Home / Arts and Entertainment / Maggie Cheung Channels Silent Film Icon
Maggie Cheung Channels Silent Film Icon
5 Aug
Summary
- Film Center Stage explores Ruan Lingyu's tragic life and acting.
- Maggie Cheung stars as Ruan and herself in the biopic.
- The film reconstructs Ruan's life from fragmented cinematic history.
Stanley Kwan's "Center Stage," a 1991 film, is a dual exploration of the legendary Chinese silent-film star Ruan Lingyu and an artistic reflection on her contemporary interpreter, Maggie Cheung. The newly restored director's cut is currently being showcased.
Ruan Lingyu, a star from a humble background, rose to fame in the cosmopolitan Shanghai of the 1930s. Her life mirrored the tragic roles she often played, culminating in her suicide at 24 after being targeted by the press.
"Center Stage" juxtaposes surviving excerpts and stills from Ruan's lost films with her reconstructed history. Interviews with Cheung and Ruan's former colleagues, like actress Li Lili, add layers to this meta-drama, blurring the lines between art and life.
The film is significant as an early examination of Chinese cinema's golden age, merging Shanghai's cinematic history with Hong Kong's. Kwan's direction draws comparisons to classic Hollywood directors for its handling of actresses and visual style.
