The Supreme Star
Through a male scholar image she graced the screen
Presented to the audience what they have never seen
Amazing performances entitled her as "Movie Queen"
Supreme star Ling Po redefined the meaning of acting
She is the lendendary actress of Hong Kong silver screen
|
A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE ON IVY LING PO
When speaking of Ling Po, a majority of the people from 1960s tend to think of the unforgetable ill-fated male scholar Liang Shan-Po. A role that elevated this actress to be one of the most sought-after stars at the time. It paved her the way to success as well as becoming a nickname that accompanied her throughout the years. Until today, most fans still see Ling Po and Liang Shan-Po as one and continue to love her through the image of a male scholar. Coming from a generation that is two decades after her time, I always thought actresses such as Barbara Yung, Cherie Chung, and Carina Lau are gifted. However, if this is the true definition of what can be considered as "a talented actress," then it serves Movie Queen Ling Po no justice.
What defines a good performer? From my perspective, it's when one can become self-invisible and allows the audience to only see his/her character. What makes Ling Po an outstanding actress is her ability to eliminate the gender boundary. She can incorporate herself in a male role 100% without giving the audience a feeling of gender mismatch. She has the ability to play the role better than some actors.
In a span of 40 years, the classic LIANG SHAN-PO YU ZHU YING-TAI have been through several cinema and television remakes. I, myself, have seen at least five versions of this story. Yet, no argument to the fact that Ling Po remains as the best onscreen Brother Liang the audience can have.
|
|