Dream of the Red Mansions
About Dream of the Red Mansions
In the 1700s a great family loses its luck when a son loses the jade that was in his mouth at birth. Bu Wancang's film adapts Cao Xueqin's 18th-century novel Dream of the Red Chamber. Following Yue opera practice, a woman plays the male lead. It is the third known film of the novel.
Cast & crew
More about Dream of the Red Mansions
Bu Wancang directed. Released in 1944. Running time 125 minutes. The Chinese title is Honglou meng. Also called Dream of the Red Chamber. An earlier short, in 1924, starred a male Peking-opera singer.
Themes
Background
A 1944 feature from a novel that had already been a 1924 short and at least one other film.
Notes
- The jade-in-the-mouth birth is Baoyu's mark in the novel. The film uses its loss as the turn of the family's luck.
- Casting a woman as the young man follows Yue opera, not the 1924 short, which used a male opera singer.
- It is counted as the third filmed version of the book.
- The English titles Dream of the Red Mansions and Dream of the Red Chamber both circulate.
Scenes
- The son loses the jade he was born with, and the household's luck goes with it.
Influenced by
- Dream of the Red Chamber (Cao Xueqin)
Also available
- Internet Archive (dreamred)
