A Chinese Ghost Story
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Polish premiereTheatrical Screenings
Muranów
Muranów
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Film description
The good-natured tax collector Ning sets off on a perilous journey to a provincial town to carry out his official duties. As his ledgers dissolve in the rain, he is forced to seek shelter in a forest temple with a sinister reputation. There he meets the beautiful and mysterious Nie, with whom he falls in love. Following his heart, however, may not be a good idea – the girl is a ghost enslaved by an ancient evil. Can she be saved?
Blending classic literary motifs from Pu Songling with influences from Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead and Tsui Hark’s rich imagination produced a magical and visually stunning result. Audiences were treated to a romantic story enhanced by elements of martial arts cinema and inventive special effects. The two leads are another major strength of the film – Leslie Cheung confirmed his status as a superstar, while the role proved to be a breakthrough for Joey Wang. Although A Chinese Ghost Story was directed by Ching Siu-tung, Tsui exerted a major influence on its final shape as producer. Their collaboration yielded a huge box-office hit that spawned an enduring franchise. Due to the presence of ghosts, the film was banned in mainland China for many years; circulating through bootleg copies, it became a cult classic for an entire generation of viewers.
text:
Marcin Krasnowolski
Ching Siu-tung
Born in 1953, a Hong Kong director, actor, producer and martial arts choreographer began studying Peking opera as a child and entered the film industry as an actor in the 1960s. He made his directorial debut in 1982 with the wuxia film Duel to the Death. The success of A Chinese Ghost Story marked a major turning point in his career, leading to further collaborations with Tsui Hark on the film’s sequels and the Swordsman series. As an action choreographer, he has worked on such major productions as Shaolin Soccer, Hero and House of Flying Daggers. He also directed the music video for Mylène Farmer’s song L’Âme-stram-gram, whose style echoes that of A Chinese Ghost Story.
1982 Xian si jue / Duel to the Death
1986 Qi yuan / Witch from Nepal
1987 Opowieść o pięknej zjawie / Sien lui yau wan / A Chinese Ghost Story
1990 Siu ngo gong woo / The Swordsman (współreżyseria)
1990 Opowieść o pięknej zjawie II / Sien lui yau wan II: Yan gaan dou / A Chinese Ghost Story II
1991 Opowieść o pięknej zjawie III / Sien lui yau wan III: Dou dou dou / A Chinese Ghost Story III
2011 Bai she chuan shuo / The Sorcerer and the White Snake
2019 Zhu xian I / Jade Dynasty
