| Peking Opera Blues | |
| Director: | Tsui Hark |
| Producer: | Tsui Hark |
| Starring: | Brigitte Lin Cherie Chung Sally Yeh Paul Chun Wu Ma Kenneth Tsang |
| Music: | James Wong |
| Cinematography: | Hang Sang Poon (H.K.S.C) |
| Studio: | Cinema City |
| Editing: | David Wu |
| Distributor: | Golden Princess Film Production |
| Runtime: | 104 min |
| Country: | Hong Kong |
| Language: | Cantonese |
Peking Opera Blues is a 1986 Hong Kong action comedy film directed and produced by Tsui Hark. The film stars Brigitte Lin, Cherie Chung, Sally Yeh, Paul Chun, Wu Ma, and Kenneth Tsang. The movie combines action comedy with scenes involving Peking Opera. Director Tsui Hark described the film as a satire on the "Chinese ignorance of democracy."[1] The film was nominated for six awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards including Best Actress.
The film is set in 1913 Peking, during Yuan Shikai's presidency of the country. It depicts the adventures of a team of unlikely heroines: Tsao Wan (Brigitte Lin), a patriotic rebel who cross-dresses as a man; Sheung Hung (Cherie Chung), a woman in search of a missing box of jewels; and Bai Niu (Sally Yeh), the daughter of a Peking Opera impresario.
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]
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."
| Year | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Best Actress | 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 |