2013-03-10

乾旦路 My Way






My Way is Full of “Fire”

After watching My Way, I highly recommended it to my two friends whose responses were “I’m not interested in the soul-destroying history of Cantonese Opera” and “a documentary? It must be boring”. If you have hesitation in watching the film because of the aforementioned reasons, please go watch it because they are simply misconceptions and I don’t want you to miss a great movie about how the two friends support each other, combat social prejudices, preserve our dying cultural heritage and pursue their dreams, as well as how a profit-driven society lacking diversity strangles one’s prodigious talent. You will also be moved deeply by the two inextinguishable flames of passion for the dying art form and the sacrifices they have made.

My Way is a Hong Kong documentary produced by Sylvia Chang and directed by Cheuk Cheung. It is about two young men, TAM Wing-lun and WONG Hau-wai, who have chosen Cantonese Opera as their profession and want to be male Dans (males playing the female roles) which is rare in the industry. Without the support of family, the industry or the society, the only thing that keeps them going is their passion and friendship. Since they were young, the two have been motivating each other on and off stage. Nowadays, Cantonese Opera is unpopular in Hong Kong. When the road ahead looks bleak, will they give up?

With a prodigious talent for Cantonese Opera, Tam steals Wong’s thunder in the movie, despite an equal amount of time spent on the two leads’ stories. Tam started acting at the age of four. When the kid was asked whether he wanted to be a male Dan, you can see his eyes sparkling with fire, innocence and hope, which is in marked contrast to the cruel reality in which he is now torn between his studies and interest and so he has become too tired to act. When it comes to gifted education, Hong Kong is lagging behind. I cannot help feeling for Tam, whose talent is strangled by the exam-oriented educational system and the profit-driven society which overlooks the significance of art. Tam displayed a precocious talent for Cantonese Opera. Had he been given an opportunity to receive gifted education, he might have become a greater performer.

As for Wong, he is not as talented as Tam, but I salute his attempt to preserve our cultural heritage. As far as the preservation of cultural heritage is concerned, education is important. However, experienced performers tend to shout at greenhorns and teach their apprentices with reserve for fear that they may lose their jobs when their apprentices outperform them. Another obstacle to the preservation of Cantonese Opera is that it is rare to have an opportunity to learn from great performers. For instance, Hung Sin Nui (紅線女), a famous Cantonese Opera actress, is very experienced, but her appearances are very limited these days.

The movie has also shed light on the adverse effect of social prejudice and discrimination. Never is Wong spiritually or financially supported by his mother to learn Cantonese Opera. She despises him for singing in a girl’s voice because she finds it disgusting. Moreover, other actresses dislike male Dans who compete with them for jobs. However, if it is acceptable for YAM Kim-fai (任劍輝), a famous actress of Cantonese Opera, to play the male roles and MEI Lan-fang (梅蘭芳), a famous actor of Peking Opera, to play the female roles, why is working as a male Dan a problem in Cantonese Opera? It shows that people discriminate against male Dans, who might be capable of playing the female roles better than real women.

Although Tam is not supported by his classmates wholeheartedly and Wong is not supported by his mother, they support each other and I am touched by their friendship. Wong is jealous of Tam because of his early start as a Dan. At the same time, Wong wants him to succeed because he sees Tam’s talent. As for Tam, he encourages Wong by saying that his talents will be discovered and admired one day. They are indeed good friends who share the same dream. In addition, I am moved by Tam’s assistant, May. She is a middle-aged woman who is willing to serve as Tam’s assistant for free. Although the city is dying, I’m happy to know that good people are out there. The director has made this movie to raise public awareness of the importance of this art form and I hope I can help by writing this review.

Apart from these, it is worth noting that many teenagers nowadays idle their days away, whereas the two young men have made lots of sacrifices to pursue their dreams. That one minute on stage takes ten years of practice is true. Both Tam and Wong practice and rehearse very often. Besides, Tam does not have enough sleep because of his performances and studies. As for Wong, he organizes workshops and classes to educate the public to preserve our dying cultural heritage, despite the meager income. How about the teenagers shown in the movie? Many are not interested in Cantonese Opera and never take learning seriously. They do not behave themselves and are disrespectful to the teacher. The cheeky girl is not willing to listen to advice. The contrast highlights the shining qualities of the two leads and explains why they can outperform others and become winners in the industry.

