Connie Chan Po-chu: The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom (1968)

The Reincarnation of
Lady Plum Blossom (1968)
Director: Wong Hok-sing
Cast: Connie Chan, Nam Hung, Leung Sing-po, So Siu-tong
Publisher: Pearl City; Format: VCD, DVD (Region 0, PAL)
English subtitles: No

Cantonese opera has been around for a long time, but unfortunately it is becoming a dying art. So I am very happy to see what Connie Chan Po-chu is doing to keep this culture from disappearing. To pay tribute to her master Yam Kim-fai, she performed in Sentimental Journey, a stage play telling the story of the long lasting partnership of Yam Kim-fai, Pak Suet-sin, and Tong Tik-sang. Tong was one of Cantonese opera’s greatest librettists, and without him I don’t think Yam and Pak would have made so many films together and become such icons of Cantonese opera. Even today they are still revered by fans both old and young. Connie also recently performed in a charity concert at the Hong Kong Archive along with some of Yam and Pak’s disciples from the Chor Fung Ming troupe. They performed two pieces from Tong’s repetoire: Butterfly and Pear and the famous Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom, his last opera. Tragically, Tong died of a heart attack during Lady Plum Blossom’s premiere in 1959, at the early age of 42.

In 1968 Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom was made into a film by veteran opera director Wong Hok-sing. Connie plays the scholar Pu Yu who chances upon the melancholy Lee Wai-leung (played by Nam Hung), a concubine of the government official Gai Chee-do (played by Leung Sing-po). During their meeting, Wai-leung falls in love with Pu Yu. After she returns home and mentions the handsome and gentle scholar, Gai beomes angry and beats her to death. He shows some remorse but not for long—once his nephew (played by So Siu-tong) tells him of a pretty young woman. Gai is a womanizer and sends his nephew with gifts to take her as his concubine. Meanwhile, Pu Yu climbs over a wall to pick some plum blossoms and runs into Lo Chiu-yung, who looks exactly like Wai-leung. At first he thinks it is her and remarks about how well they got along during their first meeting. Chiu-yung tells him that they never met and that she has been confined at home because of her illness. Taken aback by her resemblance to Wai-leung, Pu Yu is disappointed and starts to leave but is called back by Chiu-yung. Chiu-yung has taken a liking to the scholar and tells him to go ahead and pick the plum blossoms. Flowers and love blooms. But suddenly, Gai’s nephew turns up with the gifts and proposal. Realizing that his daughter will be forced to become a concubine, Chiu-yung’s father becomes very angry and wants to kill them. Pu Yu instead devises a plan whereby Chiu Yung meets with Gai but pretends to be crazy. Gai loses interest in her but becomes suspicious of Pu Yu and arranges for him to spend the night. He then instructs his nephew to kill Pu Yu at midnight. Later that evening Pu Yu meets up with Gong Seen (played by Mui Gwai-lui), who is praying for her sister. Pu Yu asks Gong Seen who died and she tells him only that it is one of the concubines and her blood sister. Pu Yu does not know that it is Wai-leung until he sees her name on the prayer tablet. Suddenly the wind blows and scares Pu Yu into thinking that he didn’t send enough prayers. Later, just as he falls asleep in his room, the ghost of Wai-leung awakens because she knows harm will come to Pu Yu and because she needs to let him know that she is the one who died. She wakes him from his sleep and tells him what happened after they last met. Pu Yu finally discovers that Wai-leung died tragically because of him. He tells her that he loves her, but she doesn’t believe him because of his new fondness for Chiu-yung. Pu Yu tells Wai-leung that he only loves Chiu-yung because she looks like her. At this point you know that they love each other and that Wai-leung will do anything to protect him. She helps Pu Yu escape from being killed and then confronts Gai, scaring him into submission. Later, they meet away from Gai’s house and Wai-leung tells Pu Yu she has heard that a girl will be dying soon and that she can take her body and become human again. Pu Yu visits Chiu-yung’s house just as she dies from her illness. When her father tell him what happened, Pu Yu says that “it is good timing”; but the old man doesn’t understand. Wai-leung told Chan that if she takes over Chiu-yung’s body, she will laugh three times and cry three times so he will know that it is really her. Suddenly, Chiu-yung awakens and laughs and cries three times. Pu Yu knows that it is Wai-leung. The old man is confused, and Pu Yu explains what happened. Wai-leung asks the old man to accept her as his goddaughter, and he was happily accpets her. Meanwhile, Gai is coming after Pu Yu, but Gong Seen has gone to the officials with proof that Gai used his power to bully and take money from others. The officials strip him of his position and take him to jail. Gong Seen discovers that Wai-leung has been reincarnated, and everyone lives happily after!

The music in this movie is fantastic. Chan’s forte is Cantonese opera. That she played a leading role in an opera from the legendary librettist Tong Tik-sang is proof of how good she was. (In the recent charity concert, Chan’s voice has gotten stronger and she sings even better. As my mother used to say, “ginger gets more powerful as it ages.”) Nam Hung is wonderful as Lee Wai-leung. She looks a little too old for the part of Chiu-yung, but just ignore that and enjoy the story and songs. In my opinion, The Reincarnation of Lady Plum Blossom deserves to be placed alongside Princess Cheung Ping and The Purple Hairpin as the best film adaptations of Tong Tik-sang’s magnificent operas.

Reviewed by Sue Guttilla