Sorrows and Joys of a Middle-Aged Man is a film older than the People's Republic of China! (Film review)

  

I saw these ticketing machines at the HKIFF venues I went to

but I didn't actually see them being used that much (as my

sense is that most fest goers buy their tickets (way) in advance)! 

 

Sorrows and Joys of a Middle-Aged Man (China, 1949)

- Sang Hu, director 

- Starring: Shi Hui, Zhu Jiachen, Han Fei, Li Huanqing 

- Part of the HKIFF's Chinese-language Restored Classics program 

 

When I saw that the year that this film (whose 4K restoration was screened at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival) was made, I wondered if it was a pre- or post-Chinese Communist Revolution offering.  If it was the latter, I would not have elected to view it -- as I'm not a fan of Chinese propaganda movies.  However, it turned out to be the former -- and not only that but star a man who ended up being a victim of the Communists' Anti-Rightist Campaign that are officially stated to have involved the political persecution of more than 550,000 individuals (and unofficial estimates rise up to between 1 to 2 million).

 

One of the most highly regarded film folks of the "Second Golden Age" of Chinese Cinema, Shi Hui, plays Chen Shaochang, a middle-aged school principal who is seen visiting his beloved wife's grave on Ching Ming (Grave-Sweeping Day) with his three children.  Enough years have passed since their mother's death that the three children don't seem to take a visit to pay respects to their deceased mother all that seriously.  In contrast, Minhua, the daughter of a friend of his, caught his attention as a result of her loudly weeping at her mother's grave nearby.

 

To a large extent, Shaochang's sorrows can be traced less to his having prematurely lost his wife and more to the actions of his children, especially after they grow into adulthood.  In particular, the eldest of his children, Jianzhong (essayed as an adult by Han Fei), turns out to be quite the piece of work. An ambitious banker who marries his boss' elder daughter (played by Li Huanqing), he seeks to live in the luxurious style that he thinks is more befitting of a wealthy individual than a humble school principal or his son -- and this includes not only doing such as moving into a mansion but also making his father retire from his respectable but low paying position at the elementary school he founded.

 

At this point, I was thinking that Sorrows and Joys of a Middle-Aged Man seemed to be a film the Communists would approve of; what with its taking the side of the humble, poorer man rather than that of the rich folks in the story.  At the same time, far from being an entirely serious work, the mildly satirical movie also has some light-hearted moments and quirky takes that make it so that this (re)viewer didn't feel like it was trying to be over-ideological and -moralistic.  Also, when seeing Shaochan seeking to battle others to try to get onto over-crowded public transport, one may well see Jianzhong's point about how it's unbecoming for his father to regularly do this!

 

As a comedic montage showed though, Shaochang was not deriving much joy from taking up the hobbies (among them calligraphy, stamp-collecting and birdwatching!) that retired, older folks were supposed to enjoy.  So, clearly, that had to come from elsewhere; and included seeing how, despite her sad childhood made sadder by having a step-mother who bullied her, Minhua (portrayed as an adult by Zhu Jiachen -- and who, in reality, was only 9 years older than Shi Hui!) managed to grow into a lovely young woman who became a teacher at Shaochang's school and then his successor as principal.

 

There also are twists in the third act and coda of this move that give Shaochang great joy.  Although rather predictable, they also can shock one another level -- in that they are the sort of things that might not be approved of so much these days but make more sense back when the film was made!      

 

On a historical/cultural note: it's worth noting the choices of life partner that the Father of Modern China, Sun Yat-sen, made -- and also the love interests of this movie's (un-credited/supposed) scriptwriter, Eileen Chang.  On a related cultural note: it seems (then) that generation gaps between parents and their children may loom large but less so those between non-relatives, even a young person and someone of the same generation as their parents!

 

My rating for this film: 8.     

Just two days into 2024 and I already worry that it won't be a happy new year!

