In 2003, two superstars, Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, passed away one after another, leaving endless regrets. 21 years have passed, the light, shadow and memories left by the two in the world are endless and their charm is still the same.
html On March 23, "Youth Renewed: A Retrospective of Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui's Hong Kong Films" opened at Shanghai Cinemas. The film festival is jointly organized by the Economic and Trade Office of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in Shanghai (Shanghai Office), Shanghai Film Museum, Hong Kong Film Archive, and Shanghai Film Archive.This film festival will last until April 1. It will select eight films starring Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui from the 1980s to the new millennium, including "Fate" and "The Peak", the two's first screen collaboration. " Rouge Button ", as well as three masterpieces starring each other, " Days of Being Wild ", "Across the World", " A Chinese Ghost Story " starring Leslie Cheung, and " Half a Lifetime " " Man Forty" starring Anita Mui 》《Zhong Wuyan》. Among them, "Across the World" and "Half Life" are the latest 4k restored versions. Through the big screen, we can once again experience the screen charm of these two legendary movie stars, appearing one after another as Twelve Young Masters, Ning Caichen, Ruhua, and Gu Manlu.
China Business News learned from the organizer that many screenings, including "Days of Being Wild", were quickly sold out shortly after the film festival opened. Fans of Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui across the country expressed their remembrance of the two by sending flower cards, leaving messages, and calling them.
Before becoming superstars
In the history of Hong Kong pop culture, Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui are undoubtedly two bright stars. Their works span time and space and enjoy influence among global audiences. They straddle the film and music circles, with ever-changing screen images and various characters brought to life. They are iconic cultural symbols of the golden age of Hong Kong cinema.
At the opening forum of the film festival held at the Shanghai Film Museum, Chan Ka Shang, the screenwriter of the film "Fate" and Hong Kong director, Ding Zijun, a Hong Kong actor and director who has collaborated with Leslie Cheung on the film, and film scholar Mao Jian, discussed Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui's impact on Hong Kong. , the influence of mainland pop culture.
opened the film festival with " Fate ", an urban romance film produced by Shaw Brothers in 1984. This film is not as well-known to the audience as other films in Zhang and Mei's sequence of works, but it is of profound significance. In the film, the camera skips streets, subways, movie theaters, record stores, and home furnishing stores. The urban landscape of Hong Kong in the 1980s seems so modern and trendy today.
Chen Jiashang said that before "Fate", Shaw Brothers' most famous films were all martial arts films shot in studios. There were almost no realistic-themed films, and few films were shot outside the studio. "Fate" used both onstage and behind the scenes. A brand-new system was introduced, and at that time Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui were still newcomers to the film industry: "Leslie Cheung was indeed a box office poison at that time, and had not yet won (in the market)." Originally, the leading actor of "Fate" was someone else, and Chen Jiashang told Shao Zhang Guorong strongly recommended Leslie Cheung, which led to the first collaboration between Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui.
This film is also the first film authorized by the Hong Kong Metro, and most of the scenes were shot in the subway. At that time, the Hong Kong Metro only had the Tsuen Wan Line and the Kwun Tong Line. As urban public spaces that had just been put into use, they symbolized fashion and trendiness. "We started working after the last subway train finished its work, and soon the first train in the morning was ready to leave, so we stopped working." Chen Jiashang recalled.
"Fate" tells the story of the emotional entanglement between a young white-collar worker who has just entered the society, a rich girl with a flamboyant personality, and a sweet and cute record store girl. It is also the first film collaboration between Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui. The two also sang together in the film. theme song. "Fate" was the starting point for Leslie Cheung, who had just become famous with "Monica", to become a movie star. Anita Mui won her first Academy Award with it. This was also Maggie Cheung's second film. The youthful looks and performances of the three superstars when they were just starting out were preserved in this film. Chen Jiashang revealed that Anita Mui, who was originally just a one-day guest star, became a supporting role with a heavy role after filming started due to her amazing performance, adjusting the rhythm of the entire film.
Mao Jian said that "Fate" seems to have some strange plots today, but the improvisational nature of the filming gave the film a sense of flow. In a sense, it is embedded in the context of the new wave of Hong Kong films, and it also laid the foundation for Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui's future. The emotional background of the screen, such as Leslie Cheung's youthfulness, Anita Mui always helps others.
Recalling the movie time when he was filming "Fate" 40 years ago and became associated with Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, Chen Jiashang felt so happy: "At that time, we had nothing and were full of expectations for the future. Our common ideal is to change this In the world, we see too many unreasonable and too many things that are taken for granted, and we have to change it. Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui have been doing this all their lives."
Why Youth Will Stay forever
Recalling his cooperation with Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui, Chen Jiashang was filled with emotion , believes that their charm on stage and screen comes from soulful performances: "They come with their souls to act, not to work. They are not acting, they are the characters themselves. Such actors are hard to find." In his opinion, the two of them are not only excellent actors, but also excellent people: "They regard themselves as film workers. They are not here to be worshiped by others, but to work. In the end, they will not say that they are stars. , but part of us."
