Violet Koo Lan-Chun

Historical film based on the life of Wu Zetian, the only female emperor in Chinese history

Diaochan (aka Diau Charn and Sable Cicada), one of the Four Beauties of China, is supposed to be so stunningly lovely that the moon was shamed to hide behind clouds. Despite being the only Beauty among the four who is not a real historical figure but one conjured by storytelling imagination and embellished by public fascination, her story was nonetheless incorporated by author Luo Guangzhong into his popular and influential novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Her tale is one of Machiavellian intrigue, in which she schemes with her godfather Wang Yun to restore moral order to the land, sowing discord between the corrupt Minister Dong Zhuo and his adopted son Lu Bu, a man of martial and military prowess.

Wu Song and Pan Jinlian (1938) is a feminist masterpiece. This insular-era production was produced by Zhang Shankun, directed by Wu Cun, photographed by Huang Shaofen, and starring Gu Lanjun, Jin Yan, and Liu Qiong in a gloriously hefty cast. It tells the story of Wu Song who kills his cheating sister-in-law for his brother and avenges his brother's death.