Chinese
Title: Yin Ji Kau
Director: Stanley Kwan
Leslie
Cheung......... Chan Chen-Pang
Anita Mui................. Fleur
Emily Chu............... An Chor
Alex Man................. Yuen
Year of release: 1987
Hong Kong's
"flower houses" brothels and night clubs of the
1930's were the playground of the young, bored and wealthy.
Fleur (Anita Mui), an intelligent, beautiful, sophisticated
and talented singer is one of the most sought-after courtesans
in one of these bordellos (men literally pay hundreds just
for the privilege of touching the skin of her calf or hand).
She comes to the attention of a brash and dashing playboy,
known as Twelfth Master Chan Chen-Pang, an heir to a family
fortune. Because of the opposition from his family to their
relationship, they decide to swallow opium in a suicide pact
so that they could be together in the afterlife. In 1980's
Hong Kong, Fleur wanders into the newspaper office and requests
that Yuen, who works there, place a missing person's ad in
the paper. For fifty years she has wandered in the afterlife,
searching for Chan, but failed to locate him. Despite some
initial misgivings, Yuen and his girlfriend An Chor decides
to help her locate her missing lover.
Kwan treads
a fine line between period melodrama and situational comedy,
shown by the contrast between the stylised world of Fleur
and Chang, and the bickering modern Chinese relationship of
Yuen and Chor. Fleur's world, though it is one essentially
of prostitution, is presented here as one which is highly
sophisticated with its own codes and rituals of behaviour.
It seems to be a world where the courtesans in some sense
have more freedom and control than their "proper"
counterparts, able to set down the rules of engagement and
choosing their lovers while protected by their own bordellos.
There is a sense of loss and nostalgia for this vanished world
of manners when Fleur tours the places she used to frequent,
and discovers that her place of work has become a kindergarten.
Almost like an examination of human relationships, Kwan contrasts
the simple old-fashioned undying love of Fleur for Chang,
with the seemingly tulmultuous relationship of the human couple,
though under the influence of Fluer, it becomes stronger and
more honest. In the end, Fleur learns from Chor's independence
to make a final decision of her own.
Given
the right circumstances, I'm a sucker for melodrama, although
curiously, I never found this movie descending into sentimentality.
Kwan has always managed to bring to lush life a forgotten
world of past decades, with cinematography and colour. Despite
its risky balancing act between drama and comedy, I quite
enjoyed this film.
Review
by Eden.
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