by
JT1124
@ Saturday, 16. Dec, 2006 - 04:17:42 pm
Introduction
Started from 90s, there was a new genre – “mou lei-tau” appeared in Hong Kong film industry. Within this period, there was a famous star – Stephen Chaiu Sing-Chi pop up. Stephen Chaiu is now an undisputedly South Asia’s famous star. He is not just an actor but also writer, producer, director. His movies even can bowl over the others films and climb to the top of the box office for more than a decade in Hong Kong. And nowadays, his movie also eye catching the western audience, like Kung Fu Hustle. In 23rd December 2005, an online movie news called “Kung Fu hustler Stephen Chow takes on the world” mentioned about there is a big surprise that the film Kung Fu Hustle had broken the box office records wherever it opened in South East Asia, and had already taken $20 million un the US, also it pointed out Kung Fu Hustle may be the film that allows Chaiu to make the transition from Asian to international superstar. (Aftab 2005)
To see his big success, Chaiu has his own philosophy of his films, he said "I don't really mind that people call my films 'nonsense' or 'slapstick', or whatever they choose to name it, but actually, something in my movies I always pay attention to is that I give my audience a movie with a heart. No matter what packaging you give a movie, it has to have heart; otherwise it is only a movie." (Aftab 2005)
Mou Lei Tau vs. Postmodern
There are lots of the interviews asked Chaiu about the “mou lei-tau” all the responds are saying that it just the way he is. "That is my style, and I have no choice but to act in this way because it represents the way I think about life. And I like it. Why, I can't tell you. It's the same thing with kung fu - I cannot tell you why I love it; I was just born to do it." (Aftab 2005) According to Stephen Chaiu big success, some studies about the trend of “mou lei-tau” argue that “mou lei-tau” which is “nonsense” or even “meaningless talk”, those movies are those slapstick comedies with no special meaning, and just want to entertain the audience. Some people claimed that in the period of Chaiu’s movie hit in Hong Kong, the society was in wealth, they do not want to think about the problems of 97, audience were willing to spend money to the cinema to buy happiness but not serious thinking, that is reason who “mou lei-tau” became so popular. Within different movie news about him, he mentioned that he was a huge fan of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, he said he derived the inspiration from their slapstick comedy. But the other sides point out that, Chaiu’s movies are not something the nonsense with no meaning. They are represented the unique Hong Kong style. Within his films he used large amount of Hong Kong’s slant, that outsider or not well know about Hong Kong is hard to understand. And people argued that his films mirror the paradox that is inherent in Hong Kong’s postmodernism.
In the following discussion, here are chosen those Chaiu’s movies which stayed on the top 20 Hong Kong box office, to study whether Chaiu’s movies are just nonsense or fulfilled the elements of postmodernism. They are Fight Back to School in 1991, Royal Tramp, and Justice My Foot in 1992, FlirtTong Scholar in 1993, God of Cookery in 1996, Shaolin Soccer in 2001 and the number one of the box office Kung Fu Hustle in 2004 .
Literature Review
Postmodernism
Talking about the postmodernism, it became visible in late 1950s and early 1960s. It was a reaction against modernism. In the very beginning, it appeared as a form of ‘revolt’ to against the modernism’s ‘official’ status and embodiment of ‘high’ culture. Susan Sontag pointed out the result of postmodernism before, “One important consequence of the new sensibility (with its abandonment of the Mattew Arnold idea of culture) [is] that the distinction between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture seems less and less meaningful.” (Huyssen 1986: viii, Storey 1993:170)
In the book, An Introductory Guide to Cultural Theory And Popular Culture, which written by John Storey, it points out that postmodern culture regarded as ‘kitsch’, mass produced as commercial, refutes generalizations and categorizations, rejects universal ‘masterplans’, totalising theories, ‘metanarratives’, fragmentation, plurality and difference. (1993:169-170) Furthermore, it mentions three main influential postmodern theorists: Jean-Francois Lyotard, Jean Baudrillard and Fredric Jameson.
