FILMING MARGINS TANG SHU SHUEN A Forgonen Hong Kong Woman Director Yau Ching # jg . *. * & ft& f± \^£ 7 HONG KON G UNIVERSIT Y PRES S Hong Kon g University Pres s 14/F Hing Wai Centr e 7 Tin Wan Pray a Roa d Aberdeen Hong Kon g © Hong Kong University Pres s 200 4 ISBN 96 2 20 9 689 1 All rights reserved. No portion o f this publication ma y be reproduce d or transmitted i n any form o r by any means, electronic o r mechanical, includin g photocopy, recording, or any information storag e or retrieval system , without permissio n i n writing from th e publisher . Secure On-line Orderin g http://www.hkupress.org British Librar y Cataloguing-in-Publicatio n Dat a A catalogu e record fo r thi s book i s available from th e British Library . Printed an d bound b y United Leagu e Graphic & Printing Co. Ltd., in Hong Kong, China Hong Kon g Universit y Pres s i s honoured tha t X u Bing , whos e ar t explores the comple x theme s o f language acros s cultures, has writte n m the Press' s nam e i n hi s Squar e Wor d Calligraphy . Thi s signal s ou r £91 commitmen t t o cross-cultura l thinkin g an d th e distinctiv e natur e o f our English-languag e book s publishe d i n China . "At firs t glance, Square Word Calligraphy appear s to be nothing mor e J&EL unusual tha n Chines e characters , bu t i n fac t i t i s a ne w wa y o f rendering Englis h word s i n th e forma t o f a squar e s o the y resembl e Chinese characters. Chinese viewer s expect to be able to read Squar e Word Calligraphy but cannot. Western viewers, however are surprise d to find the y can read it . Delight erupts when meaning i s unexpectedly revealed." us — Britt a Erickson, The Art of Xu Bing CONTENTS Figures and Table vi i Note on Romanisation an d Translation x i Acknowledgements xii i Introduction: Framing a Hong Kong Chinese Female 1 Authorship i n History 1. T o B e a Chinese Femal e Subject : The Arch 2 9 2. Th e (Impossibilit y o f an Institutional Critique : China Behind 6 7 3. A Brea k from He r Authorship? The Context o f Making 10 1 Sup Sap Bup Dap and The Hong Kong Tycoon 4. Revisitin g Her Cinema a s Counter-cinema: 12 9 Sup Sap Bup Dap 5. Masqueradin g the Stereotyping: The Hong Kong Tycoon 17 9 6. Afterword : T o Continue, to Remember 23 5 vi Contents Notes 24 1 Filmography 24 3 Bibliography 24 9 Index 27 9 FIGURES AND TABLE Figures Cover Still s from The Arch, China Behind and Sup Sap Bup Dap (courtesy o f Tang Shu Shuen ) Figure LI 'Hon g Kong' s Firs t Woma n Directo r Ka o Pao - 1 5 shu shootin g Feng Fei-fei\ Hong Kong Movie News, Ma y 197 0 (courtes y o f Sha w Brother s [H.K.] Ltd.) Figure 1. 2 ( Lu Yan, lead actress in The Arch, arrives in Hong 1 5 Kong', International Screen 137 , Apri l 196 7 (courtesy o f Cathay Organization Pt e Ltd.) Figure 1. 1 Stil l from The Arch (fram e capture ) 3 0 Figure 1. 2 'Speakin g to Tang Shu Shuen about Films' with 3 6 subheading Th e Youn g an d Beautifu l Woma n Director', Breakthrough, 1 5 Octobe r 197 5 (courtesy o f Breakthrough Ltd. ) Figure 1. 3 Photograp h o f Tan g wit h he r bac k facin g th e 3 6 camera directing China Behind (courtesy of Tang Shu Shuen ) Figure 1. 4 Portrai t of Tang with her dark glasses on (courtesy 3 9 of Breakthrough Ltd. ) Figure 1. 5 Th e Perso n I Don' t Know' , Tabloid 1 , 3 0 3 9 September 197 6 (courtesy o f City Magazine) viii Figures and Table Figure 1. 6 Stil l from The Arch (courtesy of Tang Shu Shuen) 4 8 Figure 1. 7 Still s fro m The Arch (courtes y o f Tan g Sh u 5 0 Shuen) Figure 1. 8 Still s fro m The Arch (courtes y o f Tan g Sh u 5 2 Shuen) Figure 1. 