Features: DVD
In the tradition of Farewell, My Concubine, Fleeing the Night is a lush period piece that follows the love triangle of three men against the backdrop of the Chinese opera. Set primarily in the 1930s, it tells the story of a theater owner's daughter who despairs of losing her cellist fiancé as he becomes fascinated by a mesmerizing Chinese opera star who is kept by a wealthy lover.
Written and directed by a producer of The Wedding Banquet and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Editor's Note
Filmed in Beijing and New York, FLEEING BY NIGHT tells the story of Shaodung (Lei Huang), an American-educated cellist who returns to China for his arranged marriage to Ing'er (Rene Li) the daughter of a wealthy opera house owner. Once back home, however, Shaodung finds himself drawn to singer Lin Chun (Chao-te Yi), whose impassioned rendition of the opera "Lin Chun Flees By Night" strikes a deep chord in both him and his fiancée. The three become friends, with Ing'er unaware of the deeper attraction between the men. Unfortunately Chun is trapped in servitude to the master of the company, who pimps him out to a rich playboy (Lai-jen Tai), and Shaodung is deeply closeted, which hinders him from acting on his desires. Set primarily in the late 1930s (but ultimately spanning decades), the film effectively uses China's pre-revolution cultural contrasts to parallel its characters' own identity crises. Directors Li-Kong Hsu and Chi Yin allow the story and performances to unfold deliberately and delicately. Homoerotic content is fairly minimal in the film, which focuses more on rich period detail and how the joys and sorrows of love can shape the course of personal histories.
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