I like the color of these flowers I spotted on a hike

yesterday (New Year's Day, 2024)

 

It's just the second day of the new year and I don't want to be a kill joy but I worry that 2024 may be worse than 2023.  Some portends that are not good: the killing of Palestinian civilians continuing on New Year's Day; ditto the war in Ukraine caused by Russia's invasion in February 2022; ditto the civil war in Myanmar which massively escalated in May 2021; etc. And to add to it, there being a massive earthquake in the Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan yesterday -- though, thankfully, all tsunami warnings issued in association with it have now been lifted.

 

And then there's Hong Kong where, as per an RTHK report: "Safeguarding national security will continue to be Hong Kong's top priority, Chief Secretary Eric Chan said on Monday [i.e., New Year's Day], as he vowed to complete work for Basic Law Article 23 security legislation within this year."

 

A reminder: China imposed a national security law on Hong Kong on June 30th, 2020, which remains very much in effect and has sowed so much fear along with actual political persecution in the city. Basic Law Article 23 would effectively be Hong Kong's domestic version of a national security law -- one which has been opposed for decades by Hongkongers. Indeed, back on July 1st, 2003, over 500,000 people took part in a protest march against it -- and in the aftermath, the then Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Tung Chi-wah, felt obliged to resign, as did the then Security Chief, one Regina Ip.

 

Back to yesterday's RTHK piece: "On social media, Chan said the upcoming legislation, together with the existing national security law, will more effectively prevent, stop and punish acts endangering national security." So... Chan thinks Hong Kong is still not... secure?! (In other words: Hong Kong is still not back (to normal)? Re that last bit: if so, he and I are in agreement; albeit for different reasons!) 

 

Another bit from that piece: "Meanwhile, the number of visitors to Hong Kong topped 30 million in the first 11 months of last year, Chan said, adding that the government will continue to hold different international events and drive the local economy." 

 

While at first glance, that sounds impressive, do bear in mind though that that's still just around half of the number of visitors attracted to Hong Kong in 2018; and that the vast majority of Hong Kong's visitors, then but especially now, are from Mainland China rather than the rest of the world. So I really am not so sure how valid Hong Kong's description of itself as "Asia's World City" is anymore.

 

One more quote from the RTHK piece: "He also called on new district councillors to respond to people's urgent needs and concerns." Note: That would the new district councillors who gained seats in the District Council "election" last month which only 27.5% of registered voters decided to take part in -- as opposed to 71.2% for the 2019 District Council election -- for whatever reason (e.g., they couldn't be bothered to take part in something they considered a sham, couldn't find any candidate they actually believed would help them/Hong Kong, etc.)

 

So... happy new year? I would love for it to be so. But I already worry. And I think I have good reason to.  Still, if I were to look for a good portend: yesterday saw Hong Kong beat China 2-1 in a football match; the first time Hong Kong's footballers recorded a victory over China's in 29 years (or is it 38? -- in any case, it's a pretty historic victory!)  And granted that China had two players sent off (and an assistant coach) over the course of the game -- so were handicapped by having two players fewer than Hong Kong for part of the game.  But in some ways, that makes the whole thing even more hilarious (and yes, it's indeed good to have something to laugh about -- and so early into 2024 too)! :)

So many red flags in Hong Kong in the days leading up to China's National Day this year!

There can't be enough flags over at Lee Tung Avenue,

or elsewhere in Hong Kong, it seems

 

Hong Kong's opposition-free Legislative Council passed a bill yesterday that outlaws the desecration of the Chinese national flag and national emblem on the internet.  The Amendments to the National Flag and National Emblem Ordinance "aims to ensure the proper use of, and “preserve the dignity” of, the national flag and national emblem, as well as boosting a sense of national identity among Hongkongers and promoting patriotism".

 

Also, "Under the new law, a national flag or a national emblem must not be displayed upside down, or used in any way that the authorities deem as “undermining the dignity” of the flag and emblem."  But to judge from the incorporation of the Chinese national flag in many an ornamental display in various parts of Hong Kong in recent days, it seems okay for it to be displayed in a way that might be said to be aesthetically dubious or problematic -- just so long as it's bigger and flies higher than the Hong Kong flag that it sometimes (but not always) gets displayed along.    

