A Ghost from Classical Literature
The film reimagines Nie Xiaoqian, a supernatural tale by Qing-dynasty writer Pu Songling, previously adapted into the 1960 film The Enchanting Shadow.
Movie
A Chinese Ghost Story
Old Evil is coming to collect the bride.
A naïve young tax collector for the imperial government winds up spending the night in a haunted temple. There he falls in love with a beautiful woman who, unfortunately, is dead. With the aid of a powerful Daoist Swordsman, he must defeat undead hordes, overcome a sinister Tree Demoness, and descend to the pits of hell, to fight for the spirit he loves.
Why it's in the Vault
A Chinese Ghost Story is one of the great treasures of 1980s Hong Kong cinema, a breathtaking fusion of supernatural romance, ghostly horror, martial arts, eccentric comedy and pure visual poetry. Leslie Cheung and Joey Wong bring extraordinary tenderness to an impossible love story, while Wu Ma injects irresistible energy into a world of Taoist magic and demonic forces. Every haunted forest, flowing silk costume and gravity-defying confrontation feels born from an imagination without limits. And then there is the magnificent soundtrack: James Wong and Romeo Díaz blend traditional Chinese musical sensibilities with unmistakably 1980s arrangements, while Leslie Cheung's haunting title song and Sally Yeh's ethereal voice give the romance an almost timeless melancholy. Frightening, romantic, exhilarating and profoundly enchanting, this is Hong Kong fantasy cinema at its most extraordinary. A true cult classic that remains every bit as magical as the first encounter.
— Matty, Curator of the Vault
Atmosphere
Ethereal, haunting, romantic, mystical, exhilarating
Supernatural romance
Magical wonder
Ghostly horror
Martial arts fantasy
Contains frightening ghosts and demons, supernatural violence, unsettling transformations, skeletal imagery, blood, peril and sensual or suggestive situations.
Dans les coulisses
Ce qu'on ne voit pas à l'écran
Leslie Cheung's Unforgettable Theme
Leslie Cheung performs the title song 倩女幽魂, written by James Wong and arranged by Romeo Díaz.
An Award-Winning Love Song
Sally Yeh's 黎明不要來, known as Dawn, Please Don't Come, won the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Original Film Song in 1988.
Wu Ma's Award-Winning Performance
Wu Ma received the Golden Horse Award for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of the demon-fighting Taoist swordsman.
Joey Wong's Defining Role
The film made Joey Wong's portrayal of Nie Xiaoqian one of the most recognizable ghostly heroines in Hong Kong cinema.
A Double Triumph for Music and Design
The film won Hong Kong Film Awards for both Best Original Film Score and Best Art Direction in 1988.
Aux origines
Nie Xiaoqian by Pu Songling
Palette
Les couleurs du film
Moonlit Ghost Blue#638BA0
Xiaoqian Silk White#D8D7D0
Haunted Forest Green#3E6456
Temple Lantern Red#A64348
Spirit Mist Violet#766A92
Ancient Temple Gold#C2A06B
Images
