Stanley Kwan's love letter to tragic silent film legend Ruan Lingyu, Center Stage, is a gorgeous, if peculiar, piece of film making that intercuts the drama with the present day where he, his crew and actors prepare and reflect on Ruan's work and life, as well as rare footage from her surviving films. If Maggie Cheung wasn't so good (ironically, he co-star Carina Lau looks more like Ruan, physically, but if you're gonna get anyone to play a part with this much sensitivity, it would have to be Cheung), it would feel intrusive. Instead, it provides background (especially for a Western audience) and a ticking clock for what in normal melodrama would have been shocking twists. Here, they are discussed casually before they ever happen. The cinematography is strong, especially when recreating scenes from the films, most of which we are told are no longer available - my heart broke every time that card came up. But the film wears its sources, choices and inventions on its sleeve, creating an uncommon fair biopic of a star gone too soon.
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Siskoid
Stanley Kwan's love letter to tragic silent film legend Ruan Lingyu, Center Stage, is a gorgeous, if peculiar, piece of film making that intercuts the drama with the present day where he, his crew and actors prepare and reflect on Ruan's work and life, as well as rare footage from her surviving films. If Maggie Cheung wasn't so good (ironically, he co-star Carina Lau looks more like Ruan, physically, but if you're gonna get anyone to play a part with this much sensitivity, it would have to be Cheung), it would feel intrusive. Instead, it provides background (especially for a Western audience) and a ticking clock for what in normal melodrama would have been shocking twists. Here, they are discussed casually before they ever happen. The cinematography is strong, especially when recreating scenes from the films, most of which we are told are no longer available - my heart broke every time that card came up. But the film wears its sources, choices and inventions on its sleeve, creating an uncommon fair biopic of a star gone too soon.nicolaskrizan
acting or living?