You'd think that all that red that can be seen pretty much all around town in the days leading up to China's National Day would spark joy (since red is traditionally considered to be an auspicious color by the Chinese).  But the likelihood is that it will cause an angry red mist to descend over certain people; at least that seems to be the thinking behind the government's decision to deploy 8,000 police officers to keep the peace tomorrow.  

All jokes aside, there's of course plenty to make people angry and upset in Hong Kong (besides literally red flags).  Just look at Hong Kong Free Press chief editor's Tom Grundy's list of just some of the developments in Hong Kong in one recent 24 hour period -- which, by the way, doesn't include Hong Kong’s Lingnan University's announcement today that they fired two pro-democracy professors (and respected scholars), Hui Po-keung and Law Wing-sang, earlier this month and further film censorship details disclosed in a New York Times piece yesterday that saw such as short film director Mok Kwan-ling having been asked to make 14 cuts to her 25-minute-long Far From Home, a dramatic work about a family caught in the tumult of the 2019 antigovernment protests in Hong Kong that had originally been set to be screened at a local film festival in June (but ended up not being so).

Among the "developments" on Tom Grundy's list though was that which saw seven people -- including five teenagers, the youngest of whom is 15 years of age -- having been charged yesterday under the national security law with conspiring to incite subversion and denied bail.  Among the reaction to the news was this Tweet: "If a 15-year-old teenager can endanger national security, then the problem is not the teenager, but the country".  And for the record: yes, I see much truth in it.  Underlying their youth, "The [case's] first defendant... appeared in the defendants’ dock in a school uniform — clothes he was wearing when he was taken into custody — while two others wore t-shirts printed with cartoon characters." 

 

Also appearing in court in a t-shirt printed with a cartoon character was June 4th vigil leader Chow Hang-tung.  Up for bail for a fourth time (and denied it once more) today, she had been forbidden by prison staff from wearing her t-shirt of choice: that which bore the slogan ""Resist together" in Chinese.  So she ended up wearing a t-shirt with Mickey Mouse on it!    

 

In other June 4th related news: "Hong Kong’s national security police have frozen the bank accounts and assets belonging to the now-defunct group behind the city’s annual Tiananmen Massacre commemorative vigils."  This is further to the HK$2.2 million worth of its assets that the national security police already froze earlier this month.  

 

And in a further financial attack on its enemies, the authorities -- this time via financial secretary Paul Chan -- went about seeking to wind up of Next Digital (Apple Daily's parent company), saying the move was in the public interest yesterday.  Separately, six former executives and journalists of the now-shuttered Apple Daily appeared in court on Thursday on charges of collusion under Hong Kong’s national security law.  Almost needless to say, they have been denied bail and in custody for a number of months now, and will remain behind bars for at least a couple more weeks since their case is set to only continue to be heard on October 12th. 

If all this isn't already enough to make you dizzy, let's return to the topic ot t-shirts and slogans on them: More specifically, the trial of the second person to be tried under the national security law in Hong Kong began earlier this week; and five black t-shirts printed with the words “I’d rather die speaking than live in silence” in Chinese and “Give me liberty or give me death” in English owned by the defendant, Ma Chun-man, were submitted as evidence by the prosecution of his "inciting secession".  Other apparently incriminatory evidence against the pro-democracy protestor: a notebook with the words “Captain America’s diary of resistance” -- and no, I'm not making this up!

 

Once more, I can't help but conclude that things have become so farcical that one would want to laugh if not for the fact that the developments have such serious consequences for people (including at least one individual as young as 15) and Hong Kong in general.  Also, that if you live here and aren't feeling upset by what's happening in Hong Kong these days, you really don't care much for this city and its people.       

 

Amidst it all though, it's not like we've given up on Hong Kong, etc.  She may not be a Hong Konger but Megan Ranney MD MPH's outlook is one that many of us here can relate to:

Someone asked me today how I stay positive.

