''Rouge'' (;

Jyutping The Linguistic Society of Hong Kong Cantonese Romanization Scheme, also known as Jyutping, is a romanisation system for Cantonese developed in 1993 by the Linguistic Society of Hong Kong (LSHK). The name ''Jyutping'' (itself the Jyutping ro ...

: Jin1zi1 kau3) is a 1987 Hong Kong

supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

romantic-drama film directed by

Stanley Kwan Stanley Kwan (traditional Chinese: 關錦鵬; simplified Chinese: 关锦鹏); born 9 October 1957) is a Hong Kong film director and producer. He first landed a job at TVB after receiving a mass communications degree at Hong Kong Baptist Colle ...

, and starring

Anita Mui Anita Mui Yim-fong (; 10 October 1963 – 30 December 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actress who made major contributions to the Cantopop music scene and received numerous awards and honours. She remained an idol throughout her career, and i ...

and

Leslie Cheung Leslie Cheung Kwok-wing (born Cheung Fat-chung; 12 September 1956 – 1 April 2003) was a Hong Kong singer and actor. One of the most influential cultural icons in the Sinophone, Sinophone world, Cheung was known for his debonair demeanor, flamb ...

. The film is the adaptation of a novel with the same title by

Lilian Lee Li Pi-Hua (; born 1959 as 李碧華 Li Pi-Hua), also known as Lilian Lee, Lillian Lee and Lee Pik-wah, is a Hong Kong novelist, screenwriter and reporter. Lee's writing is known for blending traditional Chinese, supernatural and everyday ...

Plot

In 1987 Hong Kong, newspaperman Yuen and his girlfriend Chor are drawn into a doomed 1930s romance when the ghost of

courtesan A courtesan is a prostitute with a courtly, wealthy, or upper-class clientele. Historically, the term referred to a courtier, a person who attended the court of a monarch or other powerful person. History In European feudal society, the co ...

Fleur publishes an advertisement in the newspapers, looking for her lost lover Chan Chen-Pang. She has waited in the afterlife for Chan for 53 years and believes he has become lost. Chan was the playboy son of a wealthy family, but longed to be an actor, met and fell in love with talented, beautiful Fleur in one of

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

teahouse A teahouse or tearoom (also tea room) is an establishment which primarily serves tea and other light refreshments. A tea room may be a room set aside in a hotel, especially for serving afternoon tea, or may be an establishment that only ser ...

s. Realising their romance would never be accepted, the couple committed suicide by opium overdose in order to be together in the afterlife. Pragmatic Yuen and Chor become dazzled by the romance of Fleur's story and the ghost's glamorous beauty, but as their search for Chan reveals the truth - that Chan did not die with Fleur, frittered away his inheritance and now lives impoverished as a movie extra - they see the value of their own, honest relationship. The title refers to a rouge case Chan gave to Fleur, which she returns to the now-elderly, guilt-wracked man, before leaving the living world.

Cast

as Fleur *

as Chan Chen-pang * Alex Man as Yuen * Irene Wan as Shu-Hsien * Emily Chu as Ah Chor * Kara Hui as Ghost *

Lau Kar-wing Lau Kar-wing (born 1944) is a martial artist, Hong Kong film director, action choreographer and actor. Background Born in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China, Lau Kar-wing was the fourth child of Lau Cham (), a martial arts mas ...

as Movie Director * Patrick Tse as Brothel Patron * Ruby Wong *

Jackie Chan Stunt Team The Jackie Chan Stunt Team (), also known as Jackie Chan's Stuntmen Association, is a group of stuntmen and martial artists who work alongside Jackie Chan. Founded in the 1970s, it originally included Hong Kong action stuntmen and martial art ...

– extra/stunts

Release

The film received a Region 1

Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". A "sister company" of arthouse film distributo ...

home video Home video is recorded media sold or Video rental shop, rented for home viewing. The term originates from the VHS and Betamax era, when the predominant medium was videotapes, but has carried over to optical disc formats such as DVD and Blu-ray. ...

release in 2022.

Awards

References

External links

* *
HK cinemagic entry
{{Stanley Kwan 1988 films 1988 romantic drama films 1980s fantasy drama films Hong Kong romantic drama films Hong Kong fantasy drama films 1980s Cantonese-language films Hong Kong romantic fantasy films Hong Kong ghost films Films about prostitution in Hong Kong Films set in 1934 Films set in 1987 Best Film Hong Kong Film Award winners Films directed by Stanley Kwan Films about opium 1980s Hong Kong films