agmtw logo
search
Rouge (1987)

Rouge (1987)

A vivid, stunning gothic romance in Hong Kong, torn across decades

The Very Best

8.4

Movie

Hong Kong
Cantonese
Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
1987
STANLEY KWAN
Alex Man, Alex Man Chi-Leung, Anita Mui
96 min

What it's about

Amid the opulent teahouses of 1930s Hong Kong, a humble courtesan and the wayward scion of a wealthy family fall in love and embrace death by suicide pact. Fifty years later, her ghost returns to find him, drawing a young contemporary couple into her quest to rekindle a passion that may be as illusory as time itself.

The take

Vivid, seductive, and highly romantic, Rouge starts as an enchanting tale of a ghost courtesan that haunts a modern-day couple to look for her lost lover. It’s easy to be swayed by the ghostly lovers – the courtesan Fleur (Anita Mui) and wealthy pharmacy chain heir Chan Chen-Pang (Leslie Cheung) start off the film courting each other (and the audience) through lush visuals, dramatic declarations, and Cantonese song. They agree to a suicide pact and promise to find each other in the next life. However, as Fleur haunts newspaper journalists Yuen and Chor, it’s clear how different Hong Kong has become. From its culture to its attitudes towards romance, Rouge suggests that while modern day Hong Kong may be more cold and standardized, the past as we know it is only a gorgeous dream. And that dream hides a tragic, sordid reality.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Once Were Warriors (1994)

A Maori family survives in an alienating Auckland in this raw, tragic drama

8.0

My Old Ass (2024)

A pleasant mix of comedy and coming-of-age that may or may not leave you in tears

8.0

Babylon (2022)

An intoxicating and lavishly designed experience of Hollywood hedonism

8.0

In the Mood for Love (2000)

A timeless, melancholic classic of modern Hong Kong cinema about loneliness and love

9.2

Happy Together (1997)

A Cantonese romance that explores love amidst heartbreak

7.0

2046 (2004)

The inventive sequel to In the Mood for Love

7.7

Days of Being Wild (1990)

A dreamy rumination on the beauty of unattainable romance

8.1

Lust, Caution (2007)

A wartime spy falls for a collaborator in this erotic espionage drama

7.3

A City of Sadness (1989)

With A City of Sadness, Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien paints a picture of a society on the brink

8.8

Eternal Summer (2006)

A moody love triangle that benefits from strong characters on all sides

7.2

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.