Online Review: Norwegian Wood

Norwegian Wood is a Japanese drama film adapted from the Japanese writer Haruki Murakami’s novel with the same name and directed by Tran Auh Hung, a French film director of Vietnamese ancestry who won the Golden Lion in 1995 Venice Film Festival. It was released in January of 2011 in Hong Kong cinema and debuted in the 67^th Venice International Film Festival to compete for the Golden Lion.

Norwegian Wood is a story about ‘Lose and Found’. It is the memory and the review of growing up of Toru Watanabe, the main character in the film, with the background setting in Tokyo in the late 1960s, the time that students around Japan are uniting to overthrow the establishment. When Toru was still in high school, he always hanged around with his good friends, Kizuki and Kizuki’s girlfriend, Naoko. At that time, their life filled with pleasure and happiness. However, Kizuki suddenly committed suicide for no apparent reason when he was 17 which was a heavy big hit to Toru and Kaoko. For this reason, Toru left his hometown and entered a university in Tokyo looking in order to rebuild his life. By sheer chance, he met Naoko. They began to hang out and grow increasingly close as they shared the same loss. As Toru and Naoko grew even more intimate, Naoko’s sense of loss for Kizuki also grew as well. After Naoko’s 20th birthday, she left for a sanitarium in Kyoto to better her psychological state and they were forced to separate. During that time, they kept in touch by writing letters. Sometimes, Toru would visit Kyoto under permission. But most of his time, he met other girls in the street and hanged around the red light district to cure his pain of the sudden departure of Kyoto. Yet, Toru met Midori, another pure-hearted girl who is totally different from Kyoto, during the spring semester

, and he began to ponder his relationship to both women. But fate helped him to make the choice. Kyoto’s sickness became more serious and she finally followed in Kizuki’s footsteps. Toru was guilty, but after the chaos of his life, he had grown up, because he chose to live and also Midori.

In this film, it seems several roles have different meanings. Watanabe represents the or

dinary people, similar with us, who is nothing special but have a sincere attitude towards the life. It seems there is no advantage on him, but his amiability is the ‘charm’ to attract others to close to. However, Naoko and Midori are in contrast. Midori represents the image of beauty, active, curious, charming, which are regarded as all good in life; while Naoko is a quiet, passive, weak, sad, on behalf of various hardships of life. The love of Wantanbe between Naoko and Midori represents the struggles in our life that we envision the bright future in one hand, but attach to depravity inwardly on the other hand; we desire to emb

race all the good in life and also bet able to control everything. Nevertheless, how can our life be such perfect? The other characters also reflect different outlook on life which affects the decision of Watanabe and his fate. Same as in our real life, our fate is influenced by the others, our different experience and living environment as well as opportunities.

Ostensibly, Norwegian Wood is a love story of young people. The struggle of Watanabe in love and sex as well as other aspects has aroused the sympathy of many young boys and girls. For example, finding love, dating, optioning, breaking up...etc, they are always the source of trouble under the physiological and psychological drive. Accompany with the burden of life, studies, friends, family, the surrounding socio-economic and political issues, we seem entering an unfathomable forest. Once a slightest mistake is made, we will be trapped and take to the road of self-destruction. In this forest, there is no map, no guarantee. You can only work out step by step on your own to walk through all the barriers. On the way, perhaps you have to pay or make the choice, but no one knows how would be in the future. The most important thing is alive, and never gives up. Life may not be perfect, there’s no such thing as right or wrong in making choices, only retain our heart be true and frank is responsible to our life.

Charlotte, HO Wai-sze (10382282)

Review of "Be Home for Dinner"

Be Home for Dinner《誰家灶頭無煙火》is a situation comedy which has been broadcasting on TVB channel from eight to eight thirty every weekday’s night. .
Different Genres have diverse forms but the same ones share a similar, or even homogeneous structure. Sitcom, as a form, tends towards the reassertion of conservative values of the home and family (in terms of both setting and theme), and the stereotyping of racial, class, sexual and regional differences. It generally centre on the middle class home and tends to be set in clearly defined settings, with a limited range of characters, in addition to a fair degree of emphasis on characters-as-stereotypes. In the stories, the characters transgress against, then restore the relationship and learn the value of or reaffirming the stability and importance of, closely-bound ties, the family or the social group. The background of the Be Home for Dinner is a middle-class family in contemporary Hong Kong. It basically has two settings: work and home, but actually four different spaces: Chungs’ family, a publishing house, a cooking learning-center and a online trading shop. The settings are very up to date and closely reflecting the reality of current Hong Kong people. For example, the heated occupation-online store and the re-marriage phenomenon. Although Be Home for Dinner contains complicated stories among those areas and in different aspects, small pieces of puzzles together as a whole, which is emphasizing on repetition and forestalling of closure in terms of the series as a whole.

