In feudal China, theatrical companies were usually dedicated to royals or wealthy families; so in the Qing Dynasty, Pearl Garden(梨園) of Peking Opera played in Forbidden City only, not outside for commons.  Not until the 20th century, when the Qing Dynasty was over, would the opera be able to entertain ordinary people with its highly symbolic actings and specific aria in narrow and crowded stages.  Among other players, Mei was one of the most significant actors(or actresses) who made Peking Opera the first pop of modern China.  Fans scrambled to watch Mei performing, just like groupies nowadays; my grandfather, then a college student in Peking, had been one of them.

Being reputed as one of the four most handsome men of the Republic Era (The other three were Wang Jing-wei, Zhang Xue-Liang, and Zhou En-lai.) Mei always played the opposite role of sex on the stages. Was he a bi-sexual? Not exactly. Because in conventional China, women were not allowed in all professions except domestic work. The profession of acting was no exception. Therefore, male fans were enthralled by Mei as they regarded him as their imaginary dream lover, whereas female fans thought enchanting Mei was their real idol to worship. Unfortunately, modern China evolved so fast, partly due to symbolic characteristics and limited scripts, the Peking Opera had played only a transitional role as a popular amusement and soon became a "classic" art.

In terms of the film, Mei was a real man off stage: a loving father and husband, a man longing for true love, a faithful friend, and a patriot. I dont know much about the biography of Meis or Peking Opera; however, theatrically speaking, the film is a great one, a tentative but highly laudable attempt devoted to digging out the hidden treasures beneath the immense Chinese culture. Pathetically, Taiwanese movies are not willing and able to make any out of their shallow "Taiwanese culture." That hyped 海角--? Nay.

On the 1st day of 2009