Hong Kong’s historical and political background could explain the vast amount of ghost films in Hong Kong. British colonized Hong Kong for more than 140 years. When Hong Kong was about to return to China in 1997, many Hong Kong people were filled with anxiety and distrust of China and the future. They are uncertain about Hong Kong’s identity, system, order and borders. This fear was expressed in the movie as the fear of ghosts.
An example is A CHINESE GHOST STORY. The director used four characters as a metaphor for the complex relationship between Hong Kong, China and the United Kingdom, and used the ghost of the heroine to imply Hong Kong’s uncertain identity. The scene at the end, where the night passes and the dawn approaches, is like the final countdown to the “return of Hong Kong”. The anxiety and fear in Hong Kong people’s hearts have peaked; however, at the same time, the reincarnation and rebirth of the heroine are used to suggest hope and expectation for the future. Hope coexists ironically with the death of herein, which brings the audience to think.
Minrui Zhao : 3036101020
Good summary on how the political and cultural context have fostered the production of ghost films in HK. I also appreciate how you used an actual film to support your argument and author’s point of view. Good work!