Answer: I don’t.

But: I refuse to give up.

And I refuse to let others give up.

Which means that, together, slowly, persistently, we can create hope

Over & over again.

#keepgoing

And ditto re what the woman who goes by Dr Stephanie on Twitter stated while referencing the above comments: i.e., "This is honestly my philosophy in a nutshell. Everything is often crap and we may not be able to make it not-crap, but dammit, we owe it to ourselves, to each other, and to the future to keep. trying."

Ruan Lingyu shines in The Goddess but, alas, it's not enough to make me love it (Film review)

 

A measure of film fanaticism can be seen by there being 

people willing to go queue for HKIFF tickets 

at the box office up to an hour before it opens! ;b

 

The Goddess (China, 1934)

- Part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival's Chinese-language Restored Classics program

- Wu Yonggang, director and scriptwriter

- Starring: Ruan Lingyu, Li Keng (AKA Lai Hang), Zhang Zhizhi

 

I'm going to state it from the onset: I wish I liked The Goddess more.  If nothing else, it'd give me greater credibility as a filmophile since this 1934 offering is considered to be a sterling representative of China's cinematic golden age and stars Ruan Lingyu, the tragic luminary whose story I learned about by way of viewing Centre-Stage (AKA Actress), Stanley Kwan's 1992 biopic of this Shanghainese actress who already was an established star of the silver screen when she committed suicide at the age of just 24 years.

This film was by no means the first in which I saw Ruan Lingyu in action.  Stanley Kwan included clips of her in action in Centre-Stage -- and watching The Goddess, I got to realizing/remembering that they include ones from this particular offering.  At a previous Hong Kong International Film Festival, I also viewed Little Toys (1933), in which she shone brightly indeed.       

And Ruan is luminous in The Goddess too -- giving a brave performance as a Shanghai-based single mother who makes her living by being a lady of the night.  (The film's title refers to Shanghai's euphemism for prostitutes, who at the time accounted for approximately 1/13th of the city’s female populace.  Hence its earning a reputation for being Whore of the Orient!)

 

The reason why I dub it a brave performance is because she (and the director) appeared to aim for realism and also a non-judgemental approach rather than for such as her bearing her breasts (which she doesn't, actually) or appearing in a sex scene (which, again, she doesn't do in this movie!).  And it's interesting that The Goddess focuses more on showing its titular character interacting with her young son (played by Li Keng) than any of her clients.

 

At the same time though, I can't help but think that this drama shows its age by way of an overly simple and predictable story arc that throws up obstacles in the way of her and her son's happiness in the form of a nasty, uneducated man who takes advantage of her (Zhang Zhichi's villainous character is such a stock part) and critical other mothers who openly disapprove of the way she makes her living who are way too one-dimensionally drawn.  Honestly, it's actually a shock to realize that this film and Fritz Lang's You Only Live Once (1937) were made only three years apart -- and not just because the former is a silent movie and the latter a talkie!  

 

Actually, when I come to think about it, there's a strain of Chinese cinema that is unduly fond of moralizing -- found less so in newer Hong Kong and Taiwanese movies but definitely still there in Mainland Chinese films.  And this kind of moralizing, together with a tendency to make characters overly good or bad, is something I don't particularly care for.  Which is why I couldn't and didn't take to The Goddess even while still being able to recognize why there are others who really hold it high esteem.

 

My rating for the film: 6.0

Two 1940s Chinese films at the 2019 Hong Kong International Film Festival (Film reviews)

The 2019 HKIFF features a four film 

Li Lihua retrospective showcase 

Barber Takes a Wife (China, 1947)

- Part of the Hong Kong International Film Festival's Li Lihua: Four Treasures Restored program

- Huang Zuolin, director

- Starring: Shi Hui, Li Lihua

Before what was touted as the Asian premiere of the restored version of this cinematic offering that was released in Chinese cinemas two years before the 1949 Communist Revolution, film critic/scholar Law Kar "treated" the audience to a 20 minute talk.  You'd think that since Barber Takes a Wife is part of the HKIFF's Li Lihua retrospective program, he'd say quite a bit about its lead actress.  Instead, he actually only mentioned her in one sentence; talking much more about the company behind the film (whose founder's descendants have had a hand in the movie's recent restoration) and other bits of trivia, such as the film's portrayal of barbers having caused a strike by barbers in Shanghai, where it's set!

