In this book chapter, Esther M. K. Cheung explores how Fruit Chan illustrates the ghostly context in his movies. After reading this chapter, I have gained some interesting insights about the roles of ghosts and housing estates in Chan’s films.
Speaking of the roles of ghosts, they are allegorizations of recalcitrant elements of the past that resist erasure. In Chan’s movies, ghosts persist doggedly in the space that they do not belong to because they have some stories to tell. Also, ghosts act as a metaphor for the struggles faced by Hong Kong. From my point of view, Chan tries to discuss the theme of memory and forgetting as well as reflects social issues through portraying ghostly context as a complex concept.
As for the housing estates, they play crucial roles in exploring issues related to socio-economic marginalization. In Chan’s films, these low-cost public estates and old neighborhoods inhabited by the lowest stratum are portrayed as ghost towns. Zooming his lens in the lower class of the society, Chan reflects the difficulties faced by the underprivileged.
All in all, the ghostly context in Chan’s films represents history and offers a critique of social inequality.
Name: Xie Hanyu
UID: 3036067119
Your response has summarized Chan’s work in a precise manner and your personal reflection is well-structured. ‘Memory’ and ‘social classes’ are actively discussed in Chan’s films. To further improve your work, I recommend you include more concrete examples to support your points of view, for example, what kinds of difficulties do the underprivileged face and how are they being represented in the films?