Hong Kong Cinema Essays Examples

We would like to analyze 4 films of the Hong Kong production and write about each of them a little bit. We have highlighted such movies as “Her fatal ways”, filmed in 1990, “Almost a love story” (1997), “Chungking express” (1994) and “Internal affairs” (2002).
We will start with the film “Chungking express”, directed by Wong Kar-Wai in 1994. There are a lot of inhabitants in Hong Kong, but no place to turn around. High population density and narrow streets of the city – it is a good material, with which many would film an excellent dramatic movie about how good the life is for some people, and how bad it is for others. However, our director hardly appeals to social problems: it is the last thing, which he is worried about. There is much more important thing, the feelings of the characters, rather than how well their lives are arranged: unread messages, crying homes and towels, "overdue love", corked in pineapple cans. He did not conceal a smile, deliberately setting completely different people at loggerheads: a police officer with a broken heart and a female drug dealer, who got into big trouble; cop, who does not listen to music, and the cashier at the diner, who dreams to go to California. Frantic pace of modern life, according to Wong Kar-Wai, who brings the characters together and does not name them, is able to leave even a great love unnoticed. But when viewed from the standpoint of the director personally, I do not really like the film because of the extremely vague and rather sluggish ending story, so that this movie is not in my favorite list.
 The next film is “Almost a love story”, directed by Peter Ho-sun Chan in 1997. The film is shot beautifully and vitally. Before us, there is the life of the main characters and the relationships that have been featured in over 10 years. They met in Hong Kong. Both were from the province and dreamt of a better life. From morning to night, they worked all the time and spun as they could. In Hong Kong’s furious pace, they found each other and become each other's most intimate people, but their relationship was not simple, because the main character had a girl who was waiting for him patiently in his native village. The plot is quite simple and straightforward, but this film does not become interesting for me. However, this Hong Kong melodrama from the director Peter Ho-sun Chan is for me in the list of favorite ideal dramas and love stories. The theme of love and relationships in this film is a very gentle and sensual. When viewing you begin feeling the whole emotion of these wonderful and nice stories. “Almost a love story” is definitely one of my favorite movies.
 We would also like to say about the film “Internal Affairs” (2002), directed by Wai Keung Lau and Siu Fai Mak. The plot is interesting and exciting. There are not so many shootings and car chases, but a lot of analysis of the situation and actions. Under the action of the characters, there are usual feelings like debt, hatred, love, and even fatigue. Both are just tired of this over the ten years of their life. Lee did not live to see that his mission was over, when he would be able to quit the underworld and start his own life. He had lost himself and does not know who he really is. Forced to do evil, he wants to become an ordinary person once again. And Kin Ming, although is apparently well-being and satisfied with his life, he is too tired of work and under the fear of exposure. He wants a normal life, next to his girlfriend. But crime is not so easy to stop. The film is very good; the plot and acting amaze. Here there are drama, action, thriller, and romantic is also not forgotten. After becoming acquainted with the characters, the plot begins to develop more rapidly and dramatically, and keeps in suspense until the end – up to the tragic denouement of the film. Speaking about the denouement, we would like to say that it is, in fact, bad, because Tony Chiu Wai Leung, a positive character, dies at the end. That is why I cannot include this movie into my favorites list.
And the last film is “Her fatal ways”, filmed by director Alfred Cheung in 1990. This film is a crime comedy. The film tells the story of the police from the Hong Kong and mainland China. But the main story in this film fades into the background, as the main leitmotif of the film is a clear demonstration of the cultural differences between Hong Kong and China. I like the movie, which is one of my favorite ones.