Asian Film Festival of Dallas 2009 - ‘Forever Enthralled’

Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige returns to the genre that first brought him critical acclaim – the Beijing Opera. Like Farewell My Concubine (1993), FOREVER ENTHRALLED is an opulent period drama about the true story of Mei Lanfang, a Beijing opera legend whose fame spread worldwide. Even Charlie Chaplin and Sergei Eisenstein filmed him in the early 1900s. As a man playing a woman onstage, critics often said that Mei was more feminine than a real woman and so his roles and pitch perfect voice mesmerized audiences.

The film begins in his early adolescence as Mei must rival with a veteran actor, in a kind of “battle” of the musicals, and emerges the victor. His fame spreads quickly but disaster sets in as the Japanese invade Manchuria and Mei’s refusal to sing upon request of the Japanese threatens his career and family. Zhang Ziyi (most notable for her breakout role in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) plays an admiring fellow opera singer – a woman posing as a man onstage – who begins a romantic affair with Mei played by Leon Lai (Fallen Angels). She poses another threat to Mei’s career - a possible distraction from his work and his demanding fans, managers, and especially his devoted wife and family. The entire cast delivers solid performances, while Lai and Ziyi noticeably went through Beijing opera training to master the delicate body language of the opera.

FOREVER ENTHRALLED is a fascinating biopic about a man regarded as a great national treasure and yet who yearns to be ordinary at times. The film is also strongly traditional, elegant and what most audiences would expect from a historical Chinese period piece. At 147 minutes, there is no shortage of dazzling authentic costumes, gorgeous sets and exquisite interior lighting evoking 1930s China. His latest work may not have the complexities and emotional impact of Farewell, but it certainly seems like Kaige is back to the filmmaking he does best.

Information from the festival's website