The Empress Dowager

The Empress Dowager
Directed by	Li Han-hsiang
Written by	Li Han-hsiang
Produced by	Runme Shaw
Starring	Lisa Lu Ti Lung
Cinematography	Lam Chiu
Edited by	Chiang Hsing-lung
Music by	Frankie Chan
Production company	Shaw Brothers Studio
Distributed by	Shaw Brothers Studio
Release date	21 March 1975 (1975-03-21)
Running time	165 minutes
Country	Hong Kong
Language	Mandarin

The Empress Dowager is a 1975 Hong Kong historical film directed by Li Han-hsiang and produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio, starring Lisa Lu as Empress Dowager Cixi.

Plot

Although the Empress Dowager Tzu-hsi of the Ching Dynasty had promised her nephew, Emperor Kuang-hsu that he had complete autonomy, he found that this was not the case as he attempted to exert his authority over corrupt eunuchs and officials who undermined him with the backing of the Empress Dowager. Young, inexperienced and without a strong cadre of loyal officials to support him, he tries to juggle affairs both public and private. His loveless marriage to Empress Chin Feng and dislike of the Empress further leaves him all the more bereft of any power lever. His only bright spark in a cold gloomy palace was his love for Concubine Chen and a young eunuch who wholeheartedly supports him.

Cast

• Lisa Lu as Empress Dowager Tzu-hsi
• Ti Lung as Emperor Kuang-hsu
• Siu Yiu as Consort Zhen
• Miao Tien as Eunuch Li Lien-ying
• David Chiang as Eunuch Ko Lien-tsai
• Ivy Ling Po as Empress Chin Feng
• Tien Lie as Li Chieh
• Chen Ping as Consort Jin
• Shum Lo as Eunuch Wang Shang
• Cheung Ying as Tutor Weng Tung-ho
• Ku Feng as Lord Li Hung-chang
• Hao Li-jen as Prince Kung
• Lee Pang-fei as Prince Shun
• Cheng Miu as Official Yung Lu
• Yeung Chi-hing as Official Hsu Tung
• Wang Hsieh as Official Kang Li
• Chiang Nan as Official Tai Yi
• Ching Miao as Ronglu
• Tin Ching as Cheng Yueh Lou
• Ouyang Sha-fei as concubine
• Law Bing-ching as Kiang governor's daughter
• Chan Si-gai as Kiang governor's daughter
• Wong San as court official
• Liu Wai as court official
• Wang Han-chen as court official
• Kong Yeung as court official
• Wong Ching-ho as eunuch in charge of conjugal record
• Tung Wai as eunuch
• Chan Mei-hua as lady in waiting
• Lau Nga-ying as lady in waiting
• Ofelia Yau as lady in waiting
• Yuen Man-tzu as lady in waiting
• Ling Hon as court official
• Gam Yam as court official
• Kwan Yan as court official
• Fuk Yan-cheng as court official
• Lui Hung as lady in waiting
• Yeung Kei as lady in waiting
• On Ching-man
• Lau Wai-ling
• So Chan
• Shum Shuk-yee
• Woo Hei-hung
• Lee Hing-kwan
• Got Heung-ting

Awards

• 1975 Golden Horse Awards
  • Best Actress: Lisa Lu
  • Best Supporting Actress: Ivy Ling Po

See also

• List of Asian historical drama films

External links

• The Empress Dowager at IMDb
• The Empress Dowager at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase
• HK cinemagic entry