funang

I'm a fan of Zhang Yimou and finally found this DVD title from the shelves of a Shenzhen bookstore after a long search at many places.

This is a huge departure from previous Zhang Yimou work, esp in terms of style and locale. The director himself has said that this is the first and only time he'll ever attempt to make a black comedy set in contemporary China. You may even say this work is experimental in nature, compared to his other well known big budget and formal pieces.

Filmed with a hand-held camera and wide angle lens throughout the duration of the whole film, the quick pace editing and high energy performance & naturalistic tone never let you go once it grips you from the start. It presents a very realistic account of modern Chinese urban sensibilities, which in this case is set in Beijing. If you appreciate and love this kind of black humor, you will love this film totally. Also look out for hilarious cameos by Zhao Benshan (Happy Times)and the director Zhang Yimou himself.

A last point of note: I find the characters in this film, as in all other Zhang Yimou films, exhibiting similar personality traits - stubbornness, always trying to beat the odds & up the ante. Do let me know your thoughts on this.

David Lee

I have the privilege to catch this classic film at a special screening with the film's director Lee Hsing.

From the opening voice-over, read in classical Chinese, the period setting and the meaning behind the title of the film "Execution in Autumn" are firmly established. Almost immediately, we're trust into the action of an escaping death row convict, who despite his relentless efforts, are overwhelmed and caught by his jailers. The head jailer is especially harsh as he meted out his punishment towards the condemned man. Pei Gang (played by Ou Wei) was earlier sentenced by the magistrate to death for committing 3 cruel murders,even though he claimed that the killings were acts of self defense. We learnt that Pei Gang was in fact a spoiled brat and a bully. He also had a doting grandmother who promised that she'll get him out of any trouble, including death row. Pei will not be executed until next Autumn, which gave him about one year's time. When all efforts to get him out seem to fail, what will his next course of action be? The central theme of the story is not so much about his escape, but rather the transformation of this man from evil to good, from running away and blaming others into accepting responsibility for his actions and eventually, accepting his fate...

Lee Hsing is known as one of the four best directors of Chinese cinema at that time, with the other three being Lee Han Hsiang, King Hu and Bai Jing Rui. The recognition and friendship of the four directors are forever sealed when they made the anthology film, "Joy Anger Sadness Happiness" in 1970, with each director helming a short film concerning one of the 4 universal human emotions. While Lee Han Hsiang is usually famous for his extravagant period pieces, Lee Hsing is more well known for his realistic social drama, such as "Oyster Girl", "Good Morning Taipei", "End of the Alley" and his contemporary literary adaptations. "Execution in Autumn" is one of his rare foray into period setting, yet it is also widely recognized as of his best film, if not his very best.

The technical aspects from the cinematography to the editing are top notch, even compared to this day. The authentic period set is also a remarkable feat in production design, especially the jail cell and its compound, which is built in CMCP largest studio, considered to be one of Asia's largest in its day.

The editing helps to pace the story and mood, and even the dialogue is kept to what's necessary for character development and story. According to Lee Hsing, this is an original screenplay, inspired by the old Chinese folklore about the condemned criminal who bit off his mother's nipple in spite, blaming her for not being strict with him, hence he grew up to be a condemned criminal. The essence of this folklore is the basis for "Execution in Autumn", as the mother's role is performed by the granny, although an extra dimension is added when the transformation and redemption of the condemned man is portrayed in the film.

The director Lee Hsing, now 82 years old, watched the whole film and even stayed behind for a post-screening Q&A session. It's remarkable that he still possess vivid memory on the making of this film, which dates back to more than 30 years ago. The anecdotes that he shared with the audience, from the selection of the male lead, to the efforts in building the realistic set and creating the four seasons that highlight the passing of time, is a Masterclass in film making.

Being a student and fan of Chinese cinema, one can't help but admired the efforts of the visionary artists behind the making of this classic. In 2005, "Execution in Autumn" was being selected into the 100 best Chinese films of the past century. With its timeless lessons about morals and life, the top-notch technical aspects and execution, I have no doubt that it will continue to stand the test of time and draw in new fans of Chinese cinema.

Happened to catch this almost forgotten gem on cable channel during one unsuspecting lazy afternoon. The forever beautiful Cherie Chung stars as an independent minded and sometimes hot-headed female news reporter who runs into the mild mannered and innocent young executive, played by the charming Kenny Bee. Their initial encounters, like many formulaic rom-com, were riddled with outrageous misunderstanding and disaster (Both drunk strangers unknowingly got into the bed together. Worse still, poloraids of them were taken by Kenny's office pals and turned into office pranks) Very soon however, the mutual hatred and politeness develop into romance, as Cherie moves into Kenny's apartment. Like many rom-com, no relationship will run smoothly without any conflict.

The script pays extra attention in setting up and exploring the issues that two very different people in love will have when they decide to share their lives together. A bigger social commentary is attempted in unethical corporate practices (which pre-dates Enron), but picture works better when it stays focus on the love-hate relationship of the cohabitants.

The main difference between this movie and other rom-com is the 3-dimensional characters, enhanced by the performance and chemistry of the leading stars Cherie and Kenny. Two other popular and very beautiful HK starlets of that era, Vivian Chow and Chingmy Yau, play supporting roles who despite having little screen time, add to the eye-candy. If you're a sucker for rom-com, there are the usual ingredients, and a little extra topping to satisfy. Even if you're not a rom-com fan, the gathering of the most beautiful Hong Kong female stars Cherie Chung, Vivian Chow & Chingmy Yau, will be a good reason to re-watch this sweet little picture...