Source: CCTV.com
11-17-2008 08:56
Special Report: Mei LanfangOne of the most anticipated Chinese films of 2008, "Mei Lanfang" is set to be released in mid December. The epic production is a biographical account about the late Peking Opera master. The film was in pre-production for three years. Then came seven months of filming. "Mei Lanfang" is the latest offering from aspiring director Chen Kaige. He's best known for "Farewell My Concubine." This time he's fighting to come back from the failure of his last film, "Promise".
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| One of the most anticipated Chinese films of 2008, "Mei Lanfang" is set to be released in mid December. |
Mei Lanfang, the most famous Peking Opera performer of all time, is being featured in an epic film. Mei is considered among the four outstanding actors to play "Dan" or female roles. Mei began his career on stage at the age of ten. During the long performing career that followed, he acted in and promoted many new plays. He is credited with contributions to advance many aspects of the opera. He was an innovator of singing styles, dialogue, dance, music, and costume. His fresh, elegant performing style set the standard for the Mei school. It remains the prevailing standard in Peking Opera today.
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| One of the most anticipated Chinese films of 2008, "Mei Lanfang" is set to be released in mid December. |
Mei introduced his exotic art to people around the world. He often toured abroad. Audiences were impressed by his modest, unaffected manner. Between the 1920's and 1950's Mei was often called a cultural ambassador for China. After the Japanese aggression of China in the late 1930s, Mei refused to perform for the Japanese. He grew a mustache and lived in retirement as a hermit, in an expression of patriotism and national dignity. The recreation on screen, of Mei, a man admired and even revered proved a challenging task for director Chen Kaige.
Chen Kaige was born into an artistic family. His father is film director Chen Huaikai. In 1978, Chen enrolled at the Beijing Film Academy. He majored in film directing. After graduation, his debut film was "Yellow Earth". The film earned rave reviews and was acclaimed as a breakthrough for Chinese cinematic narrative. Later, Chen became acknowledged as a major figure in the fifth generation of Chinese directors.
