The King of Masks
by Tian-Ming Wu
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Product details
Actor: Renying Zhou, Xu Zhu, Zhigang Zhang, Zhigang ZhaoDirector: Tian-Ming Wu
Edition: VHS Tape
Audio: Chinese (Unknown)
Format: Color, NTSC, Subtitled
Running Time: 101 minutes
Release Date: 2000-09-12
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Publisher: Columbia/Tristar Home Video
Studio: Columbia/Tristar Home Video
VHS Movie Reviews of The King of Masks
Movie Review: A touching story
Summary: 4 Stars
It's a touching story of an elderly man who overcomes the misogynistic prejudices of his society.Movie Review: A Chinese Whale Rider
Summary: 5 Stars
An excellent film that makes a signficant yet non-polemic statement about societal attitudes about human worth being based on gender. Although obviously more extreme and blatant in China, the cultural base of the West that prefers the voice and opinions of the male has residual consequences that make moments of this film as poignant for a Western audience. Even if a viewer ignores the gender politics (and doesn't notice the thematic similarity to "Whale Rider") the film is worth seeing, especially for the joy of watching these two actors and for the glimpses of China. Having seen "Farewell, My Concubine" will help with preparation and background in seeing the (fe)male operatic performances through Western sensibilities.Movie Review: One of the greatest acting performance I've seen.
Summary: 5 Stars
Maybe I'm exaggerating after just seeing this movie, but the girl actor gave one of the greatest acting performance I've seen. On par with Deniro and Al Pacino.
It's ... incredible. Every emotion and movement is spot on. I could literally feel her apprehension, terror, hunger, guilt and remorse. I could sense what she was thinking.
Before people get bent out of shape about the child black market, you have to realize that civil war and flooding can put many poor families on the brink of starvation. Because of this they resorted to selling their sons or giving away their daughters (so the daughters won't starve).
Also remember that back then there was no contraception (so more kids), and no social safety net that at least assured your family wouldn't starve to death.
There are several biting criticisms of society in this movie:
1) Pervasive cultural sexism against women (even by other women).
2) No help for the poor or hungry.
3) The corruption of police, who often rather finish a case because it's convenient then really solve it. Who use torture to extract confessions.
The indictment on sexism is the most effective and biting. It's a shameful part of many cultures. Though in China, at least in the cities, severe sexism has been significantly reduced.
The idea here is that not every tradition is morally right or worth keeping. I believe the old man is in spirit the same as Huckleberry Finn.
Movie Review: The King of Masks
Summary: 5 Stars
Story telling at it's finest. Gut wrenching - the pull and push of love between two people that through destiny are bound together like shoelaces. Wonderful characters. Loved it. Recommend it.Movie Review: CAN YOU FIGURE OUT HOW HE DOES IT?
Summary: 5 Stars
THE KING OF MASKS is the story of Wang Bianlian, an aging street performer, who is a master of the art of rapidly changing face masks (figure out how he does it) and has no heirs to pass on his art. In 1930's China, only males are deemed worthy of this inheritance and Wang has none (you learn why later in the film). He lives in poverty on his houseboat traveling from city to city in Sichuan along the river. He is proud of the fact he has never asked for money but always supported himself. A famous female impersonator (only men were allowed to perform so all women's roles were male impersonators) opera star is impressed with his art and becomes his friend and encourages him to find a son, so that his art will not die with him, even offering to partner with him and split the take if Wang will teach him the art but custom was that only a family member could inherit this craft. Wang goes into the black market to find a son. There are many girls for sale (nobody's buying them) and even being given away but he's looking for a son. He finds one and pays top dollar for him only to find out later that he should have checked all the parts because he has a daughter not a son. He is enraged and distraught at having been deceived. The rest of the story plays out what happens between him and 'Doggie', his daughter that he tries to disown, along with a few surprises thrown in. It apparently is based on a true story and gives you a wonderful look at China and its people and geography. Except for brief language this is a family film and children will love 'Doggie' and her struggle to survive in a male dominated world. A heart warming story of two people trying to make sense of the culture they live in. 5 STARS. [...]
Summary of The King of Masks
The King of Masks tells a tale steeped in ancient tradition, simultaneously challenging the sociosexual inequity still plaguing China today. On the streets of Szechuan Province in the 1930s, the aged King of Masks, sole living master of "change-face" opera, delights and frightens audiences with the secret art of lightning-quick mask-shifting. His fondest wish is to pass on his skill to a male heir before he dies. Famous female impersonator Liang Sao Lang craves knowledge of the king's secret technique, offering to relieve the old man's poverty by taking him into his opera troupe. The king declines: what sort of heir would this half-female creature make? Instead, he buys an orphan on the black market, joyously showing him off as his grandson and heir. But soon the child is forced to disclose a dreaded secret--one that effectively renders him a person of no value according to Chinese custom. In the king's eyes, the kid goes from "beloved grandson" to "stupid crook," and both the old man and the child must pay dearly for his bigotry before they can know joy again. A deeply moving film, simply told and superbly acted. --Laura MirskyChina Video
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