politic1983

Fast, chaotic, full of political tension at foreign influence and creating a number of emotions all at once, "Hong Kong 1941" could perhaps represent Hong Kong in any number of years over the last century or so. Spanning a range of genres, British director Leong Po-chih's film entertains, with all the raw energy of Eighties Hong Kong cinema at its best.

As the War in Asia rolls on, the Japanese are soon to push the British out of Hong Kong, forcing a stricter regime on the lives of young Hong Kongers Fei (Chow Yun-fat), Nam (Cecilia Yip) and Keung (Alex Man). Fei is something of a wandering dreamer, roaming the streets, where he meets Keung. Keung wants to marry the troubled Nam, though her wealthy father (Shih Kien) already intends to arrange her marriage.

Getting by as best they can, they live a happy life together. But the regime change leads Fei to take up a role as a local enforcer for the Japanese, performing raids; while Keung tries to make money any way he can in a plan to flee the island. Fei's good work, Keung's scheming and Nam's looks all attract unwanted attention, and escape will involve betrayal and sacrifice along the way.

Leong keeps things varied, starting this off as a comedy-drama as Fei and Keung meet as lovable rogues, eschewing authority as they try to make their way through times of struggle and general poverty. Scripted by Sammo Hung, you can also see his influence in the fight and action sequences, combining ingenuity with Chow's handsome smile at all times.

As the Japanese arrive, however, things become both political and much more brutal. There are some strong images and moments making it very evident who the bad guy is. While before actions were to make money and get rice, now all decisions are laced with a political meaning, giving up one's beliefs to get by, more than likely having to show loyalty to the hand that feeds.

Throughout, there is also the love story between Nam and Keung and how Fei turns it into a happy triangle. On the end, however, this love is more than just romance and something worth dying for.

All this variety makes for a typically chaotic Eighties Hong Kong film, with fast action, humour and dialogue. The action sequences and tightly choreographed, though have some quite graphic and brutal violence at times. As ever, a young Chow Yun-fat and Alex Man fill the screen with charisma throughout, with Chow's trademark grin regularly on display, whether happy, laughing, angry or in agony. This film has every emotion going.

And an Eighties Hong Kong film can easily handle this chaotic fast-pacing, walking the line between action, comedy, political drama and romance well, giving a full entertainment package. Maybe not an all-time classic, but certainly a film that works at any time.

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Blue is very much the colour in Eiichi Kudo's "Yokohama BJ Blues", a laidback story of a private detective-cum-blues singer among the grottier parts of Yokohama. But the blue tint throughout and soundtrack don't portray a sadness, but a cool given off by its star Yusaku Matsuda.

BJ meets with his old friend, now a detective, when they are ambushed; the detective left dead. His young partner believes BJ is responsible, interrogating and trailing him around the city. Meanwhile, BJ delves into the underworld of the city, looking to clear his name, as well as performing at the blues club and meet with his various girlfriends.

All around him is anger and chaos, but BJ barely flinches at anything, letting everyone else take care of themselves, leaving him to walk away from it all to the next song.

For this to work, it requires several things. Alongside the blue tint throughout, Seizo Sengen's cinematography has a mix of distance shots and cropped close-ups, giving both a mix of Yokohama's urban, port city sprawl and the unmoved expressions of BJ, making this the portrait of a man in the city.

The Blue Note aesthetic needs a decent soundtrack to go with it, which this has, with Matsuda having the right look and delivery for the part. Indeed, this is very much a Matsuda piece, bouncing around the city with a nonchalant swagger, unphased by anything put in his way. Whether arriving at a girlfriend's apartment and finding her in bed with another man, but still needing his nap time; or being shot at.

This is, therefore, a little surface-level, all about the look and style, but makes for an entertaining and enjoyable watch. Indeed, you'd happily watch BJ in another scenario as a recurring character in a series of films, though maybe not quite to Tora-san levels.

For an aesthetically-driven film, there are a number of obvious downfalls. The plot isn't particularly groundbreaking, and BJ is somewhat bulletproof in the face of danger. Some scenes also feel a little throw-in for the sake of it; and there is a somewhat out-of-place playful scene that is obscure more than anything.

This is a lovely dollop of Seventies to Eighties cool coming out of the grot and the grime. It looks the part, sounds the part, with the right lighting to get you through an early hours viewing.

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