Peking Opera Blues (1986) | Region-Free (Blu-Ray)

Title: Peking Opera Blues (1986)

Alternate Title: 刀馬旦 (Dao ma dan)

Genre: Action, Comedy

Plot Synopsis:
Set in 1913 Beijing during Yuan Shikai’s presidency of the Republic of China, three women from different backgrounds—Tsao Wan, a patriotic rebel disguised as a man; Sheung Hung, a woman searching for a missing box of jewels; and Pat Neil, the daughter of a Peking Opera impresario—embark on a daring quest filled with intrigue and betrayal. Their journey challenges societal norms amidst political turmoil and the vibrant world of Peking Opera.

Cast and Crew:

• Director: Tsui Hark
• Writer: Raymond To
• Cast:
  • Brigitte Lin as Tsao Wan
  • Sally Yeh as Pat Neil
  • Cherie Chung as Sheung Hung
  • Mark Cheng Ho-Nam as Chuen Yao-Wah
  • Wu Ma as General Tun

YouTube Trailer:
Peking Opera Blues (1986) | Trailer

IMDb Link:
Peking Opera Blues (1986)

Reviews from Letterboxd:

1. Willow Maclay – ★★★★½
   “A scene where three women have a sleepover and discuss how they are going to kill a General is basically my ideal cinema.”
2. Filipe Furtado – ★★★★★
   “Agitpop cinema. Let’s put a show, kill the general, and bringing down the order (and some genre/gender barriers along the way). Tsui of nationalistic awe and punk suspicion at tradition (here in the figure of the Peking Opera inside the text and the multiple East/West cultural references throughout). Tsui and Oswald de Andrade would have a lot to talk of cultural anthropophagy and imperialism. Climax includes the best imagined version of the Odessa steps scene.”
3. darbs ᥫ᭡ – ★★★★
   “‘Look down on women and you’ll be castrated one day.’ Three odd companions unite in their common ambition to bring down the patriarchy. Starting off with a badass plot, eh? When you see Peking Opera Blues, you may find yourself watching one of the most hilarious films ever produced, then one of the most exciting spy films ever made, and finally one of the most sombre historical dramas ever made. This is the result of combining all three genres of films into one. And I’ll say they pulled it off fantastically. ‘After the revolution, meet you in Peking.’ Also, you’ve got the blonde girl from ‘Chungking Express’ in the lead role here. What more could you want?”

Meta Description:
“Peking Opera Blues” (1986), directed by Tsui Hark, is a Hong Kong action-comedy that follows three women from diverse backgrounds as they navigate political intrigue and societal challenges in 1913 Beijing, set against the backdrop of the Peking Opera.