The Lovers

"Life is fleeting as a butterfly."

1994 1h 47m CN

👍

7.3

SOLID

★7.3TMDB · 34

RomanceDramaFamilyFantasy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 337 A.D., during the Eastern Jin Dynasty, parents dress a very pretty, very privileged girl like a boy so she may be educated in a local boarding school. There, she falls in love with a poor, but handsome and industrious young man.

“Life is fleeting as a butterfly.”

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Cast

Charlie Yeung Choi-Nei
Chu Ying Tai
Nicky Wu
Liang Shan Po
Carrie Ng Ka-Lai
Ying Tai's Mother
Elvis Tsui Kam-Kong
Ying Tai's Father
Lau Shun
Cheung-Kwai
Sun Xing
Monk
Vickey Liu
Madam Yuen
Shen Hai-Rong
Madam Leung

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tsui Hark
Writers: Tsui Hark, Sharon Hui
Languages: Mandarin
Countries: Hong Kong

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

32 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

CRAFT

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tsui Hark, shot by David Chung. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by William Wu Wai-Lap. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Marco Mak Chi-Sin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Charlie Yeung Choi-Nei and Nicky Wu and Carrie Ng Ka-Lai carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Life is fleeting as a butterfly.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0110340 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tsui Hark directs. David Chung behind the camera. William Wu Wai-Lap scores. Marco Mak Chi-Sin cuts. Produced in Hong Kong. Dialogue in Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

132 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
3Directed by Tsui Hark, shot by David Chung. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by William Wu Wai-Lap. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Marco Mak Chi-Sin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Charlie Yeung Choi-Nei and Nicky Wu and Carrie Ng Ka-Lai carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Life is fleeting as a butterfly.".
8IMDB entry: tt0110340 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 34 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.