[Correspondent Diary] Faint Memories of Hong Kong Noir Films

80s-90s Hong Kong Star Andy Lau Sings 'Chinese' Passionately
Hong Kong Celebrities Take the Stage at 25th Anniversary of Hong Kong Handover Event

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] Ah-hwa (Lau Tak-wah), chased by the police, takes Jojo (O Tianlian), a woman passing by, hostage to escape the crisis. The 1990 Hong Kong film A Moment of Romance begins this way.

Ah-hwa's crime organization members try to kill Jojo, who remembers their faces, but Ah-hwa desperately protects her. She also pretends not to know Ah-hwa, who was caught by the police, and helps him.

Photo by Renminwang Capture

A Moment of Romance, along with A Better Tomorrow (1987) starring Chow Yun-fat, is a representative Hong Kong noir film of the 1980s and 1990s (men around their 50s may recall having chewed on matchsticks once or twice about 30 years ago. Torn jeans and faded denim jackets are also unforgettable memories).

A Moment of Romance deals with the impossible love between a crime organization member and a rich girl, but beneath it lies the complex social situation of Hong Kong at the time. In 1984, the British and Chinese governments signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration (Hong Kong Handover Agreement), agreeing to return Hong Kong on July 1, 1997.

The era was also reflected in the romance genre, not just noir. The film Comrades: Almost a Love Story, which depicts the love between a mainland Chinese country boy So-gun (Yeoh Ming) and Lee-yo (Maggie Cheung), is a representative example. Released in 1997, this film portrays the impossible love of young men and women who came to Hong Kong dreaming of the Hong Kong dream, but beneath the film lies social anxiety about China's reform and opening-up and the Hong Kong handover.

Photo by Renminwang Capture

On the evening of the 1st, Lau Tak-wah appeared at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Hong Kong handover. Chinese media such as People's Daily reported that Lau Tak-wah and other Chinese celebrities sang the song "Chinese." The Chinese media introduced "Chinese" as the song Lau Tak-wah sang at the 1997 Hong Kong handover celebration.

Chinese media emphasized that Lau Tak-wah passionately sang "Chinese" just like at the time, even after 25 years. They explained that "Chinese" is Lau Tak-wah's patriotic work containing memories of the nation's hardships and pride in being Chinese.

According to Chinese media, many Hong Kong celebrities such as Cheng Long (Jackie Chan), Alan Tam (Tan Yonglin), Sa Jingfeng (Xie Tingfeng), and Jin Weizheng (Chen Weiting) attended the event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Hong Kong handover.

The large attendance of Hong Kong entertainment representatives at the Chinese government-led 25th anniversary event signifies how much the Sinicization of Hong Kong has progressed.

We cannot blame the Hong Kong celebrities who took the stage. It was just a pity that the early Sunday morning recalled memories from over 30 years ago.