The film takes place at a firmly established crossroads in modern Chinese history. The year is 1913, and General Yuan Shi Kai has taken power in the wake of the Qing Dynasty's fall. Yuan requires a large sum of money from European governments to stay in power, and General Tsao is helping Yuan secure the loan. However, his daughter Tsao Wan is secretly working for the revolutionaries, and plots to steal the loan documents from her father. However, things aren't that easy. In the process of trying to steal the documents, she gets involved with two very different women. Bai Niu is the daughter of Wu Ma, who runs a Chinese Opera troupe that — as was the custom at the time — features an all-male cast. Bai wishes to be an actress onstage, but tradition forbids it. Meanwhile, golddigging musician Hong arrives at the opera house while chasing a wayward box of jewelry. The two become involved in the intrigue when Tsao Wan attempts to meet revolutionary spy Ling at the opera house while her father is taking in a performance. However, the local law enforcement is on to them, which leads to complicated circumstances and exhiliarting happenstance. Edit Translation
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Where to Watch Peking Opera Blues
Cast & Credits
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![Brigitte Lin in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie]( "Brigitte Lin in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie")
Brigitte Lin Main Role -
![Cherie Chung in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie]( "Cherie Chung in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie")
Cherie Chung Main Role -
![Sally Yeh in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie]( "Sally Yeh in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie")
Sally YehBai Niu / "Pat Neil"Main Role -
![Wu Ma in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie]( "Wu Ma in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie")
Wu MaMr. WongSupport Role -
![Paul Chun in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie]( "Paul Chun in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie")
Paul ChunFa Gum SaoSupport Role -
![Cheung Kwok Keung in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie]( "Cheung Kwok Keung in Peking Opera Blues Hong Kong Movie")
Cheung Kwok KeungTung ManSupport Role
Reviews
"We're all just part of the drama..."
Peking Opera Blues is a classic 1980s Hong Kong film by Tsui Hark. Set around 1911, the film starred Brigette Lin, Sally Yeh, and Cherie Chung as three women with vastly different backgrounds who were thrown together by fate. I'm always happy when women take the main roles and aren't continually shown as helpless victims or sex objects. My kung fu movie loving heart was also happy to see Ku Feng and Wu Ma along with a secret document added to the mix.Itinerant singer Sheung Hung swipes a box of jewels when the local warlord runs afoul of his men. They’ve learned he can’t pay them because he lost everything gambling with another “general.” Bai Niu works for her father who runs a Chinese opera troupe. She desperately wants to act which enrages her father as women are forbidden from performing. Cho Wan is the daughter of General Cho and has returned from abroad wearing men’s clothes and a cropped men’s haircut saying the style grants her more freedom by keeping people guessing. The women end up working with a rebel who is after proof that General Cho and Yuan Shi Kai are working together in a plot for corrupt power and wealth.
I loved Brigitte Lin in her gender bender outfits. She carried the look off with chic elegance. Her character, Cho Wan, was a boss. Lin expertly showed Cho’s toughness, vulnerability, and also her conflict over betraying her father. Sally Yeh’s Bai Niu had less to do as the frustrated actress wannabe though her turn at Peking Opera was entertaining. Cherie Chung’s Cheung Hung was the weak link for me. I’m going to blame the writers as I enjoyed her performance in 1987’s An Autumn’s Tale. I’m just not a fan of bumbling, selfish, comedic characters. Mark Cheng as the rebel Ling Pak Hoi was handsome and capable in the fight scenes. Speaking of the fights, the martial arts and gun fights were well choreographed but often pushed the bounds of belief. Lastly, Ku Feng flexed his bad guy muscles as Commander Liu.
Behind the action comedy, Cho Wan and Bai Niu pushed gender roles for the early 20th century. It was gratifying to watch a film with three women going after what they wanted and weren't reduced to victims. Tsui Hark wasn’t afraid to tweak historical figures and events with some political satire. There was also the subtle emotional tug that Cho was the idealist and devoted to making China a better place through her actions and sacrifice though whether they amounted to anything remained to be seen.
This is one of those films that wildly mashed story tropes together to see what stuck to the wall--friendship, torture, comedy, action, politics, espionage, Chinese opera, familial love, betrayal, defying boundaries, and even hints of romance. Some of it worked for me, some of it didn’t (Sheung’s “comedic” scenes). I’m not a huge fan of Hong Kong comedy yet I will say one scene had me laughing so hard I almost cried and is the reason I bumped my score up a half point. If you like 1980s Hong Kong films or are a fan of Tsui Hark, this is a film worth giving a try, keeping in mind that the production looks dated. Prior to 1990 so I graded it on a curve.
21 November 2025
Trigger warning: a rather intense torture scene
7.75 could be a 7.5 or an 8.0 in my rating system. I've changed it twice now. lol
A true cinematic wonder
Peking Opera Blues is a testament to the eccentric genius of Tsui Hark, his bizarre sensibilities and almost impenetrable filmmaking style which hasn't always yielded the best results, but here everything works. Blues is a movie that combines more genres and Hong Kong-specific themes than one could possibly imagine. An unlikely concoction of historical and political intrigue, acrobatic action, screwball comedy and unabashed romanticism; all the while it mocks China for its complete ignorance of democracy. Peking Opera Blues is a true cinematic wonder and a genuine Hong Kong classic.
