Hong Kong Cinema Development - Case Study Example

Hong Kong Cinema Hong Kong, a part of the People's Republic of China, had existed as a colonial holdover up to the middle of the 1990s. A global state, a polis and a mini-cosmos - there are not enough metaphors to describe its national peculiarities in cultural, political and social senses. Hong Kong has made tremendous impact on the whole Chinese film industry, in particular, due to its prominent filming trends and distinguishable characteristics. Before the return into China, there was an euphoric discussion about Hong-Kong's astounding development to a world-class city. Many cinema critics attribute (Abbas, 1997; Li, 2001) this miracle to European influences and those of Hollywood, principally, comparing to China, which had been running the policy of mystification and cultural isolation between the 1950s and 1990s. Hong Kong is usually depicted as a capitalist city, which growth over Communist China and to great extent assimilates to Western postmodernism and realism. The theoretical framework for Hong Kong cinema analysis was provided by A.Abbas (1997), who draws and synthesizes the concept of dis-appearance. modern Hong Kong cinema is close-knit to the 1997 integration into China, as the Communist rule was always perceived as the power limiting cultural and contextual peculiarities and eliminating all national allegories and allusions. The sense of dis-appearance is very specific and refers to a purloined or secreted reality which is ignored because of the common tendency to standardization (Abbas, 1997). Furthermore the representation of dis-appearance employs dichotomies, especially one between dj vu (or a feeling of clich action or behavior) and deja disparu, or a feeling that points to the uniqueness of the situation, which has already happened and leads a viewer to hyperreality of interrelations between the facts and the events which have never happened. The concept of dis-apperance is particularly relevant to Diaspora members and those who observe Hong Kong with foreigner's eyes, so I would like to discuss the film 'City of Glass' (by M.Cheung) in terms of Hong Kong cinema trends. Deja disparu is masterly shown in the film, as the plot itself contains underlying redline of dis-appearance as the characters' state of mind. The movie narrates about the fates of two persons, whose parents die in car accident just before the integration of Hong Kong into China. The catastrophe unfolds a romantic story between Rafael and Vivian, "that was seeded in the flamboyant 1970s at the University of Hong Kong, yet disrupted by the fervent political movement and social unrest. Their participation in the movement resulted in their separation when Rafael was put in prison and expelled from the university, a separation that would be overcome only 20 years later when Hong Kong is on the verge of turning "Chinese" again" (Hao and Chen, 2000, p.37). In spite of the separation of their fates, Rafael's son, David, and Vivian's daughter, Suzie, meet and begin to discover their parents' past. The young people gradually realize that Hong Kong is not merely a city of glass, but a huge store of memories and anticipation as well as the time-space reverses (ibid), allowing everyone create a number of models and in conditional tense('if..then'). Psychological life of both Hong Kong residents and foreigners is described as deja disparu, or a re-consideration of past events, including the search for inimitable and unique aspects in fates and fortunes. The idea of dis-appearance runs freely through the movie and reaches its culmination at the very end, when the young couple decide to put their parents' bone ashes blasted up in Hong Kongas the event signifies the complete physical disappearance and the return to the country at the same time, or deja disparu, a renovation of the old story. The ending could be interpreted in other ways, but all of them to certain degree point to the concept of dis-appearance: for instance, Rafael and Vivian 'withdraw' just after Hong Kong's transition to China, or after Hong Kong ceases its colonial existence. On the other hand, the ending points to the disappearance of the old epoch, as the new developmental stage begins in the country's existence as well as in the lives of the two young persons. "Paradoxically, Hong Kong has to claim its local imaginary by referring to theories of "hybridity"-a culture of translation instead of tradition-while remaining to search for an authentic and pure locality. The important consideration is that the "local" here has already been transformed into a more complex cultural space" (Chan, 2004, p.94). This hybridization could also be matched to dis-appearance, as the most outstanding cultural features of Hong Kong dissolve in huge Communist machine, producing cultural