A Chinese Ghost Story

After producing the film that would go on to define Hong Kong noir with A Better Tomorrow, Tsui Hark joined forces with director and action choreographer Ching Siu-Tung for the spectacular A Chinese Ghost Story. A thrilling update of an ancient Qing Dynasty tale, the film wowed audiences with stunning fight choreography, mind-blowing special effects and lashing of physical comedy, revitalising the declining Chinese fantasy genre for a new generation. Screen icon Leslie Cheung (Once a Thief) stars as the earnest and unassuming Ling Choi-San, who takes refuge for the night in a seemingly abandoned temple while travelling in the Chinese countryside. But his slumber is interrupted by an enchanting voice beckoning him through the darkness. Ling follows the beguiling sounds and meets the beautiful Nip Siu-Sin (Joey Wong, The Big Heat). Ling is initially captivated by her but is warned by roving Taoist demon hunter Yin Chik-Ha (Wu Ma, Peking Opera Blues) that Nip is in fact a malicious ghost who leads men astray to devour them. But Nip and Ling are irrepressibly drawn to each other, and she confides in him that she's enslaved to a malevolent tree demon, and Ling must convince the wary Yin to help free her from its grasp. Director Ching Siu-Tung's craftsmanship is on full display with pioneering choreography techniques and dynamic cinematography that remain influential in Chinese filmmaking to this day. Visually enthralling and hauntingly poignant, and featuring unforgettable performances from its three lead stars, A Chinese Ghost Story merits its legacy as an unmissable Hong Kong cinema classic.