Forever in love with the free bird
In the movie “Days of Being Wild”, one of the most memorable scenes is when the character Xu Zi (played by Leslie Cheung) comes up to Su Li Zhen and whispers in her ear: “You will dream about me tonight”. The next day, when Su Li Zhen protested that she had not dreamed about him, Xu Zi sarcastically looked at her and replied: “Of course, because you did not sleep at all”.
Leslie Cheung as Xu Zi.
Not only when playing the role of Xu Zi, but in any role, Leslie Cheung also radiates a strange magic. We can find Leslie Cheung fans in many different "communities", regardless of whether it is the Wong Kar-wai fan community, the 80s Hong Kong pop music community, or the LGBT+ community. Many people often quote the quote in "Farewell My Concubine" - "a single tear darkens the world" - to explain Leslie Cheung's magic. His tragedy moves all hearts that can be moved.
However, looking at what his admirers have written about Leslie Cheung since his death, it seems that his magic comes from more than just “tears”. As the discussion surrounding the cause of Leslie Cheung’s suicide has ended, people now only talk about his legendary songs, his roles, and above all, the nostalgia because “big brother” has passed away but his youth remains forever. In other words, it seems that we love Leslie Cheung for the complex person he was; and because in him, we find the freedom that only an out-of-date, lonely person like Leslie Cheung could achieve.
"A single tear darkens the heavens and the earth" - Farewell My Concubine.
Freedom is homelessness, homelessness is freedom
During his lifetime, Leslie Cheung was often compared to Tony Leung Chiu-wai or Chow Yun-fat. While Chow Yun-fat often impressed with his frank and sincere gangster roles, Tony Leung Chiu-wai always reminded people of loyal characters and sadness that seemed impossible to fill. Leslie Cheung and the people on his screen evoked contrasting emotions. On the one hand, we hesitated before his recklessness, sometimes violence and recklessness, but on the other hand, we were fascinated by the freedom, not bound by any standards that Leslie Cheung evoked.
In “Spring Light Shooting”, Leslie Cheung’s character Ha Bao Vinh evokes many associations with Xu Zi in “A Fei Zheng Zhuan”. He is like a “legless bird” who “keeps flying until he dies”. Ha Bao Vinh continuously breaks Lee Dieu Huy’s heart when he suddenly disappears again and again and then comes back to make up as if nothing happened. However, Ha Bao Vinh is not like ordinary womanizers. He rushes into love affairs to devote himself and seek passion and freedom in the midst of a chaotic, fake life. He is absorbed in long trips to new lands just to find peace that familiar places do not have.
He plunged into love affairs to devote himself and seek passion and freedom.
It seems that the fates of those characters have been passed down to Leslie Cheung. He does not feel like he belongs anywhere. Although he was once considered a symbol of Hong Kong, Leslie Cheung's life was a journey of tireless movement. From a young age, he had to leave home early to study in England. Later, when he got tired of Hong Kong, Leslie Cheung often traveled between Canada and the US and always "stayed away from Chinatown" - where everyone knew him - in order to live a peaceful life. As he once shared: "This land always seemed bustling, heavy, and expensive. I was too soft. So, I never considered myself a Hong Konger."
When only the sky of art is wide enough
Often times, he feels like he doesn't belong in real life, but every time he's on screen, Leslie Cheung feels like he's returned to his own "home". He has shared in many interviews that the repetitive office life doesn't suit him. Only when he's on set and transforms into the character of Leslie Cheung does he feel more at home. This point of his reminds him of the character Cheng Dieyi that he played in "Farewell My Concubine". That person devoted both body and soul to art, and then couldn't escape the illusions of the stage. But that's also why Cheng Dieyi was free: he didn't fall into the distortions of history, but on the contrary, quietly kept his faith in true art.
“I have filmed countless love scenes in my life, from kissing to fondling. Do you think I enjoy those scenes? No, just consider it work.”
There is a story that on the first day of filming “Spring Break”, Tony Leung was so shocked that he could not film the love scenes with Leslie Cheung. Then, Leslie Cheung quietly went to his co-star and said: “In my whole life, I have filmed countless love scenes, from kissing scenes to fondling scenes. Do you think I enjoy those scenes? No, just consider it as work. I will not love you, and I do not want to have sex with you. You are not my type.” And so, Tony Leung gradually calmed down and accepted the role of Leslie Cheung’s lover.
That was Leslie Cheung, both gentle and caring, and not afraid to devote himself when it came to art. That was his own world, where he lived other lives, different from him, yet similar to him. However, “big brother” did not become distant from life and people because of that. With those who shared the same love for art as him, Leslie Cheung respected them and found a connection with them. His fans often recounted the time he performed at a concert in Toronto. When the concert reached its climax, an audience member suddenly burst into tears: “I love you, Leslie Cheung.” And so, Leslie Cheung shouted back: “I love you too, regardless of whether you are male or female.”
And so, we can never escape the magic of Leslie Cheung.
