Leslie Cheung

[Yo Kang]

Yes. I know it's been quite a while since that tragic event. But I could never come to term. I was quite shocked when it happened. Such a good actor. WHat're your opinions?

[cherrie]

im never a fan of leslie cheung, too young then to appreciate his songs nor his acting. but then it's only lately that i managed to see how well an actor he is. after watching rouge and hearing him sing there, i told myself 'such a waste! never thought he's that good!' clearly, nobody can replace leslie im looking forward to watching farewell my concubine

[junny]

Farewell My Concubine and Rouge were some of Leslie's best works, and they're also my faves among his many films. Leslie also appeared in a number of comedies involving Raymond Wong & Stephen Chow. All's Well Ends Well (I think) was hilarious.

[Dirt]

He was a coward and a fool throwing away his life like that. I'm sure Anita Mui would have traded places with him any day.

[Crazy8]

thats life!


anyways. he was one of my fav actor and some of his movies were on my top list of being the greatest film ever made.
such as: a better tmrw and the chinese ghost story

[cherrie]

what's the chinese title of all's well ends well?
i bet he regretted what he had done the minute he jumped out of that window. but no use now, he's now gone and had probably met anita there. rip

[Charlieboy]

alls well ends well - kar yau hei si - thats my canto interpretation anyways

one of my favourite comedies, must have watched it well over 20 times

[Charlieboy]

Originally posted by Dirt
He was a coward and a fool throwing away his life like that. I'm sure Anita Mui would have traded places with him any day.

thats how I feel about suicide, but its not as simple as killing oneself because its the easy way out - depression can do all sorts to your head that maybe most ppl cannot comprehend

[Lingz13]

Originally posted by cherrie
what's the chinese title of all's well ends well?

Mandarin title is Jia You Xi Shi( ‰Æ—LŠìŽ–) You can read the review on it here

Originally posted by Charlieboy
one of my favourite comedies, must have watched it well over 20 times

Same! No matter how many times I watch it, its still so hilarious and enjoyable.

[flyingfox2002]

So nearly a year later, I still dunno what the reason for his suicide was.

ANyone know?

[Lady Zhuge]

I'm more of a fan of Leslie's screenroles than his music, not because I don't like his music, but because I haven't heard much of it. I do really like his singing of the theme song of The Yang Family Saga, though.
Farewell My Concubine is my favorite of Leslie's movies. It was a heartbreaker that I'll never forget.

When I first heard about his suicide, I thought it was just a really cruel joke, as I'm sure many people did. After all, it happened on April Fool's day. Unfortunately, it was the harsh reality. I still don't know for sure why exactly he did it, but I try to understand that he must have been in a lot of pain to do what he did. I know there are people who go through worse and still don't resort to that, but it's useless to blame and insult now.

[belki]

Originally posted by Dirt
He was a coward and a fool throwing away his life like that. I'm sure Anita Mui would have traded places with him any day.

Whatever the reason is (depression, loneliness, etc)...suicide is a coward escape. I agree with you on this one Dirt.

[cherrie]

tnx! gotta get myself a copy of that movie

[gumball]

Originally posted by flyingfox2002
So nearly a year later, I still dunno what the reason for his suicide was.

ANyone know?

so after anita died, i read countless article about her death & her life. i read an article in which she said that she was really upset that her really good friend had an illness and didn't even tell her about it & rather decided to take his own life. im assuming that she was referring to leslie... so this kinda goes with the speculation that leslie cheung had HIV/AIDS.

[cherrie]

really? is that true?
i finally watched farewell my concubine and i love it! definitely one of the best movies i've seen! leslie was outstanding there!

[Dirt]

Originally posted by gumball
so after anita died, i read countless article about her death & her life. i read an article in which she said that she was really upset that her really good friend had an illness and didn't even tell her about it & rather decided to take his own life. im assuming that she was referring to leslie... so this kinda goes with the speculation that leslie cheung had HIV/AIDS.

What is the date of the interview?

Magic Johnson has had HIV/AIDS for 15 years now and he's probably healthier than me.

I can understand if it was a Christopher Reeves situation. In fact, for the kind of injury that he has, hospitals actually give the patients a choice as to whether they wish to continue to live. Reeves wanted to live.

