Rent Peking Opera Blues (1986)
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Beijing, 1913. In a time of violent turmoil when local tyrants vie for supremacy, three women's lives converge in the local Peking Opera house. Together they hatch a revolutionary plan to stop president Yuan Shikai from reinstating the monarchy and proclaiming himself emperor. With the help of a righteous freedom-fighter and a disillusioned palace guard, the rebels must use all their wits and brawn to protect their democratic principles and save the emerging Chinese republic.
- Actors:
- Brigitte Lin, Sally Yeh, Cherie Chung, Mark Cheng, Kwok Keung Cheung, Kenneth Tsang, Feng Ku, Wu Ma, Paul Chun, Po-Chih Leong, Kwok Chi Tsang, Hoi Sang Lee, Ha Huang, Yin Szema, Ching Tien, Kai Man Tin, David Wu, Paul Lai, Ging Man Fung, Hang-Sang Poon
- Directors:
- Hark Tsui
- Producers:
- Claudie Jan Chung, Hark Tsui
- Writers:
- Raymond To
- Aka:
- Knife Horse Dawn / Do ma daan
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Comedy, Drama
- Countries:
- Hong Kong
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 16/02/2026
- Run Time:
- 105 minutes
- Languages:
- Cantonese LPCM Mono, English Mono
- Subtitles:
- English, English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Brand new audio commentary by film critic James Mudge
- An Opus for Peking: Starring in a Tsui Hark Classic, a brand new interview with actor Mark Cheng
- An Operatic Achievement, a brand new interview with cinematographer Ray Wong
- Hong Kong Confidential: Inside 'Peking Opera Blues', a brand new interview with author and Hong Kong cinema expert Grady Hendrix
- Peking Provocations, a brand new interview with film critic David West
- Peking History Blues, a brand new interview with historian and academic Dr. Lars Laamann
- Archival interview with star Sally Yeh
- Archival interview with composer James Wong
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 16/02/2026
- Run Time:
- 105 minutes
- Languages:
- Cantonese LPCM Mono, English Mono
- Subtitles:
- English, English Hard of Hearing
- DVD Regions:
- Region 0 (All)
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- (0) All
- Bonus:
- Brand new audio commentary by film critic James Mudge
- An Opus for Peking: Starring in a Tsui Hark Classic, a brand new interview with actor Mark Cheng
- An Operatic Achievement, a brand new interview with cinematographer Ray Wong
- Hong Kong Confidential: Inside 'Peking Opera Blues', a brand new interview with author and Hong Kong cinema expert Grady Hendrix
- Peking Provocations, a brand new interview with film critic David West
- Peking History Blues, a brand new interview with historian and academic Dr. Lars Laamann
- An Archival interview with star Sally Yeh
- An Archival interview with composer James Wong
- Original theatrical trailer
- Image gallery
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Reviews (1) of Peking Opera Blues
Chaos, Choreographed - Peking Opera Blues review by griggs
Some films juggle tones; this one runs them all at once and doesn’t drop a thing. Tsui Hark’s Peking Opera Blues throws comedy, thriller pressure, action, and big feelings into the same spinning plate routine — and it stays easy to follow.
The direction is pure control-freak joy: busy frames that never turn to mush, crisp staging, and pacing with the confidence of someone who could choreograph a bar fight in a phone box. The script is quick on its feet too. Even when it gets loud and frantic, I always knew what everyone wanted, who was bluffing, and who was quietly getting crushed by the power games.
A couple of gender-related moments land a bit wincey now, but there’s also a real interest in identity as costume — something you can wear for swagger, disguise, or survival. And the three leads aren’t just “types”: they’re funny, sharp, and unexpectedly tender when it counts. Tsui, in full command of the chaos.