The most impressive prospective for me about this article was the discussion of distinctive style of female characters in films set in the social context of Hong Kong during the 1960s. One shocking fact mentioned is that as early as 1962, influenced by James Bond, the Hong Kong noir thriller was already dominated by female protagonists, far before the emergence of similar films in Hollywood, USA. It has been my belief that such topics as female character dominance related to gender equality or affirmative action in films first appeared in the western film world led by Europe and the United States. The author then explained my confusion that this situation arose to some extent due to the avoidance and concealment of contradictions in the political and social context of the time. At the same time, as the proportion of female workers in Hong Kong has gradually been raised with more and more women joining the working places, by showing the lives of those paper-drenched women in the upper class, it can provide amusement and at the same time motivate female producers. The rise of independent female characters was then synonymous with the experience of modernity, and demonstrated a rebellion against the male perspective. The resistance and acquiescence of the female characters became the spirit of Hong Kong in the face of social conflicts at that time.
Female-dominated roles are born in a complex social context, and their role does not only stop at demonstrating gender equality, but their unique spirit has become a kind of Hong Kong’s calling card.
Hu Dayu (3036100064)
Appreciate the spirited take on women’s agency and how it entangles with the themes of movies produced in the 60s era. I think it would be a good idea to dedicate some space to explaining the purpose of the article before going into detail.
There was a shift from this focus after the end of this era away from this type of portrayal. How do you think that change would impact gender equality?
Appreciate your comments, I omitted the summary section because I was afraid I would spend too much time repeating the author’s content given the very tight word limit. I would like to conclude that this article discusses the importance of female characters in Hong Kong cinema since the 1960s and the different roles they have played in the context of different social eras.
At the same time, I would say that it is exactly because the topic of equality between men and women has gradually gained popularity that film makers have stopped cavorting about it. Also, as time keeps progressing, even though female protagonists no longer play a dominant role in Hong Kong films, people still value the contribution made by women in the development of society.