[Yo Kang]

Leslie Cheung was one of the best pop star and Hong Kong actors. Cheung was well-known for his works and his off-screen life. He was born in Hong Kong on September 12, 1956. Cheung was the youngest of ten children. He was influenced early on by the film word because his father was William Holden’s tailor. Leslie went on to study at England’s Leeds University. After he returned to Hong Kong, he started his career by winning second prize in 1976 ATV Asian Music Contest. His status as a singer led the way to work on television, film, and the stage. Cheung became a star in 1981 with the success of his album, The Wind Blows On. The album also established him as Asia’s most popular singer. However, Cheung’s film career did not gain momentum until 1986. In 1986, he was casts opposite Chow Yun-Fat in John Woo’s cult movie, A Better Tomorrow. It was a breakthrough performance for Chow Yun-Fat and Leslie Cheung. Furthermore, his performance in Rouge established him as a romantic leading actor.
Cheung starred in many of the signal popular successes and artistic glories of Hong Kong’s golden movie age: Tsui Hark’s A Chinese Ghost Story, Ronny Yu’s The Bride with White Hair, Wong Kar-wai’s Days of Being Wild, and Happy Together. He gained international acclaim for his performance in the Cannes Palme d’Or winner Farewell My Concubine. He continues to gain fame for his diverse acting roles. One example is his complex portrayal of legendary villain, Ou Yang Fung, in Ashes of Time. And his final and haunting performance in Inner Sense was memorable and ironic. Furthermore, Cheung received numerous Golden Horse Award and Hong Kong Film Awards nominations and wins.
Leslie Cheung turned 46 on September 12, 2002 and he will forever stay that age. On a Tuesday, he strode through the Mandarin Oriental lobby, walked out onto the terrace that gives a view of Hong Kong Harbor, and jumped off. He landed in front of the hotel on the Connaught Road sidewalk and was pronounced dead at a hospital.
When Cheung’s death from suicide was announced in April 1, 2003, the international film community suffered a devastating blow. Legions of fans had a difficult time fathoming why he would end his life while still in the prime of his career. It was an irony of his own fate was parallel to that of his character in Inner Sense.
If one loss a close relatives or friend, one would feel a loss. There are 5 stages of loss (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance). The stages of loss experienced by most fans were denial, anger, and depression. Leslie’s death was swift and volcanic. His Hong Kong fans, many were in tears, clogged the radio shows with their grief and love. Others felt shocked and pissed. They said that he had no right to do this, to deprive us of his brilliance and presence of earth.
Leslie Cheung’s suicide note was released to the public and it gave hints why Cheung killed himself. The note was found in his coat pocket by a policeman when his body was found. The note stated, “Depression! Thank you to the fans. Thank you to Prof. Mike (his psychiatrist). It has been a year of suffering. Thank you Mr. Tong (his companion), Thank you Fei Che. In my life I have done nothing wrong. Why it has to be like this?” The note sheds much light on Cheung’s death. What caused his depression? Some presumed that his last movie, Inner Sense, may have been a source of depression. After the filming, Cheung sank into a depression and sought psychiatric treatment. His co-star in the movie, Waise Lee, stated that Cheung became a change man after the project.
Grady Hendrix, the Shakespeare of the Subway Cinema movie collective stated, “Leslie was supposed to be bright, and beautiful, and brittle, and *****y forever. ... [But] when Leslie Cheung killed himself he was just a guy... a guy who was looking in the mirror and seeing a receding hairline, an expanding waistline, a lack of options. He didn't see the hopes and dreams we had all projected onto him, he was seeing lines around his eyes that he had never seen before. ... And he was lonely, so lonely that he couldn't bear the thought of being alive for even one more minute. ... I look at Leslie Cheung in The Chinese Feast and I can't make the guy on-screen the guy in the hotel room who killed himself. ... Trying to reconcile these two men makes my heart ache and my eyes water." Inner Sense is about a psychiatrist who tried to cure a suicidal woman who has visions of the netherworld. Shortly after the film finished, Cheung started to lose weight and he pulled out of Hsu Feng’s movie, Beautiful Shanghai. Perhaps after doing Inner Sense, he decided to reflect on his personal life. Obviously, he was not too fond of his personal life and probably personal self.
Cheung’s death was almost an identical copy of the final scene in Inner Sense. One theory is that his successful suicide attempt was a cry for help. Here is a description of the final scene in Inner Sense. Cheung’s Character is standing at the edge of the roof of a high-rise tower, talking to the ghost of his ex-girlfriend. He said to her, “I have never been happy all these years. Because of you. You’ve never been happy, since you died. Why do I have the right to be happy? If my death can satisfy you and make u happy, I’ll do it. You think if we’re reunited by death we can forget the past. Some things that are broken cannot be mended. It’s irrevocable. We shall never forget. Never, never forget.” Cheung looked sadly at the ghost and contemplates stepping off the roof. The scene that followed was filled with a sense of closure and forgiveness. Cheung’s performance and atmosphere in the scene was too realistic. Perhaps, Cheung really was followed by a ghost in real life. Therefore, his depression and tragic end is associated with schizophrenia, a brain disease. Perhaps his successful attempted suicide was a cry for help. He was looking for a sense of closure and comfort after breaking up with his partner. Unfortunately, help or closure never came.
Chances that Cheung has schizophrenia were quite slim. His illness strived more towards major depression. However, he does show symptoms of schizophrenia. Anyway, schizophrenia is a major illness that affects 1 in 100 people. The symptoms include: disturbances in thinking, delusions, and hallucinations. Furthermore, problems with feelings, behaviors, motivation, and speech seem most common. The exact cause is not known but appears to have something to do with the balance of chemicals in the brain. Stresses make the symptoms worse and trigger the illness. Chances of developing schizophrenia are greater if you have close relatives who have schizophrenia. People may recover completely from schizophrenia while others will have symptoms occurring from time to time or which are present all the time. Relapses can definitely be prevented and life difficulties can be overcome. Unfortunately, Leslie Cheung never overcame his life difficulties. We may never know if he had schizophrenia or not.
Another theory is that Cheung was broken hearted from a break-up with his long-time partner, known only as Mr. Tong. Leslie Cheung referred to himself was bisexual. You see, many of these signs are warning signs of suicide. Many suicide and depression symptoms were present. Some suicide warning signs were depression, eating disorder (started to lose weight), withdrawal, change of routine, seeking psychiatric help, and wrapping up unfinished businesses.
Leslie Cheung suffered from dysthymia or chronic depression. During the last year or so, he developed melancholia or major depression. Depression is not something one can wish away with will power. It is a neurological disorder that often can be treated successfully with therapy and drugs. The treatments don’t work in about 10% of cases, especially if they are suffering from chronic and major depression simultaneously. It is also the leading cause of suicide. There are also stigmas to getting treated. Furthermore, there is a belief that depression is “in your head” and not real. Most cases of depression go untreated and undiagnosed. It seems that Leslie was one of the unfortunate 10% that treatment failed.
Many other factors also contributed to his depression. Perhaps one of the major factors was that his career was fading, despite the fact that he was famous in Asia. When John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat made the leap to Hollywood, Leslie Cheung also tried to attain a few roles. The only role he was offered was The Master in Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. Fortunately, he turned it down. Hollywood insiders often describe Leslie Cheung as “too effeminate” for action roles. Over the years he tried getting a few other parts, but he was rejected. By now, he was working steady in Hong Kong.
However, in the last couple of years, even landing a respectful film role was difficult for him. Cheung used to be director Wong Kar Wai’s favorite actor and cast him in everything. Now, Tony Leung Chiu-wai is Wong Kar Wais’ favorite actor. Leslie Cheung also lost out roles in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero, and several high profile projects. His last film, Inner Sense, also received worldwide trouncing by The Eye. Furthermore, film awards haven’t been very kind to Leslie Cheung. He hasn’t been awarded as often as other famous Hong Kong actors. However, he gets regularly nominated.
Perhaps, all of these factors add up to worsen his depression and led to his tragic end. Perhaps his lover really dumped him or evil spirits haunted him. Nobody can know for sure, except Mr. Tong and his psychiatrist. It doesn’t matter what caused him to leap off the Mandarin Hotel. He will be remembered as a versatile actor and a tragic romantic figure that died of a broken heart.


