Ren gui qing

Episodes from the life and career of a woman who starts as a child in a small traveling Chinese Opera troupe and who becomes an international star playing male roles. It is set from the late 1940's to the early 1990's though dates are not mentioned, only shown by objects such as a television set.

The narrative is punctuated by studio scenes of the Demon Queller (Zhong Kui - her father's favorite role) in Chinese Opera makeup and costume struggling with various Chinese Opera ghosts; presumable this represents the lead's conflict with the woman's role in Chinese Opera and Society.

The story is thin and ignores the political turmoil or the period, but some of the Chinese Opera acting is quite good.

Ren Gui Qing (roughly translated as Human, Ghost and love) is called the first Chinese feminism film. Why so, there are many reasons, such as its protagonist being a woman and its autobiographic style which feminism writings always have. More importantly this film depicts a soul, dislocated in a rigorously classified society, can only find sympathy and comfort in her projected self on the stage. It happens that this soul is a woman and perhaps not so surprising, her self-projection is Zhong Kui, a masculine spirit of low rank in Chinese mythology.

The film is basic on a true story. The actress acts her real life. Being a little girl,she was bred as a boy to survive in a local traditional opera company. When she grew up, she was compelled to have a marriage without love and her once true love led to betrayal and suffering. She found no position in that male dominated society. In dream, she encountered Zhong Kui, the ghost hunter whom she famously acts in theatre, they had a bitter dialogue.

What fascinating about this film is its allegoric aspect, it could be about a woman, a precious art tradition, or any individual. They are all situated in a peculiar society and have problematic existence. Its abundant images of traditional arts, vivid portrayal of Chinese lives and depiction of inner world, make itself a valuable document of Chinese thoughts in 1980s.

The music is quite interesting, it is really surprising to hear tunes from traditional opera played on piano, surrounded by texture of orchestra. The profound association with old Chinese operatic art is a major feature here. Saying Chinese films as such, people usually think about those by Zhang Yi-mou and Chen Kai-ge. Yet this film surpass theirs. Without pretence, it touches you in a comfortable way. I hope this film not forgotten, and reaches more audiences.