While this is in the tradition of the Huangmei Diao like the 1968 version, it seems much more accessible than the previous film, and the fact that Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia is playing Boa Yu in either her first or one of her first male roles, and she is amazing here. And the songs seem more modern than the old versions, though I can’t say honestly since I don’t understand that much Mandarin. This is really an enjoyable adaption of the novel.

The film won best art direction at the 1978, 15th Golden Horse Awards, and at the 24th Asian Film Festival when best costume design and art direction.

REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…

Ling Chin Hsia plays Bao Yu in one of the biggest and richest families of the time. It is the story of a family in decline, the sister is married to the emperor so they have wealth, but they are too opulent, and they have spoiled their son so much that he is a dreamer and pretty much totally useless. And in another exemplary performance Silvia Chang plays Lin Dai Yu, Bao Yu’s cousin who is sickly and melancholy, and whose family has died so she moves into the house, and quickly the cousins fall for each other. Of course through a tragedy things are always keeping them apart, like cousin Bao Chi played by Michelle Mei Suet, who Bao Yu gets along with, but is always splitting the two of them. Finally Bao Yu loses it when he things that his cousin is leaving to get married and his family tricks him into thinking he is marrying her when he is actually marrying Bao Chi. The marriage in fact kills Lin Dai Yu, and in his grief Bao Yu never consummates the marriage and we see him walking away bald headed, leaving the family forever.

The performances of the two leads are spectacular, and so sad, with the two of them weeping for a good portion of the film. I remember liking Dai Yu when I read the book, though my girlfriend likes Bao Chi of course. And yes Dai Yu is too melancholy, burying the dead leaves of flower pedals, but it is much like her, being buried in her young beauty because her love is misunderstood. The family spoiled the children too much, and then in a final act ended up losing them because of their selfish acts, not understanding them at all.