standards and patterns (Fu, 2001). The first apparent characteristic of Hong Kong cinema in terms of Abbas's theory is history and spatialization, and sometimes an attempt to highlight the positive aspects of past situations, comparing them to current settings. Historicism and related distortion of space sometimes takes forms of nostalgia. Fredric Jameson provides an in-depth reflection upon nostalgia-related self-indulgence and historicism: "it can first and foremost be defined as a perception of the present as history; that is as a relationship to the present which somehow defamiliarizes it and allows that distance from immediacy which is at length characterized as a historical perspective" (Jameson, 1991, p.284). The scholar holds that cinematographic time and space representation points not merely to escapism, but also to the lack of the past to lament on, whereas the present is extremely clear and well-articulated, so that Hong Kong cinema not always idealizes the history, but its white spots, or unanalyzed and unexplained moments (Hung, 2001) . In addition, historical perspective comprises the interference of the reified present, a breakdown of linear time, which seeks to present the current settings as provisional, whereas creative imagination should be demonstrated in relation to the past. The historicism and spatialization in the 'City of Glass' adjusts the national question, or Hong Kong transition to China, to a cross-generational romantic story. The romance alters both time and space, as it also includes re-mapping the distances between New York, Paris, London and Hong Kong and induces temporal disruption. The Second Chance for present-time romance is given to David and Suzie and they are likely to use it more reasonably than their parents, but Damocles' sword of the past seems to dominate over the young couple. For instance, the sentimental song 'Try to Remember' is actually a melody of lamentation on both historical and personal contexts. The tune enacts memory flow and creates ambiguous historical images about baodiao movement and Rafael and Vivian's participation. "This movement has a symbolic significance in the history of Hong Kong. It marks the height of political activism in Hong Kong that was initiated by the 1967 riot against British rule in the wake of China's Cultural Revolution. The 1967 riot inaugurated in Hong Kong an anti-imperialist consciousness and revolutionary rhetoric, which were continued in the petition campaign for instituting Chinese as an official language in 1970, and soon culminated in the baodiao movement in 1971" (Chan, 2004, p.98). The culmination of time and space distortion occurs when David and Suzie begin to imagine what would have happened to their parents if they had chosen another life, build extensive hypotheses and come to conclusion that under such condition the young people couldn't have become a couple, an entity. The spatial context of 'City of Glass' shows the whole scope of metaphors, including the sense of ephemerality, suggested by the pictures of the city. Glistening glass, glamorous building and sparkling luxury getting along with poverty is highlighted by the slow tempo and soft focus. Being a city of glass, Hong Kong is deprived of self-consciousness and self-realization, as it just moves into a direction suggested by camera. The absence of core under transparent glass indicates that the historical depth and the past military might have been ignored and forgotten by this generation, but awareness of the historical past is still able to survive within glass walls -primarily in the remembrances and in the city spirit itself. The city of glass, Hong Kong is impressive in terms of magnificence, and the first thought, emerging in both David and Suzie, point to postcolonial issues, and the ceremonies with numerous rites (during the festival) just confirm this belief. The use of genres is another characteristic of Hong Kong cinema, outlined in Abbas's writing. As I have already mentioned, Hong Kong films are Hollywood-oriented, so they should necessarily contains the features o typical European and American movies, such as thrillers or love stories. Furthermore, the deriving sub-characteristic of Hong Kong cinematography is the clear standardization of films: it is always easy to define the genre, and the hybridization or combination of styles is to great extent undesirable. As one might assume from the film 'City of Glass', it fits the whole set of criteria designed for a love story. Historical plots are masterly interwoven with romantic moments, such as the demonstration of emotional interrelation between two people. Rafael and Vivian, for instance, met each other in quite unstable political and economic conditions, but they fell in love with each other nevertheless. The narrative comprises diaries and