Leslie Cheung, a luminary of Hong Kong's golden era of the 80s and 90s, stands out as one of its most gifted representatives. Revered globally as both an actor and a singer, he holds a position as one of the forefathers of Cantopop, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural landscape.
Cheung's brilliance transcended geographical boundaries, captivating admirers in Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, and South Korea. Notably, his pivotal role in John Woo's “A Better Tomorrow” marked a turning point, propelling his acting career to new heights. Subsequent collaborations with esteemed directors such as Chen Kaige and Wong Kar Wai propelled him to international stardom.
Eventually, his name figured in the first place on the list of the most favorite actors in the 100 years of Chinese cinema, in the third of the Most Iconic Musicians of All Time, and CNN considered him the Most Beautiful Man from Hong Kong Cinema and one of Asia's 25 Greatest Actors of All Time. However, his life and career came to dramatic end when he died by suicide on April 1, 2003.
Here is a list with 20 of his best performances, in reverse order.
20. The Phantom Lover (Ronnie Yu, 1995)
Leslie Cheung plays Song and is once more charming and smooth, and his performance as a theatre actor is quite convincing. Unfortunately, Ronni Yu tried too much to draw from his appearance and his trademark smile, thus resulting in a somewhat disjointed role, which, in the end, compromised Cheung's overall performance.
19. Inner Senses (Lo Chi-Leung, 2002)
Cheung Yan (Karena Lam) moves into an apartment complex and starts to find herself haunted by the ghosts of the landlord's deceased wife and son. Reluctantly, she is persuaded to see the psychiatrist Jim Law (Leslie Cheung), a sceptic in the supernatural who is convinced they are just manifestations of her repressed psyche. The pair gradually grow closer until Jim Law admits they cannot be anything more than doctor and patient. After another “haunting”, Cheung Yan attempts suicide and Jim law learns that she has done this before, when her ex-boyfriend dumped her. As Jim Law attempts to help Cheung Yan come to terms with her past, he finds himself being haunted by his own long suppressed memories, just as their own relationship begins to form.
The psychoanalytic principle of the repressed psyche is in force in the film, with the idea that ghosts are in fact a representation of our own suppressed emotions, given form by our own perceptions. This gives the character of Jim Law a grounding that is not often explored within eastern cinema. There is traditionally a readiness to believe in the supernatural (A trait every other character in the movie has) and having a lead character prepared to question this notion allows for a degree of ambiguity in what we are witnessing. Once the story arc flips and it is Jim Law becoming haunted, these other characters become the rational ones seeking logical explanations for his now irrational behavior. (Ben Stykuc)
18. Fatal Love (Leong Po-chi, 1988)
Wing (Leslie Cheung) has a spooky encounter with Hung (Cherie Chung) as he drives to meet friends at a club. Uncertain as to whether he had encountered a ghost, he becomes obsessed with finding her.
Leslie Cheung was a great performer and he makes a good screen couple with Cherie Chung. The sillier elements to his character fade as the story develops and the tone darkens in the final third.
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17. A Chinese Ghost Story 2 (Siu Tu Ching, 1990)
Leslie Cheung reprised his role as Ning and is once more great in both the action and the comic scenes, although the romantic element is clearly toned down in the sequel.
Cheung is present in the two most entertaining scenes of the film. The first occurs when Ning and Autumn try to communicate the counter curse spell solely with eye movement, and the second when he tries to alert a bathing Windy of the presence of a monster.
16. A Better Tomorrow II (John Woo, 1987)
Leslie Cheung is once more the third wheel, behind Chow Yun Fat and Ti Lung, in a role that takes advantage of his popularity rather than his acting abilities. However, he partakes in the film's most touching scene, during his wife's labor and in one of the most impressive action scenes, when he faces off against a hit man.
15. Nomad (Patrick Tam, 1982)
The film follows the tumultuous lives of four Hong Kong youths. Leslie Cheung plays Louis, a shy bourgeois who spends his days listening to recordings of his deceased mother, accompanied by his cousin Kathy.
The performances of the protagonists are both impenetrable and unpredictable, bringing to mind the acting style of their counterparts in the French and Japanese New Wave movements. Undoubtedly, it is the melancholic face of Leslie Cheung that serves as the focal point and guiding force of the entire cast.
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14. A Chinese Ghost Story (Siu Tu Ching, 1987)
Leslie Cheung plays Ning Tsai Shen, a tax collector who arrives in a small town to carry out his duties. Unfortunately, he ends up spending the night in the nearby Lan Ro temple. Inside the temple resides a ghost named Nie, whose duty is to enchant travelers so the tree demon she is bound to can consume their souls. Nevertheless, this time things do not go their way as Ning manages to escape their trap through sheer luck. Furthermore, a peculiar romantic relationship seems to form between him and Nie.
“A Chinese Ghost Story” is another film that draws more from Cheung's looks than his acting skills, although he is quite believable in his supernatural romance. Furthermore, he showed glimpses of his talent, deftly handling both the horror and the comic parts of the film.
13. A Better Tomorrow (John Woo, 1986)
Leslie Cheung plays Kit, a rookie cop who blames his brother for their father's death and for ruining his chances for promotion, due to his criminal past. Their relationship becomes even worse when former comrades of Tse Ho assault Kit.
Although in an obvious secondary role behind Chow Yun Fat and Ti Lung, Leslie Cheung still managed to shine in his portrayal of a young man with an obvious grudge. His best moment in the film comes when he finally, and reluctantly, agrees to accompany the other two against the triad.
“A Better Tomorrow” was the film that established him as an actor, continuing the commercial success of his singing career.
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12. The Bride with White Hair (Ronny Yu, 1993)
Leslie Cheung gives a satisfying performance as the dissatisfied but formidable warrior Cho Yi Hang, who can be fearsome but sensitive at the same time. Furthermore, he was included in one of the genre's most graphic sex scenes and was persuaded by the producers to compose the film's main theme, despite his retirement from the music business. Both of those facts immensely helped the box office outcome of the film, with Cheung's fans rushing to theatres to listen and watch him, thus making the movie a big commercial success.
11. Rouge (Stanley Kwan, 1987)
The film drew much from its two protagonist's looks, although the leading role belongs to Anita Mui, who plays Fleur. Leslie Cheung, who plays Chan, emitted his usual suave that fit his character perfectly, in a role tailored for him. The scene in which he meets Fleur for the first time is astonishing and vibrates with subtle sexual tension emitted from both of the protagonists.
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