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Review
by Kozo: |
This fascinating, entertaining comedy-drama from Clifton
Ko and Raymond To is one of 1997’s best films. The
story concerns Kiang Yu-Kou (Cantonese Opera star Tse Kwan-Ho),
a famous screenwriter whose obvious genius is also his curse.
Right from the start, his intellectual superiority gives
way to eccentric behavior as he pursues his first love,
a journey which takes two years and leaves him nearly destitute.
Returning to his hometown, he revisits
his love of Cantonese Opera. Not content to merely watch,
he begins to compose as well, even impressing an important
actor. Despite his indomitable pride and a stubborn refusal
to compromise, he rises to fame in pre-war China as the
foremost playwright of Cantonese Opera. He gives himself
a pen name: Mr. Thirteen, so named because he was the thirteenth
son of his father.
His
pride and hubris are his downfall though. His inability
to change contrasts directly with the rapidly changing Chinese
society, and soon he finds himself adrift as China changes
hands from Japanese to Chinese to British, all within his
lifetime. Allegory plays a large part here, as we’re meant
to see Mr. Thirteen as a symbol of Hong Kong itself, lost
among history’s machinations. Clifton Ko does a good job
with the material, keeping things focused on the story and
not letting the subtext get too overbearing. An entertaining
and somewhat rare Hong Kong film. (Kozo 1997)
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