#rouge 1987

[isabelleadjani]

ROUGE dir. Stanley Kwan, 1987

[haveyouseenthismovie-poll]

Have you seen Rouge (1987)?

Yes

No

Haven’t even heard of this movie

Voting ended onSep 9, 2025

[beautifultimes-beautifulplaces]

Rouge 胭脂扣 (1987); dir. Stanley Kwan

[dailylesliec]

[TRANSLATION] Art and Piece Issue 16 - Stanley Kwan on Leslie Cheung

“Seeing Leslie with my own eyes made me realise there really are some guys in this world who are truly beautiful.”

BORN ELEGANT AND FLAMBOYANT TO THE END

Stanley Kwan - Director of "Rouge"

I am Stanley Kwan. I directed the film “Rouge”, the movie in which Gor-gor and Mui Jeh (Anita) starred. I really miss having these old friends around - just watching their movies or listening to their music brings all the memories back. Leslie and Anita both had their Unique Elegance and were a perfect match for Rouge. I saw Leslie’s most beautiful side, and at the same time bore witness to the trembling of his two hands.

I first worked with Gor-gor in “Nomad” directed by Patrick Tam. I was the assistant director. Seeing Leslie with my own eyes made me realise there really are some guys in this world who are truly beautiful. I was initially not attached to “Rouge” - Golden Harvest had initially set Terry Tong as the director and even the cast had been finalised, with the actors being Anita, Adam Cheng, Andy Lau and Cherie Chung. But the script took too much time, and Director Tong had other projects to attend to. Excluding Anita, the whole cast left one by one as well, and I took over the film. I thought long and hard about who could play Master Twelve. At the time Ekin Cheng was just starting out. After seeing him work with Lawrence Ng, I wondered if I should cast Lawrence for the role. Ah Mui saw me struggling and suggested, “What if I tell Mr Ho (TN: the film producer & founder of Golden Harvest) that I’ll do a movie for Cinema City in exchange for Leslie doing this film?”

Leslie was very creative. As an example, he and Anita were really close, so in a scene where they were smoking opium, he put his hand on her chest. He knew she wouldn’t object or say anything, and she too thought that was what the scene needed. I could feel the tacit understanding between the two of them - it was easy to see working on “Rouge”, and I found that they didn’t even need to discuss much. In 2001, I began work on a film titled “Scenery Against the Light”. Both Leslie and Anita expressed their interest in the story and contents of the film, but I’ve never been efficient in working on scripts. By 2002 when I reached out to both of them again, they both had their own issues even before the script was ready. I was shocked.

I usually saw Leslie on occasions where a few of us were doing a gathering at his house or an event arranged by Florence, but we’d always talk. We had a lot in common to talk about, not necessarily deeply personal things like family, but we talked a lot about our personal feelings and thoughts about living, including our careers: Leslie also “suffered” a lot to get to where he was in his career. The first time I found out about his hands trembling was at a dinner gathering too. Originally, “Lust, Caution” was going to be directed by Edward Yang instead of Ang Lee. He thought Leslie was really suitable for the role, so I arranged a dinner gathering for him in late 2002.

The dinner was very casual and we kept talking even after the meal had ended. Leslie tucked his hands under his thighs. His whole body was trembling. He was paying attention, but his attentiveness... it was almost like he was in a trance. After Director Yang left, I asked Leslie why he was so nervous. Leslie said he wasn’t scared of Edward Yang, but I still saw his shaking hands. He never explained why.

That incident is nowhere near my most unforgettable memory of Leslie though. The most vivid picture in my mind is the scene in “Rouge” where he turns around and smiles after walking up the stairs. When I watched the playback, a voice behind me suddenly asked, “Really pretty, right?” Before I turned around, I could already tell it was Leslie’s voice. It really was very pretty - that elegant, playful feeling was really something else. He was brilliant.

His brilliance remains unchanged even throughout these 20 years. Be it Leslie or Anita, fans are still willing to see them as friends. I, too, don’t think they’re that far from us. It’s just like they went abroad to study, to live, to spend their days. When the 4K restored version of “Rouge” was broadcast in cinemas earlier, I went to go watch it again. It really feels like I didn’t film the movie thirty-something years ago. It’s like I was still filming last week.

Translated by me (@dailylesliec on Twitter/Tumblr), do not repost without credit. If you like this translation, consider following me or buying me a Ko-fi. For the formatted PDF version of this article, click here.

[maggiecheungs]

Anita Mui as Fleur in Rouge (1987) dir. Stanley Kwan

[diegetician]

rouge 1987

[daysofleslie]

Why you should watch Rouge (1987)...

1. Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui

The two were best friends throughout their careers and Rouge was arguably one of their most iconic big-screen collaborations. The film was Anita’s passion project and it was Leslie who she had first envisioned in the role of 12th Master, a wealthy heir, opposite her Fleur, the spectral courtesan. 

However, Leslie initially hadn’t been able to join the project because he had signed an exclusive contract with a different production company and so, another actor was roped in to replace him. But as the project became stuck in production hell, that actor eventually left the project and this once again paved the way for Leslie to re-enter the film. 

After the previous actor left, Anita had insisted that only Leslie could do the role of 12th Master justice, and so fought tooth and nail to help get him on board. She made a deal with his company that if they let him do this film with her, she would do a film for their company, free of charge. This was a massive sacrifice as she herself was one of the most in-demand actresses and singers at the time, and it serves to show how much she valued Leslie not only as a friend but as an actor as well.

2.  It’s a ghost story.

We love walking anachronisms...

3. Gorgeous period costumes and sets (one word: florals).

From the lush parlors of the Yi Hung brothel to the gorgeously lit streets in Shek Tong Tsui, the film is really pleasing on the eyes.

4. Flashes back and forth between 1930′s and 1980′s Hong Kong.

It’s a beautiful beautiful city.

5. It’s a romantic anti-romance film.

Yes, I love romance! Yes, I hate it too!

6. Feminist undertones.

A female-centered film about female-specific experiences AND she comes out on top? We have to stan. 

[tee-jay-666]

Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui in Rouge (胭脂扣), dir. Stanley Kwan