Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfull film.
Review: I am a big fan of asian films and this is 1 of the best. Wonderful acting, cinemtography, story, and direction. It's just a deep and wonderfull film. Deserves awards. Highly recomend.
Rating:
Summary: VERY COLORFUL, POIGNANT STORY OF GIRL IN MALE'S WORLD
Review: The photography, street and river scenes plus various theater and dragon dancing immersed in fireworks in the street were visual treats. The acting was excellent, and dialogue simple and easy to follow. Needless to say, Tian-Ming Wu is by any standards an outstandoingly good director. You can even learn a few Chinese words along the way because "Boss" and "Grandpa" are repeated many times.I wondered what Communist soldiers (big red stars on their caps) were doing on the seedy streets of Szechuan Province in 1930. Mao wasn't scheduled to make his appearance for nearly two decades. But never mind. The story line was straightforward: highly respected, aged street entertainer will take his talents and techniques to his grave unless he can pass them on to an heir. But it must be a male heir because females are accepted as being unworthy. A young girl pretending to be a boy is sold by an unscrupulpous child vendor to the old man who has plans to make it his "grandson;" and to teach "him" his trade secrets. The "boy" and old man instantly bond. All goes well, the "boy" is very clever and talented, and learns to entertain alongf side "his" mentor in the streets. Soon the "Grandpa" discovers the truth and rejects the girl. She nearly kills herself to be taken back. And so it goes until all sorts of misadventures befall the duo. At some point, the "worthless" girl is the only one who can save the old man's life. For me, it was a charming and absorbing story. But as the credits rolled, I realized that a lesson in the movie is that for a girl to come close to be accepted as a person she must perform death defying feats, and prove her worthiness by multiple acts of self sacrifice. It left me wondering: does the film simply wish to portray life in 1930 Szechuan or how it is now? Hmmmm. Having spent some time in China, the fact is women there are quite equal these days ... but still the consensus is sons are better to have than daughters. Be that as it may, the girl in THE KING OF MASKS was a hellova an actor and acrobat, and her screen Grandpa was as good or better. This is a very worthwhile, cross cultural film. If you can understand Chinese, so much the better. The English subtitles stand out in deep yellow lettering and are easy to read. The music and costumes, by the way, complete the film's excellence. I just purchased the movie from Amazon.com in DVD and found the quality of both the sound and images to be excellent.
Rating:
Summary: Poignant, original, absolutely wonderful
Review: This is one of the most overlooked films of last year. It will make you laugh, make you cry. It is really a great movie. The VHS price is steep so if you dont have DVD, rent it from the video store.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful art
Review: If anyone enjoys foreign films, you can not miss this masterpiece: - it has colorful but descriptive as far as scenery and background. - it has a heart warming story, especially our little character. It shows a lot of courage and strong will. Highly recommend it...
Rating:
Summary: A real Gem of a movie.
Review: The face change opera has never been so eloquntly served as by this movie. The contrast of street performer vs. the Chinese Opera ("Farewell My Concubine") is remarkable, and the turmoil of change in 1930's China is reflected in the changing values of the characters. A truly superb story, told expertly by the film, which leaves you feeling good at the end. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: You Will Love this Film!
Review: About 1/2 way through this film, I said to myself "what a great movie." King of Masks is a great film. Yes its a great look at China after the Dynasty system but before the communists. Yes, its a great movie about how women in China were treated unequally and how boy children were valued much more than female children. And yes, its a great look at the art of Masks. But above all, its a well acted, well written, very moving, and enjoyable movie. Farewell My Concubine and To Live are very intense looks at historical China. If you are interested in a more historical film checks thoses out. King of Masks is a refreshing, less intense look at the China of the Past. You will enjoy this film.
Rating:
Summary: The King of Masks was GREAT!
Review: "The King of Masks" captured my heart and I HIGHLY recommend it; dare I say it is one of my favorite movies of all time? If not, it certainly comes close. As the oldest daughter in a fourth generation Japanese American family of all girls, I found this story touching and challenging of the traditions of Asian (Chinese) culture. The acting is superb and the subtitles are in no way distracting from the movie. A great Father's Day flick.
Rating:
Summary: A Visual Treat
Review: "The King of Masks" is one of the best films I've seen in years, and I've seen quite a few. I love the fact that the Chinese have discovered what American filmmakers seem to have forgotten: that a good story, well acted and superbly shot, beats the heck out of high-tech special effects any day! This film is magical in its ability to transport you back to 1930's China and make you feel every little joy, every heartache, and the redemption of the human spirit in exquisite detail -- and it does it without blowing anyone or anything up! The actors deliver impassioned performances of a masterful script -- the director keeps the visuals captivating, and in the end, we are better people for having seen and loved this film. My only complaint -- why the Pan and Scan format! Please, please tell me we'll eventually be treated to the widescreen version of this modern masterpiece!
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Film
Review: This is one of the best films to come out recently. My only crticism is of the DVD release format. It is released in "Full Screen" mode rather than the aspect ratio the film was released in. I can only presume it will ultimately be released in its theatrical aspect verson. Had I known (didn't read the fine print) I would have rented the movie and waited.
Rating:
Summary: Best film ever
Review: Best movie ever. Touching movie about Chinese history, traditions, values, and views of life and relationships.
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