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When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given e.g. AUTHOR (year of submission) "Full thesis title", University of Southampton, name of the University School or Department, PhD Thesis, pagination http://eprints.soton.ac.uk UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON FACULTY OF HUMANITIES Film Studies Hong Kong Cinema Since 1997: The Response of Filmmakers Following the Political Handover from Britain to the People’s Republic of China by Sherry Xiaorui Xu Thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy December 2012 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON ABSTRACT FACULTY OF HUMANITIES Film Studies Doctor of Philosophy HONG KONG CINEMA SINCE 1997: THE RESPONSE OF FILMMAKERS FOLLOWING THE POLITICAL HANDOVER FROM BRITAIN TO THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA by Sherry Xiaorui Xu This thesis was instigated through a consideration of the views held by many film scholars who predicted that the political handover that took place on the July 1 1997, whereby Hong Kong was returned to the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from British colonial rule, would result in the “end” of Hong Kong cinema. From that day onwards, Hong Kong cinema would no longer enjoy its previously unfettered and uninhibited revolutionary creativity and the Hong Kong film industry could thereby be perceived as being “in crisis”. In considering whether these predictions have actually come to pass, this thesis sets out to focus on exploring representative Hong Kong filmmakers’ activities and performances following Hong Kong becoming a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) from 1997 onwards. The exploration of the chosen filmmakers’ activities and performances includes examining the filmmaking practices that they have embraced and analysing the exhibition and distribution patterns adopted by the films that they have produced. The intention is to examine to what extent the political transition has shaped these filmmakers’ filmmaking practices and to observe the characteristics exhibited by the distribution and exhibition aspects of the films since the handover in order to specify any connection they may have with the momentous political handover. This thesis intends to show how Hong Kong cinema has responded to the challenges of an age of transition and globalisation through in-depth analyses of the activities of these key industry personnel that ii have elevated Hong Kong cinema’s position of regional and global popularity, and the commercially and critically significant films that they have made, covering the wider spectrum of genre, including those of action, comedy, realistic, horror and romantic drama. It is the aim of this thesis to present a new perspective that contributes to the study of post-colonial Hong Kong cinema. iii List of Contents Abstract ii-iii List of Contents iv-vi Declaration of Authorship vii Acknowledgements viii Film titles, names of individual personnel and abbreviations used ix-x Film titles and names of individual personnel ix Abbreviations x Introduction 1-34 Research Aims and Scope 3 Studies of Pre-1997 Hong Kong Cinema 4 Debating Post-1997 Hong Kong’s Identity 8 Transregional/Transnational/Translocal Imagination and Globalisation 14 Methodology 22 Thesis Structure 28 Chapter One: “Creative Reconstruction”: The Development of Hong Kong Cinema Before and After 1997 35-82 Debating the Possibility of a Transitional-Inspired Decline within the Industry 35 A Consideration of the Parameters of the Hong Kong Film Industry since the Political Transition 39 Film policies launched since 1997 44 Postcolonial Localism: Representing the Reconstruction of Hong Kong Cinema 48-61 Johnnie To and his Milkyway Image 53 Running out of Time (1999) 56 Infernal Affairs: the end of pure imitation of Hollywood 58 The Transregionalisation/Translocalisation/Globalisation of Independent Filmmakers 61-74 The Pang Brothers 64 The Eye (2002) 65 The Messengers (2007) 66 Media cultural translocalisation/transregionalisation/ globalisation 67-74 Applause Pictures 67 Golden Chicken (2002) 69 CEPA benefits for post-1997 Hong Kong filmmaking 72 iv Perhaps Love’s challenge to Hollywood Supremacy 73 Conclusion 74 Chapter Two: Stephen Chow Sing Chi: From Local to Global (“Glocal”) 83-122 Stephen Chow’s Pre-1997 Trajectory 85-90 Transition from Local to Global (“Glocal”) 1997 onwards 90-114 The production of Shaolin Soccer (2001) 92 Distributing Shaolin Soccer (2001) 99 Shaolin Soccer (2001)’s exhibition 101 Kung Fu Hustle (2004): a cross-border interaction between the Hong Kong, Mainland China and Hollywood film industries 102-112 The making of Kung Fu Hustle (2004): the Hong Kong side of the story 102 The Mainland China side of the story 109 The Hollywood side of the story 111 CJ7 (2008) 113 Conclusion 115 Chapter Three: Wong Kar-wai’s Journey to the West 123-150 As Tears Go By (1988) and Days of Being Wild (1990) 126 Ashes of Time (1994) 128 Chungking Express (1994) and Fallen Angels (1995) 130 Happy Together (1997): The Transition Point 131 Recollecting the Lost Memory of Chineseness: In the Mood for Love (2000) 136 2046 (2004): Pursuit of an International Standard Pattern 141 Conclusion 144 Chapter Four: Fruit Chan: From Independent to Mainstream 151-182 Introduction 151 Made in Hong Kong (1997) 153 The Longest Summer (1998) 157 Little Cheung (1999) 161 Durian Durian (2000) 165 Hollywood, Hong Kong (2001) and Public Toilet (2002) 168 Three…Extremes (2004) and Dumplings (2004): Posing a Transnational/Translocal “Cultural Exhibitionism” 172 Conclusion 177 Conclusions 183-196 Appendices 197-200 Glossary 201-220 v Bibliography 221-242 vi DECLARATION OF AUTHORSHIP I, ……………………………………………………………………………., declare that the thesis entitled ……………………….………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………… and the work presented in the thesis are both my own, and have been generated by me as the result of my own original research. I confirm that: . this work was done wholly or mainly while in candidature for a research degree at this University; . where any part of this thesis has previously been submitted for a degree or any other qualification at this University or any other institution, this has been clearly stated; . where I have consulted the published work of others, this is always clearly attributed; . where I have quoted from the work of others, the source is always given. With the exception of such quotations, this thesis is entirely my own work; . I have acknowledged all main sources of help; . where the thesis is based on work done by myself jointly with others, I have made clear exactly what was done by others and that I have contributed myself; . none of this work has been published before submission; Signed: ……………………………………………………………………….. Date:……………………………………………………………………………. vii Acknowledgements The research could have not been finished and this thesis could not have been written without the generous help of the following people. I am sincerely grateful to my supervisor Professor Tim Bergfelder and my advisor Dr Sally Keenan, who put their efforts into supervising my research and my writings in the right direction and style, editing, advising and discussing the overall arguments and ideas of my thesis with their professional guidance and insightful perspectives on Hong Kong cinema. I also want to specially thank my darling Johnnie. I could not have done the research without his encouragement, understanding and patient listening to me whenever I talked about my research. I also appreciate the kind help from my Postgraduate colleagues and in particular my friend Daniel O’Brien who made many helpful suggestions for my research and Claudia Sandberg for sparing time to discuss some theoretical perspectives. I am also indebted to the Hong Kong Film Archive and Hong Kong Film Service Office for kindly providing access to resources that I needed for my research. This thesis is dedicated to my beloved father who spoils me with all his love and influences me with his respectable morality. viii Film titles, names of individual personnel and abbreviations used Film titles Hong Kong films and Chinese films (including films that were made in Mainland China and Taiwan) that are mentioned and closely examined in this thesis are all written using only their English titles. These films’ proper Chinese titles are listed in English alphabetical order in the Glossary section of the thesis. Names of individual personnel Chinese filmmakers, directors, actors and related personnel who are discussed in this thesis will be denoted by their English names alongside their Chinese names, either in Cantonese or pinyin or in Wade – Giles System depending on whether they are from Mainland China (pinyin), Hong Kong (Cantonese) or Taiwan (Wade – Giles System), for example Peter Chan Ho-sun (from Hong Kong), Vicky Zhao Wei (from Mainland China), or Edward Yang (Wade – Giles System); for those who do not have English names, their names will be written