How Brigitte Lin became one of Hong Kong’s best known movie stars: 7 of her most memorable film roles
Brigitte Lin, star of classic Hong Kong movies like Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express and Swordsman II alongside Jet Li, is an icon of Chinese cinema. The Taiwanese-born actress shot to fame in the 1970s when she was spotted by a talent scout as a teenager. Although an astounding classic beauty and famous for a number of cheesy romance movies made in Taiwan, Lin resolved to be more than just a pretty face.
In the 1980s she moved her career to Hong Kong where she performed in her most critically acclaimed roles, succeeding in a range of films as varied as Stephen Chow’s comedic Royal Tramp and Wong Kar-wai’s art house wuxia effort, Ashes of Time. Lin’s decision to retire in the mid-90s, at the height of her fame, only served to burnish her legend, leaving her fans always eager for more.
In celebration of her 65th birthday, which falls on November 3, here are seven of her most memorable films.
Ghost of the Mirror (1974)
Based on a Chinese folk tale, this film tells the story of a scholar who withdraws to a secluded house to study Buddhist scriptures. There, he meets a beautiful spirit (Lin) cursed to tempt hapless men to their doom. The mix of horror and fantasy are beguiling, but it is Lin’s youthful innocence and beauty that stand out most.
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Love Under a Rosy Sky (1979)
No list of Brigitte Lin films would be complete without mentioning at least one of her efforts alongside Singaporean star Chin Han. Throughout the 70s the two were often paired together as romantic partners in movies such as Love Forever and The Cloud of Romance . Although none is necessarily critically acclaimed, Love Under a Rosy Sky (1979) is perhaps the best example of their partnership. Here, Lin plays Yin Tsai Chin, a young woman who has loved Chiao Shu Pei (Chin) most of her life. Naturally, the course of true love never does run smooth and life threatens to get in the way of their affections.
Peking Opera Blues (1986)
Considered something of a classic of the budding Hong Kong new wave that emerged in the 1980s, Peking Opera Blues is a typical local gem that genre hops, from romance to drama to comedy and back again, at the drop of a hat. Lin plays one of three leading ladies alongside Sally Yeh and Cherie Chung, who are all looking to navigate the tricky circumstances of China’s chaotic Warlord Era. The film is notable for being one of the earliest occasions when Lin’s wardrobe is noticeably masculine, even if her role is that of a filial, if conflicted, daughter.
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Dragon Inn (1992)
It’s never easy to remake a classic – in this case director King Hu’s legendary Taiwanese wuxia tale Dragon Inn (1967) – but this version, released as New Dragon Gate Inn in some markets, is still thoroughly entertaining. How could it not be when it has a formidable cast that includes Brigitte Lin, Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Ka-fai and Donnie Yen? Take them and add a script by Tsui Hark and direction by Raymond Lee (who also helmed other wuxia hits like The East is Red and The Shaolin Warriors) and you have all the right ingredients for a rollicking ride.
Swordsman II (1992)
This 1992 success marked the first appearance of one of Lin’s and Hong Kong cinema’s most iconic characters, Asia the Invincible (Dongfang Bubai). Asia is the villain of the piece, a man who finds a scroll that promises great power – the minor catch being he must castrate himself to unlock it. Lusting for power, Asia goes for it and slowly grows more feminine as she acquires greater abilities, which also leads to him falling for his adversary, Jet Li’s Ling Wu-chung. A gender-bending classic this is unmissable for any fan of Lin.
The Bride with White Hair (1993)
With not one but two local icons, Leslie Cheung and Brigitte Lin, The Bride with White Hair is a visual feast full of gorgeous actors, sets and costumes. Despite verging on middle age, Lin still looks stunning, even with a massive wig of white hair planted on top of her. The plot is utterly fantastical – Lien Ni-chang (Lin) is a girl raised by wolves and then taken in by an evil cult headed by Siamese twins, and that’s just the starting point – but it’s an entrancing film and the central romance between Cheung and Lin expertly tugs the heartstrings.
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Chungking Express (1994)
Lin’s drug trafficker in sunglasses and a blonde wig is just another of her many iconic and instantly recognisable characters (ironic given how unrecognisable Lin is in her outfit). The actor’s second collaboration with acclaimed director Wong Kar-wai, following Ashes of Time, has her darting around town trying to find whoever has betrayed her and screwed up her drug deal. Her zipping to and fro across Hong Kong plays perfectly with Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle’s electric, loose visual style. Sadly, this was one of Lin’s last on-screen roles – but at least she went out at the top.
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As beloved Hong Kong movie legend Brigitte Lin celebrates her 65th birthday, we look back on her most memorable roles – from Peking Opera Blues to Dragon Inn, and Swordsman II and Chungking Express