Online Review: analyse of “六月飛霜”

六月飛霜 is a song of Eason Chan’s Extended Play (EP) called “Stranger Under My Skin”, which released in February of 2011. It is composed by Kool G and the lyrics is written by林夕(Albert Leung). The name of the song “六月飛霜”, (snow in June) is a traditional Chinese idiom which used to describe the abnormal phenomenon in the world. Some people argued the song criticizes the June Forth incident in China. However, I think it is more suitable to read it as a reflection of Hong Kong society which is full of unfair and irrational things.

當　未慣靜默靜得聽到心跳竟加倍緊張
未信自在在於天生天養　難以弱勝強　殺入戰場
最終　習慣為著獵取一身盔甲竟不怕損傷
為了夢幻日子得到保障　用惡夢結賬

At the beginning of the song, Lam states the situation in Hong Kong: we have to well-equipped ourselves such as getting certain educational certificates before getting a job or keep studying courses which related to career. These abilities are just like amours that allow us to get a better job and a better life. Living in the society is just like fighting in a battlefield. However, we would sacrifice a lot to achieve those “equipment”, such as time, health, or even our whole lives. Hence, Lam uses the word “nightmare” to contrast with the “dream lives”.

烏托邦　販賣血汗變棟樑　[誰被誰越抬越上]
烏托邦　那獵物也是獵人　踏破了樹林
浮在半空寄生貨櫃箱    誰明白這異象

Housing problem is another serious issue in Hong Kong. In order to buy an ideal flat, we have to work very hard to exchange for it; just like selling sweat and blood to exchange for a Utopia. Also, there is a myth that buying a flat at high floor is always better than those at low floor. We sacrifice a lot and the ultimate goal is to buy a flat which is as tiny as a container being hanged in the air. Lam criticizes this value as well as the unreasonable-high housing price that was being rise by property developer.

六月飛霜　個個笑得哀傷
誰又會鑑定誰正常　不知替哪個著想
欲求未滿　剩下砒霜　當菜汁分享
猶如吞仙丹上月亮　誰有膽設想這世間下場

In the first chorus, Lam states there is no such normal or abnormal as we have already lost our ability to judge and that is the reason why we “smile sadly”. We even lie ourselves and share wrong values with others.

當　習慣附和大家講的真理都得到獎賞
未慣十字路口挑選方向　離隊要膽量　拒絕跳牆

埋下理想栽種幻想

In the second verse, we get use to follow the majority in society with the same values and it is hard for us to get rid of the social norm and not dare to challenge it. We all resist changing just like we “resist jumping through the wall”. The last line says even if we have dreams, we need to abandon them eventually in order to fight for living as money always comes first in Hong Kong.

六月飛霜　世界怪得誇張
誰又去決定誰正常　不知哪個有異想
未曾盡興　剩下砒霜　當配方分享
誰來斗膽講仙丹會斷腸　誰有膽去相信過激立場
人人一把口一百種真相　誰說得漂亮

The last chorus states the society is extremely strange but it seems no one aware it. Besides, Lam keeps using the word: 砒霜 (arsenic) in all choruses to connote incorrect values, such as keep silence to injustice, focus on material life and follow the mass. Those wrong values are dominant and most people just follow them without any criticism, hence they become the panacea (仙丹) to public. If someone dares to break those values, that person would be seen as abnormal or radical.

最可笑的　喊亦正常
最悲壯的　笑亦正常
哪一個可　發育正常

The last three lines are the embellishments of the song and summarizes no one is normal in the abnormal society.

To summarize, I love this song not only because of the use of lyrics is so skillfully that audience need to read through those lines to get the meaning, but also it is truly reflecting the irrational situations in Hong Kong which can let us to rethink .

Reference: Cantonpop lyrics analyse group: decoding of “六月飛霜”
http://cantonpopblog.blogspot.hk/2012/04/blog-post_6695.html

Student Name: Tam Kin Shing
Student Number: 10321203

Online review: The good old days

The Good Old Days, a television drama produced by Hong Kong Broadcaster Asia Television (ATV) in 1996. Directed by Yeung Siu Hung and it have 105 episodes. It was one of the most famous TV Drama which produced by ATV in 1990s. This drama timeline took place around the days of the Republic of China, and also Warlord Era till World War II. Those eras itself was considered as the most turbulent and chaotic period in modern China’s history.

The story is about a poor woman, Tse Sau Hau, married with a landlord’s son Fong. Like most of the couple in traditional China, their marriage was decided by parents and the must accept it even though they did not love each other. After married, Fong joined the army for Anti-Warlord War and also the Sino-Japanese war. As the wife of Fong’s family, Tse was responsible for caring her parents-in-laws and the whole family, due to the sickness of Fong’s farther and Fong’s leaving, she even had to work outside and take care the business. As an observation, the traditional ideologies towards gender and family values, says, the Confucianism was blended into the Good Old Days, for example, collectivism and gender stereotyping.