Be Home for Dinner comprises characters-as-stereotypes. In Chungs’ family, it is not difficult to find that Chung Kwok Chui acted by Elliot Ngok is the vital person and get the most power within the family.
He likes to control his family members by challenging his son’s career choice, often rejecting his younger brother’s ideas and requesting obedience from the female characters, his daughter, wife and colleague as well. Apart from that, Chui always make effort to prove himself right. For instance, there was an episode which he and his brother Tung arguing whether Tung fell into water by himself or being pushed by Chui twenty years ago. Chui on the purpose of proofing Tung fell by himself, he went to the location and collect some evidences. On the contrary, Chui’s wife, acted by Helen Ma, is a little woman who is week, low education and totally listens to Chui. In one of the episodes telling that she did not even know how to use a can-opener and was always being cheated by others. In the story, only the male characters in the family can deviate or against him such as his son and brother. Chui is authoritarian but authentic, it also shows he is considerable by letting his son to learn cooking though he does not want. This drama, in certain extent, reinforces the characteristics of a patriarchal society as men hold the greatest power

“The Chinese name of the drama《誰家灶頭無煙火》is more explicit which has two double meaning,” told by the director. The first one is a literally meaning : asking whose home do not have cooking stove and not with fuel? A deeper meaning is every family would have sparks whenever there is disagreement and people insist their own thoughts. It thus on one hand encouraging busying Hong Kong people to go home to have dinner with their families after work, on the other hand urging people to face this reality and be patient. However, some of the audience will neglect the encoded message and retotalize it within some alternative framework of reference. For instance, in episodic 16, Chui said people who insist of doing one thing (food) have to be respected even he was only a man selling eggette (雞蛋仔). Then somebody may think the drama is somehow mocking the society.

Situation Comedy is in a high popularity that the audience can catch up with the story if they have missed or start at the middle of the episodic. Series which reflecting or referring to the world is undoubtedly appealing to many audiences since they are easily get resonant.


Wong Lo Ying, Vinice (10384184)

Online Review: Tangshan Great Earthquake

Feng Xiao Gang’s film "Tangshan Great Earthquake, " which is adapted from the Chinese writer Zhang Ling's novel "Aftershock, "about a "23 seconds, 32 years, "the story: 28th July, 1976 morning, an earthquake in Tangshan in the 23 seconds will be changed as a ruins . The film did help to create the noise in the society and recall our memories. This film represented the virtual in front of us. It is one of the methods to show.
In this new media era, especially the big changes of the past few years, there are numbers of second hand memories. Some of it is reconstructed by the producer. It may lead to change our memories as well. From the film, we can find out some codes and convention, all of it is make sense for us to watch and understand. Even we have not had the real experience at that period of time, thus we can also have deeply feelings about this incident.

To me, our roots and routes of cultural identities will change by time to time. Our collective memory which we have experienced and different people will represent in a different way, the point is how we want to represent in front of the others. The collective memory is base on our experience, and is about our past when we were young. Besides, what we choose to remember and tell will depends on different situations.

In 1976, all of a sudden the whole flattened in Tangshan, the city's transportation, the communications, water supply, power supply are interrupted; and it also caused 24.2 million deaths, 16.4 million people injured. It is a scary figure in Chinese history for every survivor. For instance, they are frightened of any food which is sweet, as it will lead to recall their bad memories. “Sweet” is their first tasting after the earthquake.




We may have different point of view or feelings after watch this film. We are part of China, our feelings will stronger than the other city or countries. If you are not in China at that period of time, the story is not really close to you and not that meaningful to you. However, if yes, you will have deeply feelings on it as it is collective memory of China. The merely difference is that how you decode the message from film. In this case, it is not merely about your experience, but also about your national identity. You will share the similar collective memories with each other.

Aside of, the oral history is also a part of this incident, thus there are some hidden history. Different people will have different version, it is not meaning that they are telling lie. Yet, they have chosen to remember or “delete” a part of the memories. Even we discuss this incident in nowadays, it may have something different. My grandma has said not the same version for me when I was young.

On the other hand, the society and the industry are affecting to each other, not merely the film industry has produce related film, the music industry has also produce some related songs which we can listen from the film. In nowadays, as a producer, the changes of structure, resource and discourse are still limited, it is constructing by all of us.

