72 Tenants of Prosperity

“72 Tenants of Prosperity” (72 家租客) is a local made film which has become Hong Kong second highest grossing New Year film within 10 years. “72 Tenants of Prosperity”, a comedy film, presents the genre elements such as iconography, setting, characters, theme and narrative clearly. Of course, there is one important factor cannot be ignored which is the film itself with strong Hong Kong local colours and easy to touch off the audience resonate to nostalgia.

As everyone knows, this film’s selling point was an attribution to the original 1973 version of Chor Yuen’s “The House of 72 Tenants”. Although the film’s background started on the 70s Hong Kong, which was different from the original version of anti-Japanese War background. It only cut out the plots of the conflict between the tenants and the landlord and the landlady. Moreover, it explained most of story of the original “The House of 72 Tenants” in the opening five minutes, then most of the time to talk about a modern story which was irrelevant to the original version. However, these simple “tribute” plots can evoke the era of Hong Kong people for the glorious memories of Hong Kong films. In particular, the beginning scene of “72 Tenants of Prosperity” almost entirely borrowed the setting of “The House of 72 Tenants”. When the first one, “Shanghai woman”, appeared on the scene who wanted to fetch some water, this plot was almost exactly the same as the original one. An important detail is that Joyce Cheng played the role of “Shanghai woman” in “72 Tenants of Prosperity” who is precisely the daughter of Lydia Shum Din Ha who played the same role in “The House of 72 Tenants”. Lydia Shum Din Ha as the collective memory of Hong Kong people, but now Lydia Shum has passed away, to see her daughter played the role of her mother, there are numerous people certainly have mixed feelings or sign with emotion.

In addition, except for the opening five minutes, “72 Tenants of Prosperity” presented various intertextual scenes as well, such as Paul Ching Chi Mei (程至美) and Chris Heung Chung Yan (向眾仁) who were doctor played by Lawrence Ng (吳啟華) and Raymond Cho (曹永廉) in a Hong Kong medical drama series, “Healing Hands” (妙手仁心), Laughing Gor (Leung Siu Tong, 梁笑棠) who was a undercover cop played by Michael Tse (謝天華) in a film called “Turning Point” (Laughing Gor 之變節) as well as Prudence Lau (劉美君) once again played the role of prostitute “Siu Hung” (小紅) of the film “True Women For Sale” (我不賣身 我賣子宮), from modeling to speaking were exactly the same tone. All above roles have appeared in “72 Tenants of Prosperity” again that when audiences were watching the film, they had feelings of intimacy and identification.

Furthermore, in the mainland China, films and television dramas afraid being “pigeon-holing” (對號入座) that get into “unnecessary trouble”, they often make up some names which don’t exist on the map, like Haizhou (海州), Binjiang (濱江), just like a hit China TV drama “Dwelling Narrowness” (蝸居) is the case. In sharp contrast to Hong Kong films, which have a very strong sense of the city like “The Rapist” (屯門色魔), “With or Without You” (明月照尖東), some films took place in Mongkok which had “One Nite in Mongkok” (旺角黑夜), “As Tears Go By” (旺角卡門), “To Live and Die in Mongkok” (旺角監獄) and so on. Even someone has never been to Hong Kong, he or she is familiar with these names. In the Peak Tower at The Peak, there are some stores selling tourist souvenir fridge magnets with those names which we can see Hong Kong people’s recognition of Hong Kong’s identity. “72 Tenants of Prosperity” is exactly taken place at Sai Yeung Choi Street in Mongkok as the background, but they never took any scenes in this street because TVB constructed a very similar street in the Shaw studio with high degree of simulation. Sai Yeung Choi Street is a concentrated local bookstores’ location. The local bookstores are generally open in the upstairs because the rent will be relatively cheap. In “72 Tenants of Prosperity”, Wu Fung (胡楓) played the bookstore owner, Uncle Wah, whose bookstore starting from the ground floor and moved to the second floor, from the second floor have been moving up and until moved to the eighth floor. He said that he was about to jump off, and his situation seems to symbolize the Hong Kong culture’s embarrassing position which is driving the margins of society because of commercialization.

Besides, “72 Tenants of Prosperity” has Cantonese and Mandarin version for Hong Kong and mainland China’s audiences respectively. ppeared in the film e mintues, f her mother, es of Hong Kong films. However, it must in Cantonese version which will be more funny because there were so many slangs and some vulgar languages which are familiar for people who know Cantonese. If someone doesn’t understand Cantonese, he or she cannot grasp the humors.

Moreover, “72 Tenants of Prosperity” reflected on current trends and social issues as well, like the mobile store employed some Young Models (o靚模) promoting phones, repeated incidents of throwing out acids and so forth. These current trends and social issues have presented within the film.

Last but not least, “72 Tenants of Prosperity” is a New Year and comedy film, I think the audiences more or less brings with their expectation to the film. Of course, the film is for fun, to make you laugh and is expected that the ending must be a happy ending. I think “72 Tenants of Prosperity” has done it.

Finally, “72 Tenants of Prosperity” has represented the local experience and collective memory of Hong Kong and Hong Kong people.


Tang Kwun Ting (10322857)