First of all, collectivism is the core value of Confucianism. The Classic stated that all individuals are belonging to the group, and they should obey to group such as country and nation, and even family. In contrast with Western style Individualism, honor and disgrace of family is far more important than personal interest. Therefore freedom, equality, independence and individual characteristics were being avoided. For instance, in The Good Old Days, Tse took her family as the most important issue in her life, and she tried her best to maintain her family living quality, even worked in quarry.

Moreover, gender ideologies were another important element to construct this TV Drama. Since Confucianism is the fundamental of rural China, the guidance was being so important in society. All human being should act with appropriate way towards their gender. For example, men should be breadwinner and women should be responsible to care the family. In this drama, Tse act as a perfect wife who obey and be loyal to her family, and caring the family well. Yet, she sometime playing a man’s role in the family due to the absent of her husband. For instance, she works in the quarry since Fong’s family had not enough money to maintain their life quality. Quarry was being gendered since it is a work place which required physical power. And women were always described as weak due to the weakness on physical power. We therefore can see the changes towards gender in this drama; women status was changed from subordinate to comparatively independent.

To conclude, beside the character and story line, social changes and value could be shown in TV such as gender ideologies and family value. Those values might last for many years, yet, it is still changeable with the development of society. For example, the gender stereotyping towards female had changed in 1990s era, except caring family, working and earning money is necessary for female. Since TV is one of the most popular entertaining means, people may being affected by its programme unconsciously and definitely TV can spread ideologies to public. 

Li Wan Hang Maki 10455669

Avenue Q - Why So Serious? 

online review

      Although in the recent year Jackie Chan make many gaffes in public place repeatedly. I still cannot deny that Jackie is my hero in my childhood. As Judith Lung(龍懷騫) said, when the TV is screening Jackie Chan, this is night. The action films of Jackie Chan are very exciting that I had never felt weary although I had seen those films for many times. Among all the film of Jackie Chan, I like the ‘Who am I?’ most.

      Who am I? This is the main concept thorough this film. The story is about the Central Intelligence Agency get a news that South Africa have a magic stone with some unknown power. Then they send 9 agents to wrest the stone. However, the head of South Africa branch want to monopolize the stone, so he plans an accident of plane to kill all the agents. Fortunately, only one agent survive and he is the main character of this film code 523 agent Jackie. Because of the shock of accident, Jackie had lost all the memories. After that he arrive a tribe and start to find his life experience.

      As we know most of Jackie Chan’s films’ genre is action, especially those films which he is director. When I was child, my heart was just caught by the simple but sprightly rhythm. I even try to imitate the action by Jackie Chan in the film, of course then my mother discover that and very angry. Beside of this, when I reviewed this film, I found that I could get more message that the Child me may not notice. Firstly, this film is published in 1998, as we all know, Hong Kong returned to China in 1997. At that time, many people may feel confused because they have not a clearly mind that what people they are. So in ‘Who am I?’ they try to use a main character that lost his memories to represent Hong Kong people. Then with the proceeding of film, Jackie can meet many kind people and throw out the confused in his mind. They want to use the story to tell us although we may be feel lost now, we also can meet many people to guide us. It may be PRC or other people.

      To conclude, although Jackie Chan’s statement often being baffle, we should not forget his good result. In this film he success to encourage me and very interesting.

Lam Wai Lun 10420103

Movie Introduction

Unbeatable (激戰) is a Hong Kong film released in 2013, which is directed by Dante Lam and the main casts are Nick Cheung, Eddie Peng. Unbeatable is an unexpected inspirational and action movie that using Mixed Martial Arts be the theme of the movie. This movie is also a co-production between Hong Kong, Mainland China and Taiwan, this film also resulted the top box office of Chinese movie in 2013. (Apple Daily, 2014)

Not the traditional pattern

Unbeatable is not like a traditional genre for action movie, before you watch the movie or watched the trailer, you may expect that there is much coverage about the battle or competition for the Mixed Martial Arts, but the movie would like to cover more about the interpersonal relationship between the main characters, for example in the line of Lin Si-qi (performed by Eddie Peng) and his father (performed by Jack Kao). It is talking about Lin Si-qi would like to join the MMA competition to perk his father up, because of the failure of business.

Not the typical action film

And the another storyline, talking about Ching Fai (performed by Nick Cheung) how the interaction with Xiao Dan (Crystal Lee) and her mother (Mei Ting), these are some happiness and funny interactions, but also some sadness scene in the movie.

It is very special perspective that using the human relationship and emotion to talk about an action theme of movie rather than using a lot of the battle scenes to describe the movie, this is not a traditional narrative for action movie.

