More from the movie corner of Graziella: The King of Masks
This week’s film is Wu Tianming’s The King of Masks, a sure crowd pleaser. No, don’t worry, it’s not about the biggest manufacturer of Covid masks in China. Shot in 1996 and taking place sometime in the 1930s, The King of Masks plays like an enchanted fairy tale with a subtext and a moral that perfectly fit our times’ feminist ethos. Among other things, Wu’s film rhapsodizes about the survival of ancient ways into modern times. Indeed, whereas a street performer might be scorned these days, he was seen as a member of an elite fraternity in the 1930s. This wondrous fable with its focus on an 8-year-old, the presence of a marvelous pet monkey, and its fairy tale allure, The King of Masks is a magical film that could also be enjoyed by bright fourth-graders and up. If you know the right child, watch it with them.
Watch The King of Masks on Kanopy here.
