtitles.
Tickets priced at $40 are now available at URBTIX. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 and above, people with disabilities (and one accompanying minder), full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Credit card bookings can be made at 2111 5999 or on the Internet at www.urbtix.hk. For enquiries, please call 2739 2139 or 2734 2900. Detailed programme information can be found in "ProFolio 79", distributed at all performing venues of the LCSD, or by browsing the website www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en_US/web/fpo/programmes/2015cop/index.html.
Ends/Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Issued at HKT 12:41
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