Also known as "The Phantom Lover", this Chinese movie was directed by Ronny Yu in 1995 and tells the story of a nearly bankrupt drama troupe that starts performing in a burned-out theatre where the great actor Song Danping was killed. The leading actor of the troupe, Wei Quing, hears the story of Danping from his former employee, Ma, who is now the caretaker of the theatre.
Leslie Cheung plays Song Danping, Lei Huang is Wei Qing and the female leading role, Yun-Yan is played by Chien-Lien Wu.
This movie is considered the Chinese version of the Phantom of the Opera, but it's only loosely based on the original Leroux novel.
I 've been meaning to watch this movie for some time now and got only yesterday to it. Again, this movie was in V.O., so I had to watch it subtitled. The subs were completely and utterly desynchronized, so I had to make great efforts to understand everything as I don't know any Chinese.
The second worst thing of this movie is the music. The main song is supposed to belong to the opera "Romeo and Juliet", although it was specially composed for the movie. The song is not bad at all, but it's repeated so often through all the movie, that at the end you end up a little bit sick of it.
Other than that I find this movie very cool and interesting.
The lighting and colours differentiates the flashback - with it's brilliant reds, and golds and blacks - from the 'present' - which is nearly monochromatic, full of brown. The past is presented like a dreamworld, a place cherished and beautiful in a rather crude present.
The lighting and colours differentiates the flashback - with it's brilliant reds, and golds and blacks - from the 'present' - which is nearly monochromatic, full of brown. The past is presented like a dreamworld, a place cherished and beautiful in a rather crude present.
The make up work is very nicely done. Danping's disfigurement is not the best I've seen, but it's pretty realistic.
The camerawork is actually very cool. Towards the end, when Yun-Yen reappears as a mad woman, the camera work is very very impressive, with new angles and movements. I really love that part, it gives a sense of desolation and sadness, plus it's creepy as hell.
The whole technical aspects of this movie are original and fresh.
The whole technical aspects of this movie are original and fresh.
The politic background of this movie is very strong in the Phantom Movie, showing the evilness of the corrupt political system that kills every dissident with or without a political reason.
************************ATTENTION: MILD SPOILERS AHEAD********************
As a "Phantom movie", "Ye ban ge sheng" has a somewhat new story: Christine isn't the Phantom's secret love - it isn't even a she. Christine's role is taken by Wei Qing, whom the Phantom teaches to sing in order to help the bankrupt troupe. Actually this is more a Romeo and Juliet movie, than a Phantom one, but...
The politic background of this movie is very strong in the Phantom Movie, showing the evilness of the corrupt political system that kills every dissident with or without a political reason.
The Phantom isn't some evil, murderous, punjabing freak, but a nice actor, who haunts the theatre he built in order to keep his promise to Yun-Yen.
Yun-Yen is a mix between Christine - without the whole singing and in-love-with-someone-else part and Juliette. She's brilliantly interpreted by Chien-Lien Wu, and pretty much every shot of her are worth of a poster.
Her maid, who should have been the comic relieve of the movie, turns into a very tragic and sweet character, whose loyalty should be praised above everything else. I really like her.
The politic background of this movie is very strong in the Phantom Movie, showing the evilness of the corrupt political system that kills every dissident with or without a political reason.
The Phantom isn't some evil, murderous, punjabing freak, but a nice actor, who haunts the theatre he built in order to keep his promise to Yun-Yen.
Yun-Yen is a mix between Christine - without the whole singing and in-love-with-someone-else part and Juliette. She's brilliantly interpreted by Chien-Lien Wu, and pretty much every shot of her are worth of a poster.
Her maid, who should have been the comic relieve of the movie, turns into a very tragic and sweet character, whose loyalty should be praised above everything else. I really like her.
*********************************BIG SPOILER AHEAD************************
I love the fact that this movie has a somewhat happy ending. I think this is the only Phantom movie in which both Phantom and Christine - Yun-Yen in this case - end up riding into the sunset.
******************************END OF SPOILERS*****************************
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| YE BAN GE SHENG TRAILER |
I really liked this movie, and I recommend it to you. It is original, romantic and sad, so you would like to invest in some handkerchiefs. The acting is pretty good and the directing neat, the camera work is really worth the effort of the badly synchronised subtitles.
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