Its been seventeen years since the passing of Leslie Cheung, and I thought it fitting to look at some of Leslie’s films that I personally rate and remember him for.

Leslie Cheung sadly passed away 1stApril 2003 leaving a suicide note suffering from depression.

I won’t dwell on or retell the tale of how Leslie Cheung ended his life (you can find all of that on any internet page) but I would rather celebrate what I saw of Leslie through his Acting.  Note Leslie Cheung was also the godfather of Cantopop,

My first initiation into the icon that was Leslie Cheung was a film called ‘A Better Tomorrow’ a certain Heroic Bloodshed movie that added another genre of film and actors to my list of ‘ones to watch’.  Leslie Cheung played Kit the younger brother to Sung (Ti-Lung) who aspires to join the police but his brother Sung and friend Mark (Chow Yun-Fat) live a life of crime.  Needless to say the plot turns to action and John Woo brings out the guns in what is still one of my favourite movies of all time.

[youtube_sc url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncd4b5d_cM0"]

Next up on ones to watch is the follow up to a Better Tomorrow the second instalment sees the action and death count skyrocket with Leslie Cheung returning as Kit and Ti-Lung as Sung with Chow Yun-Fat returning but this time as Mark’s brother Ken.  John Woo and Tsui Hark disagreed on how the film should work and John Woo still to this day doesn’t recognise the film in his work apart from the final gunfight.  With that said A Better Tomorrow 2 is a rare film that actually is better than the original.

[youtube_sc url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp-VDwhtg4c"]

A Chinese Ghost Story changes the pace with a Romantic, Horror, Comedy of sorts which tells the tale of Leslie Cheung as Ning who upon sleeping in a temple at night meets and falls in love with a spirit Nip (Joey Wong).  Tsui Hark was also the producer. A remake was made in 2011 which was directed by Wilson Yip and starred Louis Koo.

[youtube_sc url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIDCU467dCA"]

The final of my Fabulous 4 to watch is the 'Days of being Wild' with directed by Wong Kar-Wai The film stars some of the best-known actors and actresses in Hong Kong, including Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau, Jacky Cheung and Tony Leung.  The film made Wong Kar-Wai the master of cinema that he is today with a powerhouse movie with actors and actresses to match.  Leslie Cheung truly shines in this warts and all look at life.

[youtube_sc url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VLWIx9TwiM"]

I did say at the start of the article that I didn't want to dive to deeply into the whys and hows of Leslie Cheung's short life but perhaps this story below goes some way to address what is, has and always shall be a life threatening illness.

A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they'd be asked the "half empty or half full" question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: "How heavy is this glass of water?"
Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
She replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes." She continued, "The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything."
It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses. As early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don't carry them through the evening and into the night. Remember to put the glass down!