Jean-Francois Lyotard
As Jean-Francois Lyotard mentions the ideas of remove the distance between high culture and popular culture, “it is worth nothing his own less than favourable response to this collapse. The popular culture (‘contemporary general culture’) of the postmodern condition is for Lyotard an ‘anything goes’ culture, a culture of ‘slackening’, where taste is irrelevant, and money the only sign of value.” Any kind of cultural production is for money purpose. Lyotard points out that taste is not something important as long as the public like it, they are not considerate the artistic value but the public interest, those products can attract the public, which make money comes from.
On the other hand, “Postmodernism has enfranchised a new body of intellectuals; voices from the margins speaking from positions of difference: ethnic, gender, class, sexual preference – those whom Angela McRobbie refers to as ‘the new generation of intellectuals’ (often black, female or working class). As a positive point of view, it is giving a chance to those in the society who did not have a voice and being marginalize, such as women, homosexual, Asians, blacks and so on. (Storey 1993:147 – 177)
Jean Baudrillard
Baudrillard indicates that everything you consume is just a copy of a copy. ”Baudrillard argues that the very distinction between original and copy has itself now been destroyed. He calls this process ‘simulation’. So, for example, although one can see copies of, say, the ‘Mona Lisa’ in different forms and in different places, to see the original.” Postmodernism is some kind of simulation and simulacrum. He claims that hyperrealism is the characteristic mode of postmodernity. As no one can really give a definition on what reality is, and reality mixed up with representation. Just like when you buy the CD, it just one of the copy that never be the originals, even they have different version, they are all mass production, copy of the copy. He also claims that Disneyland as ‘hyperreal’, “Disneyland (just as prisons are there to conceal the fact that it is the society in its entirety, in its banal omnipresence, which is carceral). Disneyland is presented as imaginary in other to make us believe that the rest is real, when in fact all of Los Angeles and the America surrounding it are no longer real, but of the order of the hyperreal and of simulation.” For example, Disneyland as fantasy land supposed to believe characters are real, but actually someone is in the Mickey Mouse costume. (Storey 1993:177 – 181)
Fredric Jameson
Fredric Jameson claims that postmodernism is a culture of pastiche: the ‘complacent play of historical allusion’. Pastiche is often confused with parody, both involve imitation and mimicry. (Storey 1993:184) It means that there are not something new productions but just a copy from the past. According to Jameson, he mentions our culture are just quoting from the past or borrowing different styles, “both lead us to the world of pastiche: ‘a world in which stylistic innovation is no longer possible, all that is left is to imitate dead styles, to speak through the masks and with the voice of the styles in the imaginary museum. Rather true of quotation, a culture of ‘intertextuality’. Rather than original cultural production, we have cultural production born out of other cultural production.” (1993:185) Also the postmodernism break down the distinction between high and popular culture, however postmodernism indicates the ‘death of the subject’, Jameson points out that there becomes no individualism.
As a result he claims is the ‘warning of affect’ means too superficial like MTV. Those images in MTV made of appeal but no depth to it. Film include the idea of postmodernism may become ‘nostalgia’ film, that within the film people are looking back at past but in a stylish way, at the same time provides the cultural myths and cultural stereotypes.
Furthermore, he claims that postmodernism is the breakdown of continuities as ‘schizophrenia’. “To call postmodern culture schizophrenic is to claim that it has lost its sense of history (and its sense of a future different from the present). It is a culture suffering from ‘historical amnesia’, locked into the discontinuous flow of perpetual presents. The temporal culture of modernism has given way to the spatial culture of postmodernism.” All histories have seen fused into the present. And it also ‘essential triviality’ and ‘depthlessness’ that nothing is important or serious, all is just about the images and style. Postmodernism is something that widespread and influential those have impact on lifestyle and in the society. (1993:184-193)
In the following discussion will study the films of Stephen Chaiu Sing-Chi that do they fulfilled the elements which those three most influential postmodern theorists point out. To clarity that Chiau is only saying nonsense or his screen persona, as some people argue, mirrors the paradox that is inherent in Hong Kong’s postmodernism.