Ding Zijun said that he was very envious of the creative environment at that time. The uninterrupted interaction and mutual trust between actors and creators are worthy of learning by future generations: "The core spirit of the film is that no matter what position, director, costumer , tea, and actors, they are all aiming for one goal, which is to shoot the show well."
Ding Zijun is very grateful that he met a good actor like Leslie Cheung when he first entered the industry, and gave him sincere encouragement: "He cared about me as a newcomer, When a superstar comes up to you and says that he hopes you have a bright future, you will be really touched. As we slowly become more and more experienced actors, we use the same spirit and way that our brother treated us at that time. Treat newcomers." He remembered that Anita Mui was very active in doing many social welfare in the last period of her life: "She did it sincerely and took action to help others everywhere. I think Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui are one of the reasons why many people like Hong Kong. 1."
In Mao Jian's view, the existence of Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui is very special. Their avant-garde and courage are themselves a huge talent: "Others are defined by beauty, and they define beauty. Their beauty is unparalleled, Maverick is a very clean beauty, the beauty of the golden age of movies." Mao Jian said: "They entered this industry, dedicated to their responsibilities, and had no other distractions. Their youthful beauty is not only their beauty, but also their souls. I I feel this is something that cannot be copied."
To this day, there are still countless fans who remember them. In fact, they are also recalling the movie spirit of that era. Mao Jian said: "Nowadays, people talk about the star system. It seems that hiring a big name will be a star system. I think the real meaning of the star system is to see something in the star, and he will become the logic and light point of the film." The holding of the film festival , on the one hand, it commemorates their dedication to the film industry, and also criticizes today's movies: "Today's movies are a bit more rigid than those back then, and this allows AI to take advantage of it, because the movie industry People should be working, but now people work like machines. Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui are always creating, and the expressions on their faces cannot be copied by AI."
recalled that twenty years ago, Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui passed away one after another, Chen Jiashang was emotional Cry. After hearing the news of Leslie Cheung's death, all Hong Kong filmmakers fell into shock and grief. The upcoming Hong Kong Film Awards could not go ahead. Chan Ka-shang insisted on holding it: "If we don't do it at this juncture, we will let down Hong Kong, and Leslie doesn't want to See." Chen Jiashang went to Anita Mui's home and hoped that she would attend the award ceremony as Leslie Cheung's best friend. Anita Mui suggested that no matter who the Best Actor award was awarded to: "I think Leslie Cheung is the best." Chen Jiashang believed that this would be a good way for the winner. It was not fair, and because of this, the two had a big quarrel: "They both treat people with true feelings and are very magnanimous.”
Light and shadow exchanges and mutual promotion
Since the 1920s, the two cities of Shanghai and Hong Kong have continued to communicate in film culture and jointly promote the diversified development of Chinese films. This film festival is jointly launched by professional organizations in Shanghai and Hong Kong to commemorate Leslie Cheung , Anita Mui’s outstanding contribution to Chinese film culture.
Before the opening of the film festival, Cai Liang, director of the Shanghai Office, said in an interview with the media that the country’s “14th Five-Year Plan Outline” positioned Hong Kong as a center for cultural and artistic exchanges between China and foreign countries. “Hong Kong has always focused on In the cultural exchange between China and the West, film is a very familiar way of expression and is very famous around the world. Especially in the 1980s, the Hong Kong film industry was very brilliant, and there were many film and television superstars who left a deep impression on global audiences. I believe everyone knows Leslie Cheung and Anita Mui. They still attracted many new fans after their deaths. They are very famous representatives of Hong Kong pop culture. "
This year, Hong Kong will host nearly 150 international events and celebrations, with more than 80 in the first half of the year. The second Hong Kong Pop Culture Festival will open next month. It will plan different forms of special topics with the theme of "Both Civil and Military" Exhibitions, film screenings, stage programs and outreach activities. In the future, the Hong Kong SAR government will have the power to promote the development of Hong Kong's cultural and creative industries, including launching the "Mainland Film Market Development Subsidy Scheme" to support the investment of Hong Kong and mainland cultural enterprises and promote the development of Hong Kong directors. production to help them expand the mainland market; increase funding for cultural exchanges to support more Hong Kong art groups and artists to perform outside Hong Kong, and participate in exhibitions or activities, etc.
Not long ago, Wong Kar-wai directed, Hu Ge , Ma Yili , Tang Yan and other Shanghai actors starring " Flowers " have become another example of cooperation between Shanghai and Hong Kong filmmakers. The producer of "Flowers", Wang Jianer, chairman of Shanghai Film Group, said at the opening ceremony of the film festival that Shanghai Film and Hong Kong has carried out many cooperations. For example, the Shanghai Film Museum has been working with Hong Kong since its opening more than ten years ago to lead Shanghai audiences to experience the light and shadow charm of national treasure-level films such as "Confucius" and "Fake Phoenix", allowing Hong Kong audiences to appreciate Xie Jin , Wu Yigong and other classic works of Chinese film giants. Last year, a Jin Yong film retrospective was launched. Wang Jianer said that in the next two years, the Shanghai Film Festival will strengthen cooperation with Hong Kong professional institutions and laboratories of Hong Kong universities in the field of new technologies, especially AI. , to promote film production.
