Shanghai Blues

Hong Kong 1984
produced by
Tsui Hark for Film Workshop
directed by Tsui Hark
starring Kenny Bee, Sylvia Cheng, Sally Yeh, Tien Ching, Woo Fung, Lung Kong, Huang Mang, Loletta Lee, Lionel Lo, Wellington Fung, Helen Ma, Fong Ping, Leung Yiu Ming, Mok King-Wah, Fung Ging Man, Shing Fui-On, Andy Ma, Ding Yu, Tang Siu-Lum, Tsang Dao-May, Siu Kin-Hang, Lui Kar-Wah, Cheung Nam-Ngan, Ng Hon-Keung, Tung Lo
screenplay by Chan Koon-Chung, Raymond To, additional dialogue by Szeto Cheuk-Hon, music by James Wong

review by
Mike Haberfelner

Shanghai 1937, the Japanese invasion being imminent: Musician Do Re Mi (Kenny Bee) saves dancer/model Shu's (Sylvia Chang) life during a Japanese air raid which they two sit out under a bridge. The two quickly fall in love, but get seperated right after the raid is over without even having told their names to one another or having seen each other's face. They just promise to meet under the bridge once the imminent war is over.

8 years later, the war is over. Shu and Do Re Mi try to meet under the bridge, but seem to miss each other by a hair each time they try. Shu is eventually confused for someone contemplating suicide by naive but big-hearted homeless Stool (Sally Yeh), and after this situation leads to some confusion, Shu actually needs her life saved by Stool. She asks Stool to move in with her in return.

Incidently, Do Re Mi moves into the apartment right above them, without knowing who Shu is of course, and it doesn't take Stool long to fall for him, even if he seems to be chasing a phantom.

Soon enough, much confusion ensues with Shu breaking her leg, Stool accidently winning a modeling contest thinking she's applying for a teaching job, Shu and Do Re Mi finding out who each other is, Stool narrowly escaping a rape, and Shu coming to the conclusion it would be best to leave Shanghai for Hong Kong with a rich businessman who has long longed for her, to leave Do Re Mi to Stool ... but of course, in the end all ends happily for Do Re Mi and Shu, as Stool gives him up for her friend's sake.

Shanghai Blues is not a masterpiece, it's a bit too light-footed in approach, too flat in characterisation and too simplistic in story for that - but Shanghai Blues is also a great movie, it's an enormously entertaining blend of comedy, melodrama, romance and musical with a flair of such films from around the globe from the 1930's and 40's, told in a 1980's way without destroying these movies old-fashioned charm or spoiling everything with some new-fangled reinterpretation or such. Add to this some extremely beautiful and colourful camerawork, a great ensemble cast, and a direction that keeps things moving at a steady pace without ever trying to overtake (and overpower) the audience, and you simply have yourself a pretty good movie!

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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