Co-production movies

Co-production is a good way that let the Hong Kong production movie can deliver to the mainland China, which is the big film market in the greater China. A coin has two sides, the advantages of co-production can reach bigger size of audiences, and attract the investment of mainland China, to have more production budget to produce the movies. (CAPITAL Entrepreneur, 2012)

Regulations and restriction of Co-production movies

But it is also have some regulations for co-production movie, one third of starring should come from mainland China and some of the scenes and storyline should be related to mainland China, it leads some of the movies lost the local Hong Kong style and the characteristic. (CAPITAL Entrepreneur, 2012)

Break the rules of Co-production movies

In contrast, Unbeatable is also a co-production film with the mainland China, not liking the traditional co-production film, like The Grandmaster(一代宗師), The Grandmaster(救火英雄), Bodyguards and Assassins(十月圍城). Unbeatable is quite special that you may feel the movie like a Hong Kong style, although it is invested by Bona Film Group Limited, a Beijing company. Except the beginning part of introducing Lin Si-q, other scenes are happened in Macau. The background of Macau is similar with Hong Kong, also using Cantonese be the first language.

Core value, Nostalgia and Collective memory in Hong Kong

The messages of the movie are quite old style of the city. For daily life, Ching Fai lived in an old house, the living condition is not too good, the street of Macau, training center are not the modernized style, and the audience may consonance of their collective memory of old Hong Kong.

Using the story of an only learnt few months of MMA player Lin Si-qi and the 48 years old former champion Ching Fai to bring out the key messages that if you work hard, and keeping on to fight, you may get the result, although you may not get the great success, anything is possible, it is quite match with the core value of old Hong Kong, or you may said nostalgia of Hong Kong.

Reference

Apple Daily, 2014. Focus: '【埋單計數】2013電影香港票房十大 有啲你點都估唔到！. Apple Daily, [online]2 January. Available at: < http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/enews/realtime/20140102/52052056> [Accessed 16 April 2014].

CAPITAL Entrepreneur, 2012. Focus: '【中港合拍 電影業唯一出路？. CAPITAL Entrepreneur, [online]. Available at: < http://www.capitalentrepreneur.com/common_emag/view_content.php?issue_no=100&pub_id=23&top_id=108&art_id=167723 > [Accessed 16 April 2014].

Unbeatable 2013, film, Dante Lam. Hong Kong.

Name: Law Yau Ki, Steve

Student ID: 21233925/10484135

Online Review: Hong Kongers’ memory and Identities in Eason Chan’s Song – “The Main Theme” (2013)

“The Main Theme”(主旋律) is one of the song in Eason Chan’s music album “The Key” released in July, 2013. Its lyric is written by Siu Hak. Superficially, it is a love song describing the change of relationship of a couple during their love journey and the difficulties they have to face when they are finding way to maintain a harmonious relationship.

I choose this song because it is not only a love song about two normal people, but it contains many symbols which mirrored the situation of Hong Kong. There are lots of interpretation saying that the song is in fact representing Hong Kongers’ accused of being repressed of expression  the Hong Kong and Central government.

There are two words appears frequently in the songs, melody(旋律), love(愛).

The Chinese word “旋律” is having two meaning,the first one is about music, which is means the melody of  a song. In this song’s topic, it had been interpreted as “theme” which is a derivation meaning of the original one. Therefore, the word can be seen as the official intention.

The Chinese word “愛" mean “love”.  As said before, the whole song is about the changing of relationship of a couple, which is actually representing China and Hong Kong.

The whole song is divided into the past, now, and future three parts.

Past:

在最重要的一句哭

大時代的小插曲

你要我讓步 我要你讓步

旋律與音階粉飾了憤怒

This paragraph is said “Crying in the most important part / an episode of an era”. It is represented the 89 Democracy Movement which is a really bad memory in Hong Kong people mind. The next paragraph is describing the conflict between government and the public, however, the official had covered up the anger of the crowd.

Now:

動人樂譜 為求定好 相愛的新去路

旋律 怎制定 量度

人心 總有陰險磊落

昨日 你每個逗號 明日 我每個問號

難合譜 如流螢亂舞

現在 你大業鴻圖 然後 我樂極迷途

再相遇 為何情仇互報

現在 你賜予任務 然後 我受命如奴

再爭辯 和諧無路訴

The first one sentence mirrors  the official use some beautiful words to make a good relationship between public and the government, but when people still do not believe, since they questioned about the honesty of the official. These make argument and conflict. And the last four sentences is describing the situation that Hong Kongers is facing. China get the economic power and controlling Hong Kong economy because of the  profit bought from individual travel scheme. The society is not harmony.

Future:

Woo~Ho Woo~Ho 相愛的新角度

Woo~Ho Woo~Ho 讓旋律沉重發佈

Woo~Ho Woo~Ho 相愛的新國度

Woo~Ho Woo~Ho 讓旋律沉澱了再洗腦

The last part of the song is the predicted future of Hong Kong, which is the result of China policies is implement to Hong Kong and people are giving up to rebel.

In conclusion, the song is first recalling the collective memory of Hong Kongers and their threats of losing the freedom of press and being brainwashing. They are afraid that Hong Kongers’ identities would be blurred if the Central government started to implement related policies to Hong Kong. For example, the Basic Law Article 23 and Moral and National Education policy. Thus, people are identified with the song.

Lyric: http://mojim.com/twy100111x80x1.htm

MV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJJoPLG-Bnc

Chan Lo Wan (10479751/21233738)