Ella Yeung Ka Yan (10348676)

Online Review: Sam Hui

I am going to use a music album to write an online review. The album is sung by different old style singers like Alan Tam, Leslie Cheung and Sam Hui called 「Elements」. There are a few songs which is very famous in this album like 「半斤八兩」, 「有酒今朝醉」, 「浪子心聲」 and 「滄海一聲笑」, I am sure that many of us have already listened to these songs.

The song that I most familiar with is the song 「半斤八兩」. It is because my father is a fan of Sam Hui and his songs always wake me up on Sunday morning when I was small. The lyric of the song has spoken out a lot of employee's mind in the middle 70s Hong Kong. The background of 70s Hong Kong is an economic growth period, people want to work hard and get opportunities or promotion and hope for wealthy therefore they work very hard. However this pain, no gain, many of their hopes can not be realized. This song was talking about this social reality. Like the following lyrics saying that the employee slaving away for lifetime for money which was very miserable there is no such work hard play hard in this society.

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As the song has spoken our employee's thoughts and reflecting the social situation in that time, it has created a collective memory for a lot of employees in that period and even nowadays, my father is one of the examples, every time he listens to this song, he told me the working situation in that period.

The song also shows employee's compliant and resentment to the society in the lyrics like they have to walk along the street but the salary is still very low. The boss always condemn and hopeless for pay rise.

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Yet my dad is a fan of Sam Hui, but he does not fit all the identification of a fan. He has the adoration to Sam Hui, but he does not have the transcendence or any extra-cinematic indemnificatory processes. I will consider him as a very rational and 「low level」 fan. However, Sam Hui is a very popular singer in Hong Kong, his song always as a satire for and reflects the society.

Chan Ching Yi, Valerie(10349849)

Online Review of Grace Under Fire (女拳) by Titus(1035 0693)

Grace Under Fire is a 2011 Hong Kong martial arts television drama. It premiered on Hong Kong's TVB Jade and is slated to run for 32 episodes. It follows a fictional account of Mok Kwai-lan, the last wife of Chinese martial arts folk hero Wong Fei-hung. I would like to analyze the TV drama with several parts.

Discussion on Heroism
Martial art is served as a weapon, it is double-edged. It can use to protect the important thing, for example, you can prevent to the bully. But it also empowers the aggressive, which people use it to maintain their status, fight with other for the capital. In the scene of Grace Under Fire, people physically defeat other persons, when there is struggle, martial art is a way to solve the problem. Martial artist is respected and dominant at that time. They are served as the heroes beyond the whole city. Besides, there is only the male master, but none of the female would practice the martial art. So, male is always the dominant status at the society, they have power and capital. Female is working for the family and hiding at home.

Shifting of power relationship from male to female
As the drama is about Wong Fei-hung, he is a Chinese martial artist, one of the Chinese iconic heroes. He is presented at the powerful one to protect others in most of the drama at past. But in this newest version, we can see that he is served as a Confucians, he seldom fight with other, no matter there is struggle, he always want to solve the problems without force. Also, he would judge with the illegal, crimes for every citizen in Guangzhou. The manner of Wong Fei-hung shows us the new form of male in the modern age. As we are living in a knowledge-based society, male can be refined and reasonable in solving problems. The TV drama presents indifference traditional image of male hero, we can see that the power is shifted from male to female unconsciously.

Connotation of the drama ‘女拳’
The power of female is represented at most of the female characters. The drama is called ‘女拳’, it related to the main character, Mok Kwai-lan. Her character was tough. She stood strongly for what she believed in with reason. She did not put herself over anyone else when it came to what she wanted. Her role as Wong Fei Hong’s wife is against to the traditional value of female. Although there is the gap of age between them but she does not care about other’s view, she would chase for what she wants. The stereotype of female is changing, which they have the agency to duel with their marriage. Also, she practices the martial art and fight with the Japanese at the final scene. All of these scenes represent the social phenomenon of female in Hong Kong at nowadays.

Besides Mok kwai-lan, the role of Kwai Fa (葵花) is also importance at the drama. As she is a girlfriend of a Japanese, she does not served herself as the bad guy, it is because she can live better than before, it is not shy to do that. These characters are presented as the independent women, whom they know how to duel with every case, and they would not be scary when facing the difficulties.

Exaggerated of relationship, the returning of love and hate
As I mentioned before, the female is not subordinated at the scene. The role of唐雪喬(Tong Sue Kiu) is presented as a kind and caring person. But she kills her husband finally. Her action is so impacted, most of the Hong Kong forum discuss about it. The netizens think that the scene of murdering is similar to the ending of a Hentai Japan cartoon called ‘School Days’. Her action is obviously exaggerated and emotionally. It breaks down the traditional stereotype about female. They are not always the passive, they would revenue, and fight back.