Fortunately, this Wenhua Film Company production does actually feature Li Lihua quite a bit more -- even though its main character is indeed a barber who does the kinds of things that aren't exactly exemplary but do lead to funny developments that make this now 72-year-old comedy an entertaining watch still in 2019.  Handsome, charming and super popular, and known to many by his call number at the hairdressing salon where he works, "Number Seven" (Shi Hui) is asked to take part in what amounts a con job by a customer whose business could do with a large cash infusion.   

After the barber lets on in a conversation that he'd like to make more money than his barbering job can get him, the businessman tells him about a newspaper ad placed by a Chinese heiress, just returned from the US, for a husband.  With the help of the businessman, Number Seven fakes an identity as a wealthy company director, with an economics degree from Oxford University to boot, and goes off to court the lady in question (Li Lihua) -- little realizing that she, too, has faked her identity and, in fact, neither is an heiress nor has ever set foot outside of China.  Oh, and she is a widow with a young child too!

There's no two ways about it: many of the actions of Barber Takes a Wife's main characters are morally questionable.  Given the economically uncertain and troubled times though in which the people portrayed in the film lived though -- one which such high inflation that a meal for four people at a fancy restaurant could cost over 150,000 Yuan! -- their attempts to acquire wealth can be somewhat understandable, even if not laudable.  In addition, the characters played by the movie's charismatic leads are so charming that many of their actions actually end up making one smile, if not outright laugh -- and making it so that audience members can't begrudge them a happy ending against the odds!

My rating for this film: 7.5 

Bright Day (China, 1948)

- Part of the HKIFF's Li Lihua: Four Treasures Restored program

- Cao Yu, director and scriptwriter

- Starring: Shi Hui, Li Lihua

One year after playing the leads in Barber Takes a Wife, Shi Hui and Li Lihua appeared together in another Wenhua Film Company production.  Rather than play a pair of would-be lovers this time around though, they are cast as an uncle and his niece whom he and his wife have raised since she was five years old (presumably after the death of her biological parents, who are never mentioned in the movie)!  And at the helm of Bright Day is the legendary playwright, Cao Yu, whose sole foray into the world of cinema this was.

Considered a milestone of post-Second World War Chinese cinema, the film centers on a kind lawyer who can't help but interfere into the affairs of less fortunate folk, even if this involves pitting himself against powerful folks and outright thugs.  While this drama is pretty earnest, its hero is an easily likeable man with a frequent twinkle in his eye along with edible goodies to dispense to orphaned children and the like who helps to make sure that things aren't all dark and depressing -- even after his good friend, the director of an orphanage, is blackmailed into selling the orphanage and putting his charges along with himself in dire straits.

Set in China just one year before Chiang Kai Shek's Kuomintang regime were driven out by the Communists to Taiwan, Bright Day is another film where economic troubles looms large in people's lives.  Rather than accept that this means that the line between right and wrong inevitably gets blurred in such times, however, Cao Yu has made his stance clear: that is, that there recognizably is a difference between good and bad; and good can as well as should prevail and even triumph always, though it it's true enough that it can take quite a bit of an effort and long journey to accomplish it.    

Something else that is of little doubt is that Bright Day belongs to Shi Hui, an actor whose cinematic output I hope to be able to see much more now that I've been charmed by him on two consecutive evenings of HKIFF screenings.  And while Li Lihua is on screen for far less time than in most of the films I've seen her in (starting from The Fate of Lee Khan one evening in a New York City arthouse theater more than two decades ago), she does leave an impression playing a character is far more girly and conventional than the ones which made her a legend.

My rating for this film: 7.5