Forever Enthralled
Acclaimed Fifth Generation director Chen Kaige brings the tumultuous life of Peking Opera legend Mei Lanfang to the big screen in the highly anticipated biopic Forever Enthralled. The inspiration for Leslie Cheung’s character in Chen Kaige’s 1993 masterpiece Farewell My Concubine, Mei Lanfang was one of the greatest Peking Opera stars of modern China. An actor who specializes in female roles, he was renowned for his great beauty on stage and performed extensively around the world, famously introducing Peking Opera to Western audiences. Pulling viewers into a riveting world of musical allure and historical tumult in early 20th century China, Forever Enthralled follows Mei Lanfang’s amazing, inevitable rise to fame - from his bold challenges against his teacher as a teenager, to his US tour that brought New York to its feet, and finally to his refusal to sing during the Japanese Occupation period. Portrayed in youth by newcomer Yu Shaoqun and in adulthood by Hong Kong star Leon Lai (Three), Mei Lanfang embodies the professional and emotional struggles of a man whose life belonged not to himself, but to the stage.
Nominated for Best Film at the 3rd Asian Film Awards, Forever Enthralled is both sweepingly epic and beautifully detailed in its portrayal of Mei’s life and love, caught between the call of the stage and the tides of history. Zhang Ziyi, Chen Hong (Together), and Sun Honglei (Blood Brothers) essay the three most important people in Mei Lanfang’s life. Zhang Ziyi stars as Mei’s greatest love and stage partner Meng Xiaodong, a Peking Opera actress famous for specializing in male roles. Director Chen Kaige’s wife in real life, Chen Hong plays Mei’s strong-willed wife, while Sun Honglei delivers a brilliant scene-stealing performance as Mei’s besotted manager. Acclaimed Japanese actor Ando Masanobu ( Sukiyaki Western Django) also takes a supporting role in Forever Enthralled.
Cast:
- Leon Lai (Actor)
- Zhang Ziyi (Actor)
- Sun Hong Lei (Actor)
- Ando Masanobu (Actor)
- Chen Hong (Actor)
- Yu Shao Qun (Actor)
- Wang Xue Qi (Actor)