9 'Cho w Hsua n Talk s abou t Love' , International 5 3 Screen 143 , October 196 7 (courtes y o f Catha y Organization Pt e Ltd.) Figure 1.1 0 'Cho w Hsua n Doe s Not Wan t t o Marr y Early' , 5 3 International Screen 139, June 196 7 (courtes y o f Cathay Organization Pte Ltd.) Figure 1.1 1 Newspape r advertisemen t fo r th e theatrica l 5 4 release o f The Arch i n Hong Kong Figure 1.1 2 Cover , publicit y pamphle t fo r th e Hon g Kon g 5 4 Premiere o f The Arch (courtes y o f Tan g Sh u Shuen) Figure 2.1 Stil l from The Arch (courtesy of Tang Shu Shuen) 7 2 Figure 2.2 Stil l from The Arch (courtesy of Tang Shu Shuen) 7 3 Figure 2.3 Stil l fro m China Behind (courtes y o f Tang Sh u 7 4 Shuen) Figure 2.4 Stil l fro m China Behind (courtes y o f Tang Sh u 8 0 Shuen) Figure 2.5 Stil l fro m China Behind (courtes y o f Tang Sh u 8 1 Shuen) Figure 2.6 Stil l fro m China Behind (courtes y o f Tan g Sh u 8 2 Shuen) Figure 3.1 Cover , Sheng Huo Monthly, Septembe r 197 0 11 9 (courtesy o f the artist ) Figure 3.2 A pag e from Close-Up Film Review 42 (courtesy 12 1 of Close-Up) Figure 4.1 Still s fro m Sup Sap Bup Dap (courtes y o f Tan g 13 9 Shu Shuen ) Figure 4.2 Still s fro m Sup Sap Bup Dap (courtes y o f Tang 14 0 Shu Shuen ) Figure 4.3 Stil l from Sup Sap Bup Dap (courtesy of Tang Shu 14 0 Shuen) Figure 4.4 Still s fro m Sup Sap Bup Dap (courtes y o f Tang 15 9 Shu Shuen ) Figures and Table ix Figure 4.5 Stil l from publicity poster for Sup Sap Bup Dap 16 0 Figure 4.6 Publicit y Poster for Sup Sap Bup Dap 16 0 Figure 4.7 Stil l from Sup Sap Bup Dap (courtesy of Tang Shu 16 1 Shuen) Figure 4.8 Stil l from Sup Sap Bup Dap (courtesy of Tang Shu 17 4 Shuen) Figure 4.9 Bac k side of publicity poster for Sup Sap Bup Dap 17 7 Figure 5.1 Stil l from The HongKongTycoon (fram e capture) 19 0 Figure 5.2 Cover , Southern Screen 120 , Februar y 196 8 19 6 (courtesy o f Shaw Brothers [H.K. ] Ltd.) Figure 5.3 Cover , International Screen 179, December 197 0 19 6 (courtesy o f Cathay Organization Pte Ltd.) Figure 5.4 Th e Bod y — Tin a Ti' International Screen 139 , 19 6 June 196 7 (courtesy o f Cathay Organization Pt e Ltd.) Figure 5.5 Th e Bod y — Tina Ti', International Screen 139, 19 7 June 196 7 (courtesy of Cathay Organization Pt e Ltd.) Figure 5.6 'Mixe d Feeling s toward s Tin a Hostin g a TV 20 6 Show', Milky Way Pictorial 133 , Apri l 196 9 (courtesy o f Milky Way Pictorial) Figure 5.7 Cover , Min g Pao Weekly 1588 , 1 7 Apri l 199 9 20 8 (courtesy o f Ming Pao Weekly) Figure 5.8 Cover , Min g Pao Weekly 1589 , 2 4 Apri l 199 9 20 8 (courtesy o f Ming Pao Weekly) Figure 5.9- Still s from The Hong Kong Tycoon (frame capture) 218 — 5.19 22 4 Table Table 2. 1 Number s of films produced in Hong Kong in the 7 6 1960s (compiled from Hong Kong Government statistics) INTRODUCTION: FRAMING A HONG KONG CHINESE FEMALE AUTHORSHIP IN HISTORY THIS BOO K SEEK S to fill a gap in the development o f international cinema studies by producing a critical discussion of a key woman director working in the Hong Kong cinema of the 1960 s and 1970s , on whom scholarship has been, until now, respectful but limited. My study incorporates theories of authorship, feminist film criticism, and cultural studies to interrogate how a body o f work has been marginalised i n history by the operation s and limitations of certain cinematic and social discourse in the changing contexts of Hong Kong. This project i s addressed to film scholars, cultural studies scholars , an d an y seriou s reade r intereste d i n issue s o f gende r and sexua l politics , colonial an d post-colonia l discourses , Hong Kon g cinema, and the cultural history o f Hong Kong. Reclaiming a n Author When Rolan d Barthe s parade d th e coffi n o f the Author , h e probabl y would not hav e envisione d tha t th e autho r woul d soon be resurrecte d and was sneaking in from the back door called identity politics, all ready to make a scene.