remembrances, which also contribute to the development of traditional romantic line. Another visible feature, which can be attributed to this characteristic, is the gradual confirmation of both Suzie and David's belief in their inseparability as well in their lightest future. In fact, they feel obliged to complete the goals, set by their parents, to live together and share joy and adversity. The spirit of Hong Kong is the main factor of their rapid romantic progress - whereas at the beginning of the film, Suzie and David behave rather neutrally than romantically and prefer to hide their true feelings, their relationship turns into a separate character towards the end of the movie. This is probably a typical feature of Hollywood film designed for broad target audience - from businesspeople to housewives so that everyone can find something to re-realize and learn. Cantonese language, as Abbas (1997) writes, is the thid noticeable characteristic of Hong Kong cinema. In fact, under this superfluous assumption lies the bitter truth about Hong Kong residents - they are being forced to mimicry in order to have their products consumed. Cantonese language, however, serves as the background of the plot, or, more precisely, creates the impression of authenticity - and 'City of Glass' is not an exception. English language is used by the protagonists, but arriving at different settings, they begin to match English words with Cantonese ones in order to facilitate their connection to the place. The film also points to the trend of internationalization, as the majority of Hong Kong citizens freely speak English and even create peculiar jargon consisting of the mixture of English and Cantonese terms. For instance, such words as 'okay', 'in advance' , 'to book' , 'to order' (and so on) have become an important media of information metabolism in Hong Kong daily routines. Furthermore, Mandarin language is also presented in the movie, yet in very small amounts, as it is used mainly by seniors. Cantonese slightly points to localism, but the use of English worlds on daily basis shows that Hong Kong is ready to accept globalization and the establishment of 'lingua universa' as 'lingua franca'. In 'City of Glass', the viewer can enjoy Cantonese songs, and this language is also highlighted during the national festival, at the very end of the film. The lingluistic question is close-knit to the other characteristics, in particular, to Hong Kong subjectivism and historicism. Hong Kong subjectivity also belongs to the set of the features, attributed to Hong Kong cinema. Nationalism and national identity are painful questions for the citizens of such huge empire, as Chinese Republic, so each national minority and culture manifests and expresses itself (Berry, 1992). The issues of national identity and residence are decontextualized in 'City of Glass' , as the film points to transnationalism, or the meaning of diasporas in traditional Hong Kong mentality. Distorted national identity model allows much space for creative imagination in terms of foreign influences (Hung, 2000; Fu, 2001). "In the discursive transformation of this model, the nation-state becomes less threatening, since it no longer dominates the diasporic subjects, but is rather depoliticized and turned into "new forms of interaction, identification, and attachment [that] bind refugees and immigrants of Chinese and Hong Kong origin into a sense of community, albeit deterritorialized and supranational" (Fu, 2001, p.250). The aspects related to searching for freedom in the consumption culture and exchange system is a real dialogue between globalization that obtains control over postcolonial uncertainty and the local nativism, either the certain limitation of outlook or a focus on domestic issues. Diaspora successfully mediates this discourse and brings the component of 'humble internationalism'. Each nation in fact has a right to speak its language and reveal the messages of its hearts and minds - this is probably the main nationalism-related statement about 'City of Glass'. Diaspora, as the film depicts, is a source of homeostasis, or spiritual and political entropy, as it rejects to be involved (in any sense) into the integration into China. Diaspora seems to exist beyond the common time frames and regard the mentioned political changes with a large portion of indifference. The firework scene in the movie is symbolic and leads viewer to the realization of the true nature of diaspora - as a hope for historical awareness, or as a reflection of the firework. Diaspora constitutes strong, but ephemeral vestiges, which remind of the past to local population as well such foreigners, as the two young protagonists. In details, the present-day romance between David and Suzie develops at uneasy period of national activation and riot-rising, but