认识
11 hours ago
Showing posts with label Masks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Masks. Show all posts
Wang Bianlian (Xu Zhu) is an aging street performer known as the King of Masks for his mastery of Sichuan Mask Changing Art. His wife left him with and infant son over 30 years ago. The son died from illness at age 10. This left Wang a melancholy loner desperate for a male heir so he could pass on his rare and dying art.
A famous master performer of the Sichuan Opera, Master Liang offers to bring Wang into his act, thus giving him fame and possible fortune, but Wang opts for staying the simple street performer. Then, one night after a performance he is sold a young boy by a slave trader posing as the boy's parent. "Grandpa" finds new joy in life as he plans to teach "Doggie"(Zhou Renying) (an affectionate term often used for young children in China) his art. All is well until Doggie is found out to really be a girl.
Set in 1930s China, this 1996 film ranges through the heart-breaking and joyful. Showing how hard life was for the characters you truly see the depths and heights of human existence in this film. The actors are all perfect, such that you feel like you have really entered a different world.
Bian Lian: King of Masks is very predictable and has great mirroring of pivotal moments within the film. I reccomend this heart warming tale for all. I watched it for the first time on Youtube. I enjoyed it so much, that I will be buying it.
Video Trailer: IMDB
變臉 (Biàn Liǎn)
literally: "Face-Changing"
Biàn Liǎn is cross between art, illusion and magic. The performers change masks and sometimes entire costumes in the blink of an eye. Face changing has been a part of Sichuan opera since the reign of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795)...
Face changing was first used in a story about a Robin-Hood styled hero who stole from the rich to help the poor. When feudal officials caught him, he changed his face to puzzle them and escaped as a result.
Performers wear brightly coloured costumes with vivid masks and move to quick, dramatic music. The more accomplished performers can change masks with their sleight of hand up to 60 times in a performance. By using methods of distraction, their glittery costumes and the dancing, they change their masks mysteriously and wow audiences. Biàn Liǎn is a secretive performing art and is only passed down from one generation to the next within families.
In fact, only males are permitted to learn Biàn Liǎn. The old way of thinking was that women do not stay within the family, and would marry out. As such, there was the risk the secret would be passed to another family. Therefore, the art is technically forbidden to women, although more recently a Malaysian Chinese girl named Candy Chong has recently become a popular performer after learning it from her father.
Biàn Liǎn is also not permitted to be learnt by foreigners, and is rarely seen outside of China. Modern times have seen Biàn Liǎn evolve. In the Qing Dynasty, they used to use red, black or gold powder to change the colour of their face by blowing into it.
Other methods included smearing coloured paste concealed in their hands over their faces. In the 1920s oiled paper or dried pig bladder were used to create masks. Skilled performers could peel off one mask after another in less than a second. Modern-day masters use full-face painted silk masks, which can be worn in layers of as many as twenty-four, and be pulled off one by one.
The performer pictured here is Wai Shui-kan (韋瑞群) and has perfected the art of Biàn Liǎn (face changing) over 20 years. Below is a video to show just how quick he can change.
here is another really quick clip of another performer;
Photo Source:
HKdigital
