Starring two legends that captured the hearts of many Hong Kong cinephiles, Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, comes a bittersweet love story between classes, while delving into the history of Hong Kong. Rouge encapsulates the change in time and the change in women’s agencies, echoing a main theme in the film, transcendence. Director Stanley Kwan carefully crafted a story that starts from a generic love story with objectified female protagonist, to then subvert audiences’ expectations by creating a strong female lead. The film not only questions our rosy introspection of the past but illustrates the ever changing nature of women in history.<br>