The most powerful scene lies at the end of the movie. (SPOILER WARNING) Dead silence is wisely employed to create a poignant moment which promotes reflection. In the scene, the two leads are performing enthusiastically on stage, but their mesmerizing voices cannot be heard. When the camera zooms out, we see that there is no audience. The scene will tug at your heartstrings and bring tears to your eyes. This symbolic scene reminds us that Cantonese Opera is dying and forces the audience to ponder whether or not we still want to hear the two leads sing. If we do, we should act now to preserve this beautiful cultural heritage.

At the end of my screening, every member of the audience stayed until the end of the credits and I was surprised and touched by the rapturous ovation. Despite being Cheuk’s debut feature length documentary, My Way is full of “fire”. On the path to their dreams, Tam and Wong may get burned, yet with fire in their eyes, they win our hearts. 4.2 / 5

伸延觀看:
地厚天高第四集《我要做大老倌》http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RLYlmL_a4U


2013年我最喜愛的記錄片:

- 乾旦路 My Way
- 奇洛李維斯給電影的情書 Side by Side
- 不老騎士 Go Grandriders








影評刊載於「動映地帶」及「IMDB」。

7 則留言:

  1. Hope I can manage to find time to watch this and Go Grandriders.
    [版主回覆03/13/2013 19:35:14]Support!!!
    [芝回覆03/13/2013 18:22:57]Kenji,我也寫了《乾旦路》,請指教:http://blog.yahoo.com/gisum_world/articles/964573#comment-item-811119

    寫完要抖一抖。
    [版主回覆03/13/2013 12:53:05]加油!加油!I see fire in your eyes!!! (p.s. probably because you lack sleep )
    [chestnut girl回覆03/13/2013 08:37:05]Kenji: Rust and Bone & Gambit will be released on 21 March. No should be released on 4 April ;)
    [chestnut girl回覆03/13/2013 08:36:11]芝:加油!我看我今晚能不能看到這齣,還有【不老騎士】。
    [芝回覆03/13/2013 00:03:49]Chestnut Girl, 我差點以為I wish there were 48 hours a day係戲名 你說的頭三套我也想看,後兩套未看資料。
    Kenji, 我寫了一半,希望盡快完成(好的,我先寫這套)。寫作真要點鼓勵,謝謝!
    [版主回覆03/12/2013 11:24:05]Rust and Bone will be formally released in HK later.
    [chestnut girl回覆03/12/2013 11:12:28]I want to but I can't. There are many good films coming:
    The Master
    Rust and Bone / Gambit
    No
    Caesar Must Die
    Good Morning, Babylon
    I wish there were 48 hours a day.
    [版主回覆03/12/2013 10:40:20]Vincent - Thanks for sharing my reviews with your friends on Facebook.

    芝 - Please write something to support this local documentary. Support you!

    Chestnut Girl - The animation looks cool. Still, I advise you to get more rest.
    [chestnut girl回覆03/11/2013 22:38:41]我仲差一篇【歡樂皺紋】未寫,不過唔知幾時有時間寫
    [芝回覆03/11/2013 21:42:41]你這篇,在鼓勵我寫呢~ 我有幾篇文想寫,但假日又做了別的事。我要盡快趕上
    [chestnut girl回覆03/11/2013 06:59:46]OK, Vincent. I'll find time!
    [Vincent Chan回覆03/10/2013 23:39:56]chestnut girl, you should watch this movie. I love it so much. Vincent
    [chestnut girl回覆03/10/2013 21:32:38]唉,個時間表我宜家都唔知點砌,最慘係今個月有好多日唔响香港,仲要加埋個HKIFF
    [版主回覆03/10/2013 18:45:33] We love it and I hope you do.

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  2. This is a rare movie. The director had to love Cantonese opera!
    [版主回覆03/12/2013 10:44:12]I think so. The topic is very interesting. the director says that it is difficult to make movies in Hong Kong these days, but it is even harder for a male to play the female roles in Cantonese Opera. Their passion is heartfelt and deserves our support. There are a few more screenings in BC at Yau ma Tei. The director will talk to the audience after the screening on 21 / 3 (THU).