the narrative implies that the young people belong to diaspora rather than to those concerned about the social change (Chan, 2004). Even though the couple do not show their indifference, they definitely address (in their minds and dialogues) the overall homeostasis instead of focusing on dynamically altering system. Nevertheless, the re-burial of their parents' remnants in Hong Kong symbolizes the hope for a successful beginning, even followed by the dis-appearance. "This argument leads to the conclusion that what is considered the local is already a constructed loss, and thus the critical position is not to affirm postcolonial identity, but to pluralize the always singularized identity, be it Chinese-ness, Hong Kong-ness, or Taiwan-ness. Hong Kong is emphatically a local identity with emphasis on the flexibility of identity in the age of global capitalism" (Hung, 2000, p.260) Affectivity is the fifth characteristic of Hong Kong cinema (Abbas, 1997), and probably the most universal in terms of cinematographic history. The perception of emotions in Asian world in general and in Hong Kong in particular is quite different from those in Weston world: in reality, emotions should be clear and lucid yet disguised, whereas in Hong Kong cinema, an individual's emotional world is a field of demonstration, which leads to low comprehensibility , however (Li, 2001; Hung, 2000; Fu, 2001). As a rule, there are several key feelings in the movie, but minor emotions are absolutely unpredictable and require prominent expression. Nevertheless, 'City of Glass', which was fitted into the Hollywood criteria, is more understandable in terms of sentiments, as the plot is based on strong attachment between Rafael and Vivian and moreover, this relationship is continued by their children, so the nature of the romance is fairly plain. On the other hand, the emotions, emerging during the visit to Hong Kong in the young persons, are quite contradictory: on the one hand, the camera movements highlight Suzan's surprise and David's psychological readiness, but the same movements also point to continuous inner search, a search for the remembrances in the lifeless glass city: "Movies redouble the effect of light's motion by actually moving. The picture never stands still, just as light never does-and just as the eye never does. The moving eye is the other half of moving light, the analogue of the individual desiring heart and searching mind" (Chan, 2004, p.100). The moir of mystery also subordinates the characters' emotions and from time to time brings the expressions of nostalgic onto their face and dialogues. The most remarkable aspect of emotional world representation is the episode, in which the two persons whisper to each other, so that they seem to be afraid of frightening off the approaching remembrance. To sum up, Hong Kong films are greatly influenced by the concept of dis-appearance, or deja disparu, which either hovers over the plot scenes or becomes reflected by characters, i.e. interacts with the characters' moods and thoughts. The most apparent characteristics are: Hong Kong subjectivity, historicism and spatialization, the use of the certain genre, the use of Cantonese language and overall affectivity. The film 'City of Glass' introduces all of them in quite a peculiar manner - for instance, it doesn't exactly outline national identity problems, but depicts them as a foreigner's reflection, and postcolonialism is showed merely as a cue at past technological and political advancement, but doesn't bring much sociopolitical matters into the film. In general, the structure of 'City of Glass' corresponds to Hong Kong scheme of cinema-production. Works cited 1. Abbas, Ackbar. 1997. Hong Kong: culture and the Politics of Disappearance. Minneapolis: (University of Minnesota Press). 2. Berry, Chris. 1992. 'Race' (minzu): Chinese Film and the Politics of Nationalism. Cinema Journal 3 (2): 45-58. 3. Chan, Evans.2004. "Chinese Cinema at the Millennium (Part One). Asian Cinema 15 (1): 90-115. 4. Fu, Po-shek. 2001. Between nationalism and colonialism: Mainland emigres, marginal culture, Hong Kong cinema, 1937-1941. In Constructing nationhood in modern East Asia edited by Kai-wing Chow, Kevin M. Doak, and Po-shek Fu, 247-277. (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press). 5. Hao, X. & Chen, Y. 2000. Film and Social Change: The Chinese cinema in the Reform Era. Journal of Popular Film and Television, 28: 36-45. 6. Hung, Natalia Chan Sui. 2000. Rewriting History: Hong Kong Nostalgia Cinema and Its Social Practice. Positions, 8.1: 252-272. 7. Jameson, Fredric. 1991. Postmodernism, Or the Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism. (Durham: Duke UP). 8. Li, Siu-leung. 2001. Kung fu: Negotiating nationalism and modernity. In Cultural Studies 15 (3/4): 515-542. Read More