Zen and Sense in King Hu's Films

Film Screenings


A Man's Betrayal, Part One

Dir: Chor Yuen
Orig Story: Fung Chin-ping
Scrs: Chor Yuen, Yau Kei, Cheng Kang
Prod: Pak Yin Prod Co.: Shan Luen
Cast: Pak Yin, Cheung Wood-yau, Nam Hung, Wong Man-lei,Keung Chung-ping, Lee Hong-kum
1962 / B&W / D Beta / Cantonese / 102min

When the Union Film gradually goes downhill in the early 1960s, the barely 30-year-old Chor Yuen inherits its “anti-feudal” new May Fourth spirit, continuing to use films as a means for social instructions to challenge the morally-distorted conservative society. Adapted from the Rediffusion Radio’s eponymous “Sky Novel” radio drama series, (A Man’s Betrayal, Part One ) criticises the harm of superstition on the young generation through the unfulfilled romance of Lui Bikman (Pak Yin) and Lui Tak-sing (Cheung Wood-yau). Chor Yuen’s directorship as well as Cheng Kang’s and Yau Kei’s scriptwriting are proficient. The film presents a powerful condemnation of feudalistic thinking, expressing profound sympathy for the young couple. Its characterisation, multiple pointsof- view, and use of symbols are precise, whereas the ending, in which the maid Wong Suet-mui (Nam Hung)’s adversity ends and the nasty wife Ng Mei-kiu (Lee Hong-kum) receives retribution, is most gratifying to the audience.

2/6 (Sun) 2:30pm Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive  

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