GOD OF GAMBLERS, DIR. WONG JING (1989)
Lucky Plaza, Sha Tin, Hong Kong
God of Gamblers, directed by Mr. Wong, is a famous gambling film in Hong Kong film history. It tells the story of a famous worldwide gambler called Ko Chun who accidentally lost his memory by little knife’s mischief coincidently. During the period of losing memory, he got the nickname chocolate and earn money by his brilliant gambling skill. At the movie’s end, He eventually recovered his memory and won the five-cards game with Chan Kam-sing, the “Demon of Gamblers.” The total box revenue of this classical movie was 37,060,000 HK dollars which successfully got to the top box revenue in 1989. In this artwork, there is an exciting shooting clip that happened in Lucky Plaza(好運中心) when his ally and enemies found the leading actor Ko Chun at the same time.
In this clip, the gunbattle happened in the third-floor shopping mall, outdoor entrance, and second-floor parking lot. When I recall this episode, the first impression that comes to my mind is the pale white and vivid red which gives audiences intense visual impact. The director mainly depicts the white wall, white pillars, and red waterpipe. These three elements are involved in most of the clip’s scenes, which creates a monotonous set. A complicated environment is required to reveal the fierce gunfight as a gun battle episode. In this case, the pillars and cars become the optimal shelter for actors. Before I started to search the place, I initially imagined that this place was a discard factory. However, things are different in real life.
I captured the picture from the video, which records the Lucky Plaza surroundings. It is a bustling shopping center where numerous citizens cross through even under pandemic situations.Despite the two pictures being taken from a numerous time scope from 1989 to 2021, The Lucky Plaza experienced massive changes, such as decorations and reforms. However, we can still clearly feel the apparent difference between reality and film. In this film, the director strengthens the sense of the existence of the pillars and entrance by Mise en Scène. The Lucky Plaza, a shopping mall, is divided into smaller spaces by posts or cars, which helps to improve the intensity of the chasing episode. In addition, the change of scenes helps audiences remember the promotion of the plot sequences from the stairs walkway to the parking lot. From the pictures, we can also see that the director used some techniques to dramatize and intensify the atmosphere of intention. It is just a typical staircase in daily life, but in the film episode, the enemy with a gun appears gradually from the blind view areas of the main actors hiding in the corner. In the audience’s view, this place is full of uncertainty and it is unpredictable because the stairs are connecting with other floors which may be full of enemies.
In conclusion, Director Wong shows the distinct aspects of The Lucky Plaza other than its original appearance through the lens.
Xia Kehang
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The crowds cross Lucky Plaza. Scenes from the Sha Tin – Lucky Plaza Surroundings
Left: The picture was taken in the same place as the right. Right: The gunfight episode. Scenes from the God of Gamblers, 1989, directed by Wong Jing
Appreciate how you have compared the setting in the film vs. the mall in reality. This is a great way to start an analysis. I would encourage you to place your images in a more careful way (e.g. in between texts) so that they could assist the content delivery. Moreover, I would encourage you to pick up some concepts we have gone through in class to anchor your piece. You may also delve deeper into analyzing the film techniques in a few scenes to provide a more complete picture of understanding the film and the space.