How Leslie Cheung Modified Queer Hong Kong Cinema

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Welcome to The Queue — your day by day distraction of curated video content material sourced from around the internet. These days, we’re staring at a video essay that explores the occupation of Hong Kong queer cinema actor Leslie Cheung.

Although you’re now not accustomed to each and every element of Leslie Cheung‘s filmography, there’s a excellent probability (for those who’re studying this site and clicked in this article) that you simply’ve on the very least noticed Glad In combination. Directed via Wong Kar-wai, the 1997 movie used to be progressive for drawing near a queer dating as simply that: a dating. It wasn’t centered at the systemic oppression and intolerance skilled via LGBTQ other folks. It used to be, as a substitute, about two males (portrayed Cheung and Tony Leung) navigating the similar aches and pains as instantly other folks.

Getting to Cheung’s quick, however good, movie occupation, is a useful strategy to achieve perception into how illustration modified in Hong Kong cinema on the finish of the 20 th century.

From being handled like a punchline (1992’s All’s Neatly, Ends Neatly) to small steps in opposition to empathetic, humanizing portrayals of queerness (1993’s Farewell My Concubine), Cheung’s filmography represents a flip within the tide of ways homosexual other folks have been represented on display. As an out bisexual guy, Cheung used to be a trailblazer and an icon. So even supposing you’re simplest accustomed to his paintings in Glad In combination, the next video essay supplies a useful breakdown of the way in which his occupation motivated and answered to tendencies in queer illustration in Hong Kong cinema.

Watch “Leslie Cheung & Hong Kong LGBT Cinema”:

Who made this?

Those movies at the have an effect on of Leslie Cheung on Hong Kong queer cinema is via Accented Cinema, a Canadian-based YouTube video essay sequence with a focal point on international cinema. You’ll be able to subscribe to Accented Cinema for bi-weekly uploads right here. You’ll be able to observe them on Twitter here.

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Similar Subjects: Leslie Cheung, LGBTQ, The Queue

Meg Shields is the common-or-garden farm boy of your desires and a senior contributor at Movie College Rejects. She recently runs 3 columns at FSR: The Queue, How’d They Do That?, and Horrorscope. She may be a curator for One Best possible Shot and a contract author for rent. Meg will also be discovered screaming about John Boorman’s ‘Excalibur’ on Twitter right here: @TheWorstNun. (She/Her).