By analyzing these female characters, the role of female is not simply as the before. They would have their agency, thinking, decision and strength. Our audience is gradually assumed that female can also be active at every aspect. It is also suit to the ideology of female’s image at modern age, female audience identify themselves with the characters, approval that they would also role as an active one at the society.

Posted by Yung Hon Chun, Titus (10350693)

Review onn I Love Hong Kong (我愛HK 開心萬歲)

Hi all, I would like to introduce “I Love Hong Kong” to all of you. This film produced in 2011 and become two weeks champion in Hong Kong Box office. From the below, I will examine the symbolic illustrations, the reason behind its success and the representation of historical memory.

Regarding on genre, this film is a combination of drama and comedy which telling a Hong Kong story in a relax way. The selection on staring is specific because of the genre, from Eric Tsang (曾志偉), Tony Leung (梁家輝), Sandra Ng (吳君如) to Wong Cho Lam (王祖藍), those are the stars who are successful and symbolic in the comedy genre, the selection of staring would certainly assist how the audience accept it as a comedy movie.

Despite of the genre, this film has also contained many icons and images that construct the historical and cultural Hong Kong. For example, the mini store (士多) and ChaChengTeng (茶餐廳) that they visited are in 60s’ style.

Furthermore, the wording they used is one of the elements building the construction memory of historical Hong Kong. For instance, they said “同煲同撈“ (cooperate together) which is understandable by the generation of 60s. Furthermore, the use of Cantonese is also a Hong Kong production symbol.

Meanwhile, people’s activities can reflect a specific period of time. In the film there are hawkers that selling pork and chickens that we now can’t see on the street. In the 60s, television is an important entertainment for Hong Kong residents, therefore, in the film when there was Miss Hong Kong election, families will gather to watch Miss Hong Kong election on a rare color television. These symbolic icons constructed a special setting that induce the audience to recall the metal state which they found themselves at the time (only if the people who has lived on that period). For others, the messages would not be so strong, however, it still understandable.

As for the reason behind its success, I think the fist important reason is the authority power. This film was sponsored by TVB and over 70% actors are from this company. The artists have already built a in-house image among audience as they have participated on daily drama TV programme. Therefore, audience would highly accept the familiar faces and fans would definitely support them. On the other hand, because of the power of sponsorship organization, “I Love Hong Kong” has great promotion opportunities, from TV advertisements, outdoor promotions to magazine interviews. The all-rounded promotion has caught the attention of the viewers. This film has chosen the period of Lunar New Year Holiday for broadcasting and its topic is related to family, love, comedy, past history and current society in Hong Kong. This film is quite heart-warming, for instance, the scene of Mid-Autumn festival which all the residents from public estate playing lanterns and sending gifts to each others. This was how traditional resident celebrating Mid-Autumn festival together and the close relationship between neighbors are hardly been seen in nowadays Hong Kong. Therefore, this movie has reminded us the love between friends, family, neighbors and more generally loving Hong Kong. This wide topic has attracted different generations and groups of people for viewing this film.

Jessica Lau Kar Yan (10381486)

Henry's Online Review: MicroSex Office Season 3 潮性辦公室3.0升級版

MicroSex Office Season 3 潮性辦公室3.0升級版

MicroSex Office started from 2009. Season 2 was shown in 2010. In 2011, the season 3 is on show now. For the drama, it has good public praises. The ticket sold out in a short time. It needs to have additional performance. The drama is comedy which the audiences agree can reduce stress.

The setting of the drama is office. The things happen in office. It always happens. It is related to the love affairs between the colleges. It also includes the interview sections which has the massage. The whole drama has five sections which is Monday to Friday. Each section has own unique story. The story is representing the emotion of the labor. There are four transitions which separate into the five sections. Those four transitions are the interviews which is the solo performance of the performers.

The interviews are showing the some of the characteristics of different age group and the gender differences. In season 1 and 2, there are 2 interviewees which under 30 years old, an Indian man and a middle age man. However, in season 3, it changes two performers and the interviewees are two middle age interviewees and two young interviewees which aged at 25 to 35.

There is a solo performance of a land agent. For his interview, it is showing that the Hong Kong people is focusing on money more than everything especially dream. They need to show that they are better than others. They can do anything for finishing the task.

Another interviewee is showing the Hong Kong female’s (港女) hope to get marriage with rich man. Nowadays, part of the Hong Kong female use their beautiful appearances to attract the male. They just get a job which can help them to meet more rich man.

The rest of two interviews are very similar. Both of them are middle age period. For Aunt Hermione (妙麗姨), she was divorce with her husband. She needs to get income for family. For Chen Man (陳滿), he lost his business when he is a middle age man. In the interview which about hiring a guard, he shows his ability and life experience for proving he can be a good guard. These two are the example showing Hong Kong people can be success if they do not give up their hope. The image for middle age people is much hard-working and can overcome the difficulties. It is the contrast between two generations.

The drama does not showing the image of Hong Kong people only. It has the stereotype of the gender image in the drama. The use of stereotype plays an important role. The funny moments and the consensuses are based on the stereotype. In the drama, it is mainly stereotype the female. Here are the examples.

First, if the secretary is beautiful enough, her working abilities come second. In the drama, a role called Mercy is a secretary which has Princess Ailment. She can forget everything when she is working. She does not have many abilities and cannot handle the job like lost the document in washroom. The female can use their appearances to be their weapon to survive in the company. It constructed an image that the beautiful appearance is everything for female.

Second, it is still related to beautiful female. The beautiful females seek for job has aim which is marrying with a rich man. They do not have many special abilities. In the drama, the interviewee shows that she will have different reaction to a man, a sexy guy and a female. It is constructing that the beautiful female is looking for a rich man. She will not give up any chances for communicating to male. It seems that the beautiful females are only looking for marriage with a rich man.

Third, there is a stereotype on professional women. CK, a professional woman, has love affair with her employee. It is showing the unfairness on female status. In the drama, CK try to accept the approach of her employee, Jeremy. At the end, she still cannot be success. CK is a professional woman. She has higher status. She is on the top of the man. Nevertheless, she only can be success in career only. She cannot have love with other who she wants. It is constructing that the female can only choose bread or love. The female cannot get both. For the end of the section, it has a song, “If I ain’t got you”, also showing the female cannot live without man. It is the inequality between male and female.

The MicroSex Office is not just a drama on showing the funny things to you. It also includes some hidden massage which we need to think about. The young ladies who have beautiful appearances can have better treatment. In this drama, it is show the generation gap of the identity of Hong Kong people. It has the transformation of Hong Kong people’s identity. It also has showing the stereotype on female and male in the company. It is a kind of media representation that the female may have unequal treatment in the drama. It is not only for fun, there are some massages included and we need to think about.

Chau Ka Leung Henry (Ku)
10380315

"Another year"《一年未緣》

Perhaps, Tom and Gerri were the sweetest couple I've seen that. Perhaps, Mary was extremely complained about the single middle-aged women I’ve seen that.Perhaps, Karl was the most foul-tempered filial children I've seen that. I would like to say that all of the above the" most” is not really what is what, but cause of the British director Mike Leigh in the lens depicted in "Another year" is penetrating enough to confused as real ones so I think the "most ". Of course, the word "most" also include the meaning of "best”. Because the best, so I have to take this opportunity to share the film called "Another year" of the British triumph.

"Another year" in Chinese name called 《一年未緣》that the significance of The "year after year ". A pair of sweetly married life, the old couple as the core of the story, they were lived with the other 4 characters(Sons - Joe, his wife's female colleagues - Mary, her husband's friend -Ken, Tom's brother - Ronnie) through the 4 seasons together.The other 4 characters they were included patrons and tenant, but they also have in common point that they also have different worries. However they were using the four seasons to show different little seasonal variation in the human story of the gains and losses. However, at the end of story, they were chooses to accommodate, then they were laughing and talking about the past together. In that way, their life was turned in a circle again.

The director-Mike Liegh delicate description of the different human relations and let audiences to thinking about the meaning of story. Mike Liegh’s movies were mostly realism. The plots were not much surprise, but rich in detail. However, Mike Liegh was practical to write to the most insignificant little people's stories. For example"Another year", sometimes it would be making the audiences feels touching heartwarming, accusing impassioned and helpless. However, each character and scenes also is likely to be portrayal and feelings of us. Looked at their life, its make us to thinking of ourselves and people around us.On the other hand, the 4 seasons were bearing each people’s happiness, angry, sadness and joy. At end of the story, the baby birth was indicating that the life was just like the four seasons.

When I was watched "Another year" I was feel like I tasted the five flavors of life. In fact, we will through the joy and sadness in everyday. Whether than the livelihood was happy or not, we also must to continue to live. In that way , why you not let yourself living be better ? I believe that may be the director wants his audiences to comprehend the philosophy of life.

Fong Hei Ching Natalie (10423837)