This is what I found after researching

[Lady Zhuge]

Originally posted by Dirt
I can understand if it was a Christopher Reeves situation. In fact, for the kind of injury that he has, hospitals actually give the patients a choice as to whether they wish to continue to live. Reeves wanted to live.

Actually, I saw an interview once where Reeves admitted that there were times when he begged his wife to pull the plug and just end it all.

Originally posted by Dirt
Magic Johnson has had HIV/AIDS for 15 years now and he's probably healthier than me.

Being HIV-positive is not the same as having AIDS. It's like an everticking time bomb; if you have the virus, you don't know when or if you might develop AIDS. It might be tomorrow; it might be next week, or it might be 20 years from now.

[mich]

Just let the dead rest in peace...

[cherrie]

this is what i know about schizophrenia. learned this in my abnormal psych and clinical psychology subjs:
schizophrenia has many causes. it does not purely because of heredity or chemical imbalances in the brain. social factors may also play a very impt role in the development of schizophrenia. also, there's no absolute cure in schizophrenia. it's controlled. the patient will be trained in the mental institute to stand on his own by teaching him not only skills but also constant counselling. of course several medications would also be given to him. i don't think leslie has schizophrenia. he does not have a psychiatric illness; rather he has a psychological problem. one way to detect if a person is normal or not is: if the person seeks professional help, then he only has a psychological problem. but if he denies he has a problem and therefore refuses to seek for help, then he's got a psychiatric problem. leslie has been seeing a doctor. that only shows that he knows there's something wrong going on within him. so i think his illness leans more towards depression. often depression is hard to detect coz the person may be successful in hiding it. just like in the case of bipolar disorder. they may appear very manic, very happy and energetic, but if you won't explore his feelings and thoughts carefully, you'd never know that there's an underlying depression on it.