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Hong Kong New Wave

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Hong Kong New Wave
File:Leslie Cheung kwok wing.jpg
New Wave screen legend Leslie Cheung
Years activelate 1970s to present
LocationHong Kong
InfluencesFrench New Wave
Influencedvirtually all subsequent cinemas[1][2][3] such as South Korean New Wave,[4] American Independent cinema,[5][6] Hollywood,[7] and many others

The Hong Kong New Wave is a prominent film movement in Chinese-language Hong Kong cinema that emerged in the late 1970s and has lasted dramatically into the present, changing the culture of cinema in the process.

Origins of the movement

Ann Hui was among the Hong Kong New Wave

The Hong Kong New Wave started in 1979 with the release of numerous notable films. During the 1980s, the Hong Kong film industry began to flourish. Film emerged as the most popular form of entertainment in Hong Kong, in part due to the fact that many Chinese households did not have a TV at the time.[8] Many of the New Wave directors had a Western-style education and were influenced by western filmmaking and culture.[9] The films of the Hong Kong New Wave were not stylistically homogenous, rather the term was used to mark the distinction of a new generation of filmmakers.[10] Films of the Hong Kong New Wave utilized new technology and techniques such as synchronous sound, new editing techniques, and filming movies on location.[11]

Characteristics and development

Producer and director Tsui Hark was part of the first wave and later helped produce films in the second wave of Hong Kong cinema.[12]

Although most cite the Hong Kong New Wave to have started in 1978[13] or 1979[14] with the release of numerous notable films, the recognition of the Hong Kong new wave actually began as early as 1976.[15] In an article issued that year, it was stated that a new wave of television directors would soon take over the Hong Kong cultural scene.[16] Before the mid to late 1970s, most of these young directors were still studying in film schools or were starting out as television directors.[17] During the 1980s, the Hong Kong film industry, which was already globally renowned for kung fu, began to flourish in all other genres. Film emerged as the most popular form of entertainment in Hong Kong, partly due to the fact that many Chinese households did not have television sets with cable at the time.[8]

Many of the New Wave directors had a European-style education and were influenced by European filmmaking and culture.[18] The films of the Hong Kong New Wave were not stylistically homogenous, however, and did not necessarily have to be influenced by foreign films. Instead the term was used to mark the distinction of a new generation of filmmakers from the traditional studio-based filmmakers, who mostly worked for the Shaw Brothers conglomerate.[10] The Hong Kong New Wave films were unique for its time and did not focus on drama, romance, or any particular genre. Instead, the movement varied from all sorts of themes and genres such as comedy, including mo lei tau, as well as drama, horror, romance, action, epics, and many others.[19] Films of the Hong Kong New Wave utilized trending technology and techniques such as synchronous sound, radical editing techniques, and improvised filming, ie., shooting on location with any available props.[11] Some of the clear similarities between the films were the frenetic energy and minimalist style that were inspired from older Hong Kong films as well as the decision to film outside the studio, which was unlike any preceding movement.[20] It was these factors that allowed the Hong Kong New Wave to succeed and bring Hong Kong cinema into the world stage. This also coincided with the rise in popularity of Chinese cinema in general, as fellow Mainland Chinese fifth generation and Taiwanese New Wave cinema were simultaneously booming since the early 1980s.[21] The Hong Kong New Wave is considered to have two distinct periods. The first period, also called the "Hong Kong New Wave" or alternatively called the "First Wave",[22] began in the late 1970s and lasted into the mid to late 1980s. The second period, called the "Second New Wave", is considered to have begun in 1984, after the New Wave began to gain attention from international audiences.[23] Directors of the Second New Wave include Stanley Kwan, Wong Kar-wai, Mabel Cheung, Alex Law, Fruit Chan, Peter Chan, and Tammy Cheung.[11]

History

First Wave

Actor Chow Yun-Fat starred in the first and latest new wave.

