The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present the "Adaptations of Literature from Shanghai", a screening programme jointly curated by the Shanghai Film Museum and Shanghai Film Archive. From November 13 to 21, eight films adapted from literary classics and produced by the Shanghai Film Studio will be screened at the HKFA Cinema to let audiences appreciate the interpretation of classical literature by Shanghai movies from different perspectives.
 
     A great amount of literature portrays the warmth and ugliness of humanity, as well as the complexity of human nature in different ways. "Bangzi Melody" (2017) is adapted by merging three novellas from Jia Dashan's "The Best Collected Stories". Set in a remote village in Hebei in the early 1980s, where villagers plan to rerun a traditional piece onstage, the movie depicts a web of romantic entanglements and conflicts of interest triggered by the rerun. To enhance the realistic simplicity and minimalistic atmosphere, the movie is mainly black and white with the absence of a composed film score. Shot against the usual commercial practice, the movie uses extreme wide shots and a soft focus for close ups on symbolic details to enhance the pathetical situations of the protagonists and the artistic values of the film. "Hibiscus Town" (1986) is divided into four parts chronologically. In portraying the ups and downs of the female protagonist, the director stuck to the main plots and dialogues in the novel to maintain a similar experience between watching the film and reading the book. The cinematography deploys a lot of low key lighting, as well as cool and dim tones to portray the characters' years of struggles, showcasing the director's maturity and stark realism. The film's female protagonist, Liu Xiaoqing, earned Best Actress honours at the 7th Golden Rooster Awards for her sentimental performance.
 
     Various literary works perceive homes differently. Both Cao Yu's "Thunderstorm" and Ba Jin's "Family" expose the despotism of a feudal family by using strong dramatic paradoxes and complex character relationships. In the movie "The Family", screened in 1956, director Chen Xihe sticks closely to the novel's plot by using a realistic style to convey an aura of darkness in the story. The movie is also recognised by some critics, who have praised the adaptation's lifelike characters and beautiful framing which echoes with the plot. The film is considered faithful to the original and an excellent work of realism. Directed by Sun Daolin, "Thunderstorm" (1984) tells of the hypocrisy and cruelty of a family which looks decent on the surface. The movie preserves the dramatic tension of the play by strictly adhering to the playwright's preference for a centralised setting and actions, except with the first and the last scenes of the original play removed.
 
     Lu Xun's "The True story of Ah Q" and Mao Dun's "Midnight" are both masterpieces which reflect on the failings of human nature and the ills of society in the 1930s. Set in Shanghai, "Midnight" reflects the disparity of various social classes of the time. The movie adaptation screened in 1981 faithfully captures the most moving characters and details from the novel. It also showcases the typical style of 1980s Chinese movies by merging realism with melodrama. The use of a symphonic orchestra score, common in the 1930s and earlier, as the background music also gives colour to the realistic and melodramatic effects. Centred on common villagers, "The True story of Ah Q" exposes how the qualities of Chinese as a whole became an obstacle to social development. The voiceover of the movie screened in 1981 features the use of exact wordings from the original text in several scenes and incorporates elements from other novels by Lu Xun. The movie also concludes the story to a fuller extent by portraying the connection between the supporting characters in detail, and presenting a clearer picture of the death of Ah Q.
 
     Both the literary work "Sunrise" and "My Memories of Old Beijing" tell how traditional heroines are often limited and distorted by prevailing sensibilities of the zeitgeist. With the portrayal of the female protagonist Chen, who indulges in luxury and vanity, as well as Xiao Dong Xi, who chooses to die after being sold to a brothel, "Sunrise" further brings out the dismal facts of the underworld and reflects the humanity of grassroots people, which highly contrasts with the hypocrisy and viciousness of the upper class. The director of the movie adaptation "Sunrise" (1985) retains the words used in the original play script by Cao Yu. The director also furnishes the original play, which contains only two scenes with streetscapes, a bank office and the home of the bank manager, to project filmic realism. The original story of "My Memories of Old Beijing" describes the childhood innocence of a little girl, Yingzi, in 1920s old Beijing, and how she realises her need to become a grown-up at the end. The movie version screened in 1983 mainly follows the novel, but Yingzi remains as a child who retains her pure heart. With her unblemished eyes and curiosity about the adult world, Shen Jie, who plays the role of Yingzi, completely conveys the purity and optimism of the main character.
 
      Each pair of screenings will be accompanied by a seminar hosted by Professor Stephen Sze, Dr Lo Wai-luk, Dr Kenny Ng and Dr Timmy Chen. The seminars are conducted in Cantonese. Admission is free.
 
     "Bangzi Melody" and "Hibiscus Town" are in Hebei Jingxing dialect and Putonghua respectively, with Chinese and English subtitles. The others are in Putonghua without subtitles.
 
     Tickets priced at $55 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For credit card telephone bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme details, please call 2739 2139 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/HKFA/en_US/web/hkfa/pe-event-2021-sh.html.
 
     In view of the latest situation of COVID-19, the audience should take note of the latest service arrangements for the screening venue, admission and seating to be implemented. For details, please call 2739 2139 or visit www.filmarchive.gov.hk/en_US/web/hkfa/home.html.

Ends/Friday, October 15, 2021
Issued at HKT 16:00

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