- Hero (2002) dir. Zhang Yimou
In the year 220 BC whilst the seven states of China are at war with one another, the Qin Emperor confines himself to his palace having survived yet another assassination attempt this time by three of his top fighters, Long Sky, Flying Snow and Broken Sword. Nameless, a small town prefect and skilled swordsman arrives at the Royal Court claiming to have rid the Emperor of his assassins. Nameless must now convince the Emperor as to the validity of his claim or face execution.
Working with cinematographer Christopher Doyle Yimou has created a veritable rainbow palette of vibrant landscapes that provide the backdrop for some equally stunning fight and battle scenes. From the film’s opening scene in the Emperor’s royal residence with its rich depth of scale, to the tens of thousands of black arrows shot into the air almost blocking out the sun then crashing into the deep calligraphy school, Yimou knows how to create a visual spectacle that screams epic.
‘Your Majesty, my task is completed now. My decision will cause the deaths of many and Your Majesty will live on. A dead man begs you to remember; a warrior’s ultimate act is to lay down his sword.’
Runtime: 2h
- Chungking Express (1994) dir. Wong Kar-wai
The whiplash, double-pronged Chungking Express is one of the defining works of 1990s cinema and the film that made Wong Kar Wai an instant icon. Two heartsick Hong Kong cops both jilted by ex-lovers, cross paths at the Midnight Express take-out food stand, where the ethereal pixie waitress Faye works. Anything goes in Wong’s gloriously shot and utterly unexpected charmer, which cemented the sex appeal of its gorgeous stars and forever turned canned pineapple and the Mamas & the Papas’ “California Dreamin’” into tokens of romantic longing.
‘If memories could be canned, would they also have expiry dates? If so, I hope they last for centuries.’
Runtime: 1h42m
- Chicken and Duck Talk (1988) dir. Clifton Ko Chi-Sum
A witty and thoroughly engaging send-up of both the fast food business and the cut-throat techniques often employed by conglomerates to crush independent competition.
The film deals with the conflict that ensues between the proprietor of an old-fashioned roast duck restaurant that is in trouble for health violations and the new fast food chicken restaurant that opens across the street.
Chicken and Duck Talk was the highest-grossing Hong Kong film released in 1988. Hui’s screenplay and performance won him several awards, including a special award given by the American Film Institute in 1989.
Runtime: 1h35m
Venue: Wilkins Terrace
