Romance of the Western Chamber
Director: Hou Yao
Year: 1927
Rating: 6.0
Apparently, only half of this film exists (about 45 minutes) but how often
do you get to watch a Chinese film from 1927? The vast majority of the silent
Chinese films are lost so this felt like a treat. It feels like a whole story
so am not sure what is missing and it is actually pretty good considering.
It is based on a book written in the 13th century by Wang Shifu. Over the
centuries it has become acknowledged as one of China's great literary achievements.
It tells of the love story between a daughter of a high family and a 23 year
old student. It became a popular staple of Chinese opera theatrical shows.
It was also banned for many years because the couple engage in a love affair
without parental approval and also likely have pre-marital sex. Not in this
film mind you. The film has none of that. Just good clean fun. Eventually,
the ban was lifted. As one critic at the time wrote 'What's the big deal.
We all have sex every day. The birds do it, the bees do it. Everybody is
doing it" or words to that effect.
Madame Cui is taking her dead husband who had been the Prime Minister to
his ancestral home for burial. Accompanying her is the filial daughter Ying
Ying, the young son and the maid, Hongniang. In the book Hongniang plays
a much larger role than she does here in getting the couple together and
keeping their secret. She is as famous as the lovers and in some versions
it is her and the man who end up being married. The family has stopped off
at a temple to rest for a few days before proceeding. At the temple also
is a young student Zhang who wants a quiet place to study. But once he sees
Ying Ying his heart goes Zing Zing and he throws studying out the window
and can only think about her. And do a little peeping. He has nerd written
all over him as do so many scholars in period Hong Kong films. Not so the
bandit leader Tiger Sun who hears about the beauty of Ying Ying and wants
some of it. He leads his men to the temple and demands that she comes out.
Mom tells the head monk that if any man can stop this, he will have the hand
of my daughter.
Zhang sees his chance and rushes out to fight the Bandit King. No, not really.
He sends a letter with a monk to his General friend to save them. The monk
fends off the robbers and brings the general back who defeats the bandits.
Zhang feels he is entitled to the daughter now but I think a good lawyer
could get the mother out of this as she wants her daughter to marry a man
high in the government. He sent a letter. The monk had to fight his way through
the bad guys and the General killed the bandit king in a battle with tons
of extras. Should not they be more entitled? Well, the mother tells Zhang
if he passes the Imperial Exams he can marry her daughter. I won't spoil
the ending by telling you if he did.
Some fascinating stories about the people involved. The director Hou Yao
was considered one of the pioneering filmmakers in Shanghai. His wife was
Pu Shunqing was the first female scriptwriter in China. He wrote books on
film theory and directed some of the silent's most famous films. This one
was the first Mainland Chinese film to be shown in the West. When the Japanese
invaded he moved to Hong Kong and wrote and directed many patriotic films
till they finally caught him in 1942 and killed him.
Ying Ying is played by Lim Cho Cho who was born in Canada and became the
second wife of Lai Man-Wai. He has his story as well. He is called "The Father
of Hong Kong film" and produced the very first film made there, Zhuangzi
Tests His Wife, that became the first Hong Kong film to play abroad. Lim
became an actress and her first role in Hong Kong was in Rouge which is lost
but has no relation to the later film of the same title. The company was
moved to Shanghai and she made a number of other films - nearly all her early
films have been lost but she acted till 1954. In the film Centre Stage she
is portrayed by Cecilia Yip. And my favorite bit of her life - she is the
grandmother of Gigi Lai! She passed away in 1979 leaving nine children behind.
What a life.
And finally the maid played by Li Dandan. Besides her acting career she was
the first Chinese female aviator. She starred in Mulan Joins the Army directed
by Hou Yao. She lived till 1998!
So much history there and so much lost.
