Center Stage – 88 Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1991
Director: Stanley Kwan
Writer: Kong-Kin Yau
Cast: Maggie Cheung, Chin Han, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, Lawrence Ng, Carina Lau, Cecilia Yip, Waise Lee, Paul Chang Chung

Release Date: March 24th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 155 Minutes 2 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: 15 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £14.99 (UK)

"Center Stage is set during China’s silent movie era and revolves around the life of the legendary life of a gifted actress, Ruan Ling-yu. With her sensitive portrayal, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk took her story abroad and won the best actress award at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "New 4K digital restoration, approved by director Stanley Kwan."

Center Stage comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.6 GB

Feature: 38.9 GB

Center Stage has footage from three sources: archival film clips, which are in rough shape; newly shot cast and crew interviews; and recreations of scenes and moments from Ruan Ling-yu’s life. The majority of the time, the latter two look excellent; colors look correct, image clarity and black levels are strong, and compression is solid. Excluding the Fortune Star logo, the 88 Films' release is 19 seconds longer than Film Movement's release.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD 5.1 Cantonese)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Cantonese. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced. Range-wise, ambient sounds and the score are well-represented. When it comes to the archival clips, there is a dip in quality. Included are removable English subtitles.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a stills gallery with music from the film playing in the background, a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 21 seconds, LPCM mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archive interview with film critic Paul Fonoroff (13 minutes 35 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archive interview with director Stanley Kwan (12 minutes 9 seconds, LPCM stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with Stanley Kwan (23 minutes 29 minutes LPCM stereo English, no subtitles), reversible cover art, a slipcase (limited to the first pressing), and a 24-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled Gossip Girl Ruan Ling-yu and the Spirit of Shanghai written by David West, and archival images.

Summary:

Stanley Kwan directed Center Stage. He is known for Women, Love Unto Waste, Rouge, Red Rose White Rose, and Hold You Tight.

Center Stage tells the story of Ruan Ling-yu, who was one of the most prominent Chinese film stars of the 1930s. She was an incredibly gifted actress whose tumultuous private life and public scrutiny of it would lead her to take her life at the age of 24. All but six of her films are lost, and another two have a few reels that have survived.

Center Stage does not follow the usual path that biography films do; it blends events from Ruan Ling-yu’s life with meta moments where the cast and crew give their thoughts on her and recreate moments from her life. The primary focus of Center Stage is the events leading up to Ruan Ling-yu's work with Lianhua Productions, culminating in her tragic death.

Stanley Kwan and screenwriter Kong-Kin Yau reportedly spent two years collecting information about Ruan Ling-yu’s life. Unlike many biographical films that take creative liberties, it is evident that Stanley Kwan and Kong-Kin Yau aim for the events to speak for themselves, choosing not to alter them for cinematic effect. The inclusion of film clips featuring Ruan Ling-yu allows audiences to experience her authentic presence rather than just viewing the portrayal by the actress.

Although Maggie Cheung is one of the most successful and critically acclaimed actresses in Chinese cinema, prior to her role in Center Stage, she was primarily recognized for playing the girlfriend or damsel in distress characters. Her portrayal of Ruan Ling-yu gave her an opportunity to do something different, and it is not surprising that because of her performance, she would become the first Chinese actor to win a European film award, the Best Actress Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Interesting side note: Stanley Kwan originally wanted Anita Mui because of her resemblance to Ruan Ling-yu.

It is clear that Center Stage is a film working with substantial resources. The production design is exemplary; it puts you into the 1930s by creating an utterly believable world. Center Stage’s narrative maintains momentum despite not adhering to a linear path; it alternates between Ruan Ling-yu’s life and moments of meta-filmmaking.

Besides being a biography film about Ruan Ling-yu, Center Stage offers a glimpse into Chinese silent cinema, which has been rarely seen outside of China. Ultimately, Center Stage is an absorbing film about the darker side of fame, where your every move is scrutinized and a life that was cut short because of it.

Center Stage gets a solid release from 88 Films that comes with a strong audio/video presentation and insightful extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer