Online Review: Love in the Buff (2012)

Human makes sense of the world by the mean of narrative (Levi-Strauss, 1966). The narrative of a film is also the suggestion of which how the disequilibrium in the plot be revolved (Barthes, 1975). The successful of the local film "Love in the Buff"(2012), nearly 700 million ticket box, according to news reported on 12th April, has suggested that the narrative of the film echoes with and is supported by the audience; the values, beliefs, ideologies, discussion and the possible solution for the issues in the film under the context of Hong Kong has received much consent from the local audience. 

In fact, the film touches on many recent issues in Hong Kong, such as the phenomena of unmarried middle-aged women, the economically and culturally interaction between Hong Kong and Mainland China as well as the secular of pop stars in Hong Kong but all concern actually gender aspect. As a female audience, I think the whole narrative has dominated by male power and sexual desire and female has become the sexual object to be consumed by both male characters in the plot as well as all audience of men and women. When paying attention to many of the funny jokes in the plot, they are all making fun of serious exploitation of women by male characters. The message the funny jokes send has simply no difference from making fun with a woman who is being raped. In the beginning, Cherie's (春嬌) female cousin is being sneered by Jimmy (志明) because of the very old and traditional belief of China that oppresses ancient Chinese women in marriage. When Jimmy and his colleague are on the flight going to Beijing, they make fun with the imagination of indecent assault of female flight attendant. Even Cherie's colleagues in Beijing openly judge the physical attractiveness and aging "problem" in the eyes of male in spite of the harding feeling of Cherie. Although the "ugly" character, Branda, and Cherie's cousin successfully find their partners in the end, the dramatic contrast between characters and their partners as well as the expectation of audience and the narrative make it even funnier for audience. 

All these scenes invite audience to sneer women who are not "qualify" in the eyes of the patriarchal society. All women no matter of "good" or "bad" quality can no way escape from judgement of male characters and the audience. According to the narrative of the film, women who are not young enough, not beautiful enough are deserved be punished both inside and outside the plot. In fact, the seemingly "perfect" female character Mini (尚優優) is being punished in the plot too not because of any of her problem but the desire of Jimmy. While "Love in the Buff" exploits women in a great extend, why female audience still has the identification with the narrative? Some may say they are echo with the narrative basing on the experiences from reality as the narrative "reflects" the reality; some may say they treat it as only entertainment, there is no need to treat it seriously. Both views have suggested that women usually perform male gaze together with men during they consume media and see the other women. Therefore, female audience feel nothing like being insult but agree with the narrative, understand the jokes and thus laugh together in front of the screen with male audience. 

References: 

Barthes, Roland. (1975). Introduction to the Structural Analysis of Narrative. New Literature History. 6(2). Winter. 

Levi-Strauss, Claude. (1966). The Savage Mind. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

By: Chu Wai Yee, Jessie (10418255)