The FLEUR played by Anita Mui*, means flower-liked, is the name of female lead of this story.
‘Rouge’ (Asia Pacific Film Festival, Best Actress, Rouge 1988) is a sad and enchanting love story. The male lead played by Leslie Cheung**, CHAN, longed for a truth love. Ignoring his families’ objection, rebelling the social pressure, to engage with the ‘FLEUR’. She was a nightclub performer that was regard as low social status notwithstanding her popularity amongst her adores.
CHAN chose a difficult life for ELEUR. He left his celebrities’ families, means to earn living himself. He would like to be a traditional Chinese Opera Singer. FLEUR made use of her connections, almost from her adores, begging for an apprenticeship from a master of Chinese Opera. However, CHAN as rich families cannot stand for the hardship, pity and low-level life. FLEUR did love CHAN so much and willing to pay for his living. Once FLEUR sold her night to a rich and brought CHAN a suit.
Both were becoming desperate. FLEUR cannot help to keep working in Night Club. They relied on having opium to escape from reality. By the years of this story, Hong Kong was suffering from the spreading of opium. The film took adequately the scene and the living of Hong Kong during the 50’s. It recalled the HK’s distinctive historical and cultural city in Southern China at the same time inheriting Western culture under the colonial governing by British.
Turning point happened that hey decided to commit suicide by opium overdose in order to stay forever after death. ELEUR was dead as planned but she cannot meet CHAN on the road to underworld. She decided to return to real world as ghost for only a week hoping to find CHAN. However, it passed so many years after FLEUR dead. It became a modern city then she cannot recognize where the old places she was with CHAN at last.
Western district of Hong Kong Island, was where the nightclubs located during 50’s of Hong Kong. The only feature of the district still available is the legacy public transportation, the Tram. FLEUR got on a tram because it was the only feature that she is familiar with at her life during 50’s in Hong Kong. FLEUR showed up to a youth couples on the upper deck of the tram. She was a ghost wearing Flag Hug. She scared them by their first meet.
The youth couples were going to help FLEUR to find CHAN for intending to get rid of a ghost at very beginning. However, as times go during their course of searching CHAN, they listened FLEUR and her story started touching them. While FLEUR experienced their happy life and it recalled her times with CHAN. On the last day of ELEUR staying in the real world, the last chance came when a news stating that CHAN was still alive ……….
*Anita Mui (1963-2003) was a Hong Kong legendary singer and actress. Her performing was revolutionized and marked the Cantopop diva. Her acting was remarkable as her singing that received numerous awards:
- Asia Pacific Film Festival, Best Actress, Rouge, 1998
- Golden Deer Awards for Best Actress, Rouge, 1998
- HK Film Awards for Best Actress, Rouge, 1998
- HK Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress, Behind the Yellow Line, 1984
- HK Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress, Eighteen Springs, 1997
- HK Film Awards for Best Original Film Song, Rouge, 1998
- HK Film Awards for Best Original Film Song, The Twin Bracelets, 1991
- HK Film Awards for Best Original Film Song, Heroic Trio, 1993
**Leslie Cheung, a legend singer and movie star in nineties.
- HK Film Award for Best Actor 1991– ‘Days of Being Wild’
- HK Film Award for Best Original Song 1995 – ‘Chase’
- HK Film Award for Timeless Artistic Achievement 2004
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