Echoes of the Rainbow

Hong Kong Film Industry after 1970's rapid development, it enters to the period of silence. Hong Kong's productions cannot gain great profit in 1990's. In past days, Hong Kong's films are popular in South Asia Market. Like Games Gamblers Play produced by Michael Hui broke the record of highest revenue in 1974. The Gross revenue was over six million Hong Kong dollars. But after 1990, Hong Kong film industry starts to step down.

From 1970s to now, Gangster movies, Chinese martial arts films and Comedy films are the successful film genre in Hong Kong production. But the setting and theme are totally different.

In Feb 2010, the Hong Kong local Film, Echoes of the Rainbow (歲月神偷), award of Crystal Bear in 60th Berlin International Film Festival. The film was taken place in Wing Lee Street in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. After the award, people start to draw the concentration to this film. The magic point is after the film shows, people start to fight for keeping the buildings in Wing Lee Street to prevent urban re-development. But why does the film have power to turn down the policy?

The story is talking about a Hong Kong local family life in 1970s. It shows how Hong Kong classic citizen fight against with the difficult living status. The main actor is a pair of couple which works for making shoes. Basically, the story is not about Wing Lee Street. It may be because the story is touching, it calls many Hong Kong citizens collective memory. They re-think their child life. They find although the life status was worse than now, they were happier than now. It shows the gap between old generation and new generation in Hong Kong. The director, Alex Law, also claim that the society is full of a lot of negative energy in recent years. He wants to refill the positive energy to Hong Kong by this film.

A success film should have a perfect construction in iconography, setting, characters, theme and narrative. Echoes of the Rainbow makes it. It uses Moon cake club, street hair shop, corruption, the old theater, rooftop primary schools and the British flag to let audience back to 1970s. Also, by the story of Desmond (old brother), it reminds us 1970s is the century of elites. Like Desmond said, getting the first place means you won the competition, getting other places even second or third means you loss.

It may be because the setting of the film is so touching and familiar with each Hong Kong citizens, so many Hong Kong citizens like it. Since they love that period of time, they start to keep the street. Although the street is not representing all Hong Kong people childhood, Wing Lee Street become the icon of Hong Kong 1970s.

I like most parts of the film, especially the part of Desmond's story. In the film, Desmond was studying in English secondary school and he won a lot of awards. Even, he died, his funeral and cemetery was in British style. He looks like a elite but he is a member of lower class. It is a very big contradiction. It is representing how the director loves colonial style and colonial education. It is up sad that it is lack of opportunities for upward mobility from lower class nowadays. So, when Desmond get serious ill, he has to come to Beijing for medical treatment. In fact, I think the director wants us to rethink our relationship between past and now. So, I always think: We cry because we substituted into the role, not because we are incorporated into the story.

The successful formula of Hong Kong film was changed from 1970s. Other than iconography, setting, characters, theme and narrative, meaningful becomes the core part of formula.

Wong Chun Kit (10319224)