Tag: 2022 Spring

Cat Links 2022 Blog, Fieldwork

[FIELDWORK] THE EIGHT HUNDRED, SIHANG WAREHOUSE

Posted on wugc@hku.hk

THE EIGHT HUNDRED, DIR. GUAN HU (2020)            Sihang Warehouse (Joint Savings Bank Warehouse), Jin An, Shanghai The Eight Hundred is a film adapted from the famous “Sihang Warehouse Battle” in the history of the Chinese Anti-Japanese War. The film showcases one seemingly unwinnable war of around 420 Chinese soldiers against Japanese aggression 83 years ago. Those Chinese soldiers protected the dignity of our government by holding up well-equipped Japanese invaders from capturing Shanghai with their own flesh and blood. The 4-day tug-of-war battle took place at a dilapidated warehouse. Sihang Warehouse is a six-story building constructed

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Cat Links 2022 Blog, Fieldwork, Uncategorized

[FIELDWORK] B FOR BUSY, XUHUI

Posted on djr2002@connect.hku.hk

B FOR BUSY, DIR.Shao Yihui(2021) Xuhui, Shanghai B for Busy, also called Myth of Love is a romantic comedy-drama film, written and directed by Shao Yihui1. Set in the downtown of Shanghai, Lao Bai, a divorced art teacher met Miss Li, who was also divorced and had a child. He fell in love with Miss Li at first sight, but she seemed worried about this relationship and kept her distance. Gloria, one of Lao Bai’s students seems to have feelings for him beyond teachers and students though married. Beibei is Lao Bai’s ex-wife. Although they have been divorced for many

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[FIELD REPORT] POLICE STORY (1985), WING ON PLAZA

Posted on jtf16@connect.hku.hk

Word count: 500 Introduction The mall fight in Police Story is the scene people think of whenever this movie is brought up, and was arguably one of the most realistic and stunningly made action set-pieces ever. The featured location was Kowloon’s Wing On Plaza, a medium-sized shopping mall. I physically studied the mall just a few days ago. Though I took dozens of photos, due to the limit, only one of them is put within the essay (a selected few are put in the Appendix section). Our protagonists enter into this shot, establishing the arena for their final showdown with

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[FIELDWORK] LET THE BULLETS FLY, KAIPING DIAOLOU

Posted on u3589879@connect.hku.hk

LET THE BULLETS FLY,  DIR. WEN JIANG (2010) Kaiping Diaolou, Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province The Kaiping Diaolou is a building complex of watchtowers, renowned for its distinctive vernacular structure characterized by a multi-story tower design. It incorporates Western and Chinese art, as well as defense and habitation. A majority of watchtowers were built in the early twentieth century, about 100 years ago. The movie Let the Bullets Fly was exactly filmed in the village where the building complex located. It depicts a dramatizing conflict between a county magistrate, who is impersonated by a bandit, Zhang,  and the local wealthy gentry with

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[FIELDWORK] JOHNNY ENGLISH REBORN, CHUNGKING MANSION

Posted on Brian Mikael

The initial chase scene of the film Johnny English Reborn took place in a hostel of Chungking Mansion, which was renamed to ‘Kowloon Paradise Hotel’ in the film. The everyday hostel was used as a hiding spot for one of the Vortex members. The old, rundown style of the hostel gave the scene a mysterious atmosphere; it showed that the Vortex member was hiding from someone by blending in with the locals. This can further be seen by the interior of the room; the room is small and messy. You can tell that the man had stayed there for a

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Cat Links 2022 Blog, Fieldwork

[Field Report] Chungking Express, ChungKing Mansion

Posted on u3586421@connect.hku.hk

Chungking Express, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong Wong Kar Wai (1994） Chungking Express, one of the most astonishing movies produce by a world-renown director Wong Kar Wai. The movie has two storylines that bonded with the same place — Chung King mansion and ‘Chungking’ the former words of the movie’s name are extracted by this place. Chungking mansion is a huge cube shape building located at 36–44 Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. The endearing narrative of two forlorn and self-wallowing police on the bad side of a break-up is told in two sections in Chungking Express. These two consecutive

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[FIELDWORK] YOUNG AND DANGEROUS, WANCHAI

Posted on kyk1105@connect.hku.hk

[FIELDWORK] YOUNG AND DANGEROUS, WANCHAI, DIR. ANDREW LAU (1996)            Causeway Bay, Wan Chai District, Hong Kong Young and Dangerous directed by Andrew Lau was released in 1996, narrating young triad members’ adventures and fights in 90s Hong Kong. The popular crime film was mostly based in alleys and streets of Wan Chai and Causeway Bay in which entertainment industries like nightclubs, bars and mahjong centres flourished, hence triad societies dominating the place. The film captures the the nightlife of the district through the overwhelming use of neon signs and crowdedness. Hundreds and thousands of advertising

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[FIELDWORK] IN THE HEAT OF THE SUN, THE FORMER SITE OF DUAN QURUI’S GOVERNMENT

Posted on u3584598@connect.hku.hk

IN THE HEAT OF THE SUN, DIR. JIANG WEN (1995)            The Former Site of Duan Qirui’s Government, Dong Cheng District, Beijing The Former Site of Duan Qirui’s Government from outside. In the Heat of the Sun, made by Jiang Wen, was released in 1995. The movie retells a man’s (Ma Xiaojun) childhood memories during the Cultural Revolution. He falls in love with a girl (Mi Lan) but is not brave enough to tell her his feelings. The director combines actual memories with the boy’s fantasy to challenge the spectators which part is real. By constantly

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Cat Links 2022 Blog, Fieldwork, Uncategorized

[FIELDWORK] CHUNGKING EXPRESS, CENTRAL-MID-LEVELS ESCALATOR

Posted on chloehoo@connect.hku.hk

CHUNGKING EXPRESS, DIR. Wong Kar Wai (1994)          Central-Mid-Levels Escalator, Central and Western District, Hong Kong The ChungKing Express is the story of two policemen who were just jilted by their girlfriend bumped into two girls. In the first story, He Qiwu uses the expiration date of pineapples tin counting down his breakdown after one month. This heartbreaking situation marked an end when he bumped into a mysterious smuggler in the blonde wing. While in the second story, Cop 663 was dumped by a flight attendant and meets a waitress, named Faye in a restaurant. Falling in

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[FIELDWORK] THE WAY WE ARE, Tin Shui Wai

Posted on kuangy1@connect.hku.hk

The Way We Are, DIR. Ann Hui On-Wah (2008) Tin Shui Wai, Yuen Long District, Hong Kong The Way We Are, directed by Ann Hui in 2008, serenely portrays “normal” residents’ mundane but unique lives in Tin Shui Wai (TSW), a northwestern New Territories town in Hong Kong. It is known as the “City of Sadness,” described by the words: poverty and violence. However, the film presents another side of TSW—a friendly neighborhood. The main characters are residents: Guai, his son Ka-On, and new-comer Leung, an old woman without relatives. After daily interactions, their relationship becomes closer. TSW’s transportation and

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