This film is about the legendary Beijing Opera star Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) who is known for his portrayal of female roles. It starts from his teenage years when he challenged a renowned opera king Shi Sanyan and defeated him. The middle part is about Mei’s preparation for his US tour, and finally the difficult times surrounding the Japanese invasion. The film depicts his relationships with his manager, his wife Fu Zhifang and his love, fellow opera singer and male-impersonator Meng Xiaodong (played by Zhang Ziyi).
This film will be a good choice if you want to introduce Beijing Opera as there are many scenes you can use. You would appreciate this film more if you have some background knowledge about Beijing Opera. The film has gorgeous visuals and details. The sets and costumes are all convincing and beautiful.
As Dr. Dube mentioned in class, when Mei Lanfang toured the US in 1930, USC granted Mei with an honorary doctorate of literature, so did Pomona College.
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