The Phantom Lover (1995), dir. Ronny Yu, Mandarian Films Distribution/Mandarian Films/Sil-Metropole Organization
Moving into the tribute section, we open with a Phantom of the Opera take that borrows from another work.
1940's China, home to Song Dan Ping (Leslie Cheung). Ping is an actor and theater director, focusing his genius on staging great works of opera, especially Romero and Julliet.
His skill is such that he attracts the attention of To Wan-Yin (Jacqueline Wu). She's the daughter of a local official, and the old man is hellbent for leather on her marrying a good friend and social equal to himself.
The lovers don't care about that and have their meetings after the performances. Ping and Wan-Yin plan to run away and elope but things go south. Wan-Yin's maid, the only other person who knows about them, is beaten to disfigurement. Guilt ridden, Wan-Yin stays behind to care for her, turning her into a prisoner in her own home.
The man her father wants her to marry is not only a pig, but he's got a mean streak too. Learning the truth, he and his buddies track down Ping and burn him with acid. To cap it off they also burn down his theater with his troupe still inside.
Figuring him dead, Wan-Yin marries her beau. Who promptly kicks her to the street, slowly driving her mad.
Some years later, a group of students find the old theater. They dream of restoring it and Ping's work but his enemies still prowl about and what about the so-called 'Phantom Lover'?
It has become also traditional to mix the Phantom with another work, usually Faust. Here we have Romero and Julliet. Honestly they could have skipped the Phantom entirely and just had the Shakespeare.
No comments:
Post a Comment