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  3. not going to read your blog until i see it on Thu. will keep u updated on what I think, thank you for the recommendation no matter i like it or not :)
    [版主回覆03/18/2013 20:02:04]You are welcome. My blogmates, Gi and Chestnut Girl, also recommend it to their friends. I'm looking forward to your review. Enjoy the movie.

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  4. "當知道前面的路沒有未來,我們還會選擇走下去嗎?" - 道出了許多人的心聲。
    也因這句話,Mimo 特地去了youtube觀看了有關內容介紹。
    [版主回覆03/19/2013 20:15:32]Surely not! Good reflection!!!
    [Mimo回覆03/19/2013 11:40:40]Yes, I like the first photo very much so that I use it as my blog's photo today.
    Hope you don't mind!
    [版主回覆03/19/2013 10:12:58]Thanks for your support Mimo. After my screening, the director gave me a bookmark (as shown in the the first photo) as a gift. It gives me a lot of power whenever I feel frustrated in the process of pursuing dreams. A good HK documentary indeed.

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  5. 有機會一定要看
    [版主回覆03/20/2013 14:24:50]Grasp the golden opportunity! There are just two screenings in Yau Ma Tei left.

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  6. Hi Kenji, thanks for recommending this movie. It sounds like a good one that nobody wants to miss it. Is it on DVD yet?
    [小猴回覆04/08/2013 11:20:46]Thank you!
    [版主回覆04/07/2013 14:53:25]Welcome. Apart from 第四集, other episodes in 地厚天高 are VERY good too. I am also deeply touched by one of the episodes which is about teenagers dancing in public areas in 10 minutes and leaving the area immediately. Their passion for dancing moves me to tears. Search for them on Youtube and have a look in your spare time.
    [小猴回覆04/07/2013 04:28:29]It is all right. I always watched the RTHK programs when I was in HK. I just finished watching 地厚天高第四集《我要做大老倌》. As always, it is worth the time to watch it. Thanks for your recommendation.
    [版主回覆04/07/2013 00:14:59]Oh I see. However, even if the DVD is released, you may not be able to buy it in your country.
    [小猴回覆04/06/2013 03:36:54]I don't live in Hong Kong. I live on the other side of the world.
    [版主回覆04/06/2013 01:50:36]Not yet. However, there are a few screenings left at Yau Ma Tei BC. Watch it in your spare time. Gi and Chestnut Girl also love it.

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  7. just finished a brief review of the "My Way", not as detail as yours but it's just a random thought after coming out from the cinema. basically i like it but not as much as other documentary that i've see. the subjects, the theme, and the intention are good but i think there are quite some room for improvement. having said that, it's a HK movie by a young director which i think everyone who loves movie should support it by watching it in the cinema. as a matter of fact, i do admire how the two young folks who devote to their interest, and their determination turned their interest into career, although it's a bumpy road.
    p.s. work is like crazy lately and in fact, i haven't had time to read through your review yet, but i'll do it in a day or 2. last but not least, thank you for your recommendation and pls let your bloggers know if you ever see some excellent movies again :)
    [版主回覆04/09/2013 20:44:57]影評刊載於「動映地帶」及「IMDB」。Beside, it is posted on the movie's facebook page. I am glad that Paris Wong likes it. Frankly speaking, I have not written a full review for a long time because I have been quite busy. Still, I am deeply moved by a local documentary like this. Both passion and frustration are heartfelt. It is saddening to hear people say that Hong Kong is dying. If writing a review can help remind Hong Kong people of their dreams, I am more than willing to do so.
    [Sloppy Joe回覆04/08/2013 22:43:39]thanks. btw, did you publish this review in other magazine or web site? or did you pass this piece of review to the director? I believe the director will be very please that he has an audience who wrote such a comprehensive review on his movie :)
    [版主回覆04/08/2013 13:20:44]Thank you for your support. Gi and Chesnut Girl also love this movie and I am glad that you enjoy it. As for your work, I hope you can get some rest. Sometimes it is hard for me to go blogging because of my work too. I did have some free time during the easter holidays. As I got sick, I had to stay at home and the only thing I could do was blogging haha. I wish you a lot of free time very soon.

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