Center stage (DVD) / Leonard Ho and Jackie Chan present ; directed by Stanley Kwan ; produced by Willie Chan, Tsui Siu Ming ; screenplay by Yau Dai An Ping.
Title from sell sheet. Originally released as a motion picture in 1991 in Taiwan with title: Ruan Lingyu. "New 4K restoration"--Container. Wide screen. Special features: Stanley Kwan introduction, Stanley Kwan interview; Hong Kong cinema expert Paul Fornoroff interview; booklet with essay by Aliza Ma. Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Chin Hang, Carina Lau, Lawrence Ng, Cecilia Yip, Waise Lee.
Summary:
International superstar Maggie Cheung embodies tragic screen siren Ruan Lingyu, known as the "Greta Garbo of China," in this unconventional biopic by Hong Kong New Wave master Stanley Kwan. Praised for her moving and emotive onscreen presence, Ruan's private life, which was frequent fodder for the vicious Shanghai tabloids, began to mirror the melodramas which brought her fame, culminating in her suicide at age 24. Kawan and Cheung paint a kaleidoscopic yet intimate portrait of the ill-fated actress, deftly blending lush period drama, archival footage, and metatextual documentary sequences of Cheung reflecting on Ruan's legacy. The result is, much like the films of Ruan Lingyu themselves, "tender, vivid and almost overwhelmingly moving" (Time Out).
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