Peking Opera Blues (Tsui Hark, 1986) Friday, April 3, 2026 7:00pm Location: Rubenstein Arts Center Film Theater Peking Opera Blues (Tsui Hark, 1986, 106 min, Hong Kong, Cantonese with English subtitles, DCP) --Introduced by Prof. Eileen Cheng-yin Chow (Asian & Middle Eastern Studies) In the aftermath of China’s first democratic revolution, three high-spirited young women (Brigitte Lin, Cherie Chung, Sally Yeh) from very different backgrounds cross paths on a quest for liberation. Fate finds the trio joining forces to discover their respective warriors within. Elegantly blending action, comedy, and social satire into a sparkling, fast-paced whirlwind as bright and colorful as Peking opera itself, this classic of Hong Kong cinema showcases the charms of its three leads as well as the energetic filmmaking style of legendary director Tsui Hark at his height.
Fist of Legend (Gordon Chan, 1994) Saturday, March 28, 2026 4:00pm Location: Rubenstein Arts Center Film Theater Fist of Legend (Gordon Chan, 1994, 103 min, Hong Kong, Cantonese and Japanese with English subtitles, DCP) One of Jet Li’s best films, and one of the greatest martial arts films of all-time. Fist of Legend paved the way for Li to break through into Hollywood. This remake of Bruce Lee’s 1972 classic, Fist of Fury, finds Li as a fighter named Chen Zhen who returns to Shanghai in the 1930s only to find his teacher dead and his Jing Wu school harassed by the ultranationalist Japanese Black Dragon Clan. Immediate bone-breaking, ultra-fast fight choreography (by the equally legendary Yuen Woo-Ping) ensues, with minimal help from wirework. The high-concept-ness of the film’s fights escalates over time, culminating in Li and his adversary both wearing blindfolds!
I will neither confirm nor deny my involvement in the increased frequency of #BrigitteLin #林青霞 films shown at Duke.
Join us for our mini retro-martial arts cinema arc this spring, with screenings of FIST OF LEGEND and PEKING OPERA BLUES (I'll be doing a brief intro for the latter) at The Ruby!