The Hong Kong New Wave is considered to have two distinct periods. The first period, also called the "Hong Kong New Wave" or alternatively called the "First Wave",[22] began in the late 1970s and lasted into the mid to late 1980s, with some dates being from 1979 to 1989.[22] At this point Hong Kong cinema developed a global audience beyond martial arts and wuxia films and started to transcend into critically acclaimed films for all other genres. The films of the new wave had no common genre, and all different types of genres were being explored, thereby creating a new identity for the region and the film industry. As the films varied in genre, it became clear that there was no single fixed definition on the zeitgeist of the New Wave, but the personalities of these directors and their simultaneous global success provided indication that the new wave was significant for the next generation of filmmakers around the world. Some of the earlier films that achieved global success were Ann Hui's drama on Vietnamese refugees called Boat People, as well as Tsui Hark's Peking Opera Blues and Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain, which was a newfangled wuxia film that merged with the comedy genre and used innovative special effects.[24][25] Stars of this period moved on from their collaborations with older directors in the 1970s and became regular casting fixtures for the New Wave directors. Other stars emerged from this period working in tv shows and eventually become some of the early screen legends of the first wave. Some of these stars, such as Leslie Cheung were renowned for their reputations in other artistic fields such as in music and other performing arts.[26]

Second Wave

Real-life setting used in the film Chungking Express

The second period, called the "Second New Wave", is considered to have begun in 1984 and coincided with the first wave of seasoned directors, after which the New Wave established its position as the dominant film movement among international audiences.[27][28] Directors of the Second New Wave include Stanley Kwan, Wong Kar-wai, Mabel Cheung, Alex Law, Johnnie To, Jeffrey Lau, Fruit Chan, Peter Chan, and Tammy Cheung.[11] Some of the popular films during the early years of the second wave from the mid to late 1980s include Rouge,[29] A Better Tomorrow,[30] A Chinese Ghost Story[31] and Wong Kar-wai's debut film As Tears Go By[32].[33][34][35]

Many of the second wave directors also tended to use a familiar set of actors. In the case of Wong Kar-Wai, he frequently used Leslie Cheung and Maggie Cheung before shifting to Tony Leung in the mid-1990s and Zhang Ziyi in his film 2046. The director John Woo, who was originally one of the famous first wave directors, frequently employed Chow Yun Fat as well as Leslie Cheung in his films. Others such as Jeffrey Lau often had Stephen Chow as his lead actor before Chow would go on to direct and produce his own films as an auteur beginning the late 1990s.[36] It was also common for directors who were friends to help produce each other's films. As was the case for Jeffrey Lau and Wong Kar Wai, they both created Jet Tone films and worked to produce the classic wuxia Ashes of Time. Due to a record amount of financial resources spent on the film, Wong took over the project and Lau used his earnings from recent films, as well as make a parody of Ashes of Time instead to help provide Wong potential legal indemnity. This was accomplished while using the exact same actors doing a parody of their own characters from Ashes of Time, with both films released almost simultaneously.[36] Such scenarios were unique only to the Hong Kong New Wave scene, and the usage of such shared actors among directors gave opportunities for the reputations of these actors to grow and the movement to be centered around familiar names on screen.[37] It can be argued that as of the present, the Hong Kong new wave might still be in its second wave, as many of these filmmakers are still producing plenty of award-winning films, or that the film industry is going through a third wave yet to be denominated.[27][38]

Cultural influence

Beyond its impact on filmmakers, the Hong Kong New Wave also became very popular in aspects of popular culture. For a long time, many of the biggest names in acting were also very much the biggest names in Cantopop, with Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Anita Mui, and the other four heavenly kings were often chosen to star in films under the new wave directors and gain credentials in acting as well as in songwriting.[39] Even stars from China such as Faye Wong tried to enter the Cantonese music scene via her roles in some Hong Kong films such as Wong Kar-Wai's Chungking Express.[40][41]

Notable actors

Statue of Anita Mui
Stephen Chow promoting a film in 2008

Notable directors

Legendary director Wong Kar-wai
Hand prints of John Woo at the Avenue of Stars, Hong Kong

Notable films

Brigitte Lin at the Hong Kong International Film Festival
Cast of the Grandmaster featuring Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi

References

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Further reading

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