Presenting:
Centre Stage: The Life of Ruan Lingyu
-阮玲玉
Released 1992
Setting: 1930s Shanghai-上海
Exquisite
meditation on the tragic life of one of the most well-known of China’s silent
film stars, Ruan Lingyu, who committed suicide in 1935 at the age of 25,
apparently in despair at the sensationalizing of her personal life by the
Shanghai press (she was publicly accused of adultery)– an act that mirrored
that of the real-life heroine of her last film New Woman. Kwan’s film recreates Shanghai lifestyles of the 1930s
interwoven with documentary clips of Ruan’s films and reflexive scenes of the
making of Kwan’s production. Ruan’s life
and death are as well-known by Chinese audiences as that of Marilyn Monroe to
American audiences, and thus the film is best appreciated if preceded by some
research. Maggie Cheung won several Best Actress awards for her portrayal of Ruan
.
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| Ruan Lingyu |
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| Maggie Cheung as Ruan |
The usual potluck supper will precede the film showing. Please call Pat Webber at 770-396-5690 by Wednesday, August 8, to let her know what you’ll be bringing.
Webber Uniplex
1689 Chateau Drive
Dunwoody, GA 30338-6047
Directions to the Webber Uniplex (also known as the Webber family residence) can be found here.
For more information e-mail Sylvia Krebs.
