Hounded by the tabloid press, Shanghai film star Ruan Lingyu committed suicide on March 8, 1934-International Women's Day. Tens of thousands turned out for her funeral, and she remains famous to this day. Stanley Kwan's poignant masterpiece is far richer than the usual biopic. It contrasts drama with film clips-from Ruan's films as well as from contemporary interviews with Kwan's actors and survivors from the Shanghai film scene-creating a meditation on the very different cultures of 1930s Shanghai and contemporary Hong Kong. The seemingly inappropriate but remarkably successful casting of Maggie Cheung adds to this effect, as her sophisticated and cosmopolitan star image is far removed from Ruan's. Yet, when Kwan reminds us of Cantonese Ruan's difficulties with the demands of Mandarin Chinese in the sound era, the film also resonates with local and contemporary anxieties over Hong Kong's return to the mainland.Chris Berry