Discussion on Stephen Chaiu Sing-Chi’s movies
‘Anything goes’ culture and a culture of ‘Slackening’
By studying a film, people can study about its artistic values. But for postmodern film as Jean-Francois Lyotard claims that “taste is irrelevant, and money the only sign of value”. No doubt, according to the box office of Chaiu’s films, his films must gain lots of money, such as Fight Back to School in 1991, Royal Trampand, Justice My Foot in 1992, FlirtTong Scholar in 1993, God of Cookery in 1996, Shaolin Soccer in 2001 and the number one of the box office Kung Fu Hustle in 2004, all of them grossed over HK $40 million . Obviously, his films are profitable. For example Fight Back to School in 1991. “One of the few recent local productions to attract a family audience, Fight Back to School crosses the generation gap in generating laughs.” (Fonoroff 1998:165-166)
At the same they can accord with their audience’s interest. People are willing to spend money to buy the joyful that do not need to have too serious thinking. Some studies claim that there are less aesthetic values within his films. There are full of toilet jokes and Hong Kong’s slang within his films. “Western critics who have had a taste of Chiau’s humour say that it will not ‘translate’. Much of the humour is vulgar (toilet jokes abound in all of Chiau’s films) and based on a peculiar Cantonese argot which presupposes Hong Kong residents to fully enjoy the insinuations, slang and in-jokes.” (Stephen 1997:247). Although the content of the films are “depthlessness” but they already fulfilled the expectation of the audience.
“The World of Pastiche”
It is easily to find that the films of Chaiu Sing-Chi are the world of pastiche. Within his films, they are constructed by different elements rather than an original creation. Sometime he is reproduced the old films and added the comedic elements and his own style. For example, Justice, My Foot! in 1992. This film was showing before, “The story, which was previously filmed in the 1950s with the legendary husband-wife team of Ma Sze-tsang ( 馬師曾 ) and Hung Sin Nui ( 紅線女 ), is a satirical expose of corruption among Qing officials.” (Fonoroff 1998:235-236) Also, Flirting Scholar in 1993, this topic of Tong Pak-fu repeated showing since 1930s. “The Ming Dynasty comic tale of painter/playboy Tong Pak-fu who tries to woo the beautiful and clever servant girl Chau Heung is a staple of the Chinese screen. There have been at least a dozen versions produced in Hong Kong and Shanghai since the 1930s. But even though it is a story with which every viewers is familiar, director Lee Lik-chi and the scriptwriters fail to utilize this familiarity to deliver a sparkling satire.” (1998:315)
In 1992, Chiau’s film Royal Tramp also a Chiau’s film that grossed over 40 millions box office, which is a idea from Louis Cha’s ( 金庸 ) original. “The number one box office attraction in Cantonese movies brings moleitau(“nonsense”) humor to the Forbidden City in Royal Tramp, an adaptation of Louis Cha’s ( 金庸 ) martial arts novel which itself was the basis of a 40-episode television series.” (Fonoroff 1998:242) The original one is a martial arts, at the beginning, audience are attracted by Wai Siu-bo who the main character in the novel with his characteristics. However, when the character acted by Stephen Chiau, people tends to consume the icon of Chiau rather than the martial arts vision of Wai Siu-bo. Chiau is not just representing the Louis Cha’s Wai Siu-bo but creates his own one and get good audience’s responds. Like Jameson points out that “postmodern cultural texts do no just quote other cultures, other historical moments, they actually incorporate them to the point where any sense of critical distance threatens to collapse.” (Storey 1993:185)
Beside these, Chiau’s films have different elements combined together, also included something reminiscence. However, when people looking back to the past, recall their memories of their past, like watching the ‘nostalgia’ film at the same time, they are consuming a stylish of oldies. In Kung Fu Hustle (2004), he uses lots of oldies elements, like the setting of Pigsty Alley is imitating the film in 1970s – The House of 72 Tenants, which a building that has lots of tenants lived together in different apartments. Recall to The House of 72 Tenants, in Kung Fu Hustle, there has a grumpy landlady. Also, it adds the Cantonese operas like Buddhist Palm into the film, at the ends, the main protagonist uses the “Buddhist Palm” to conquer the bad guy and overcome all the problems. These kinds of elements are referring to 70s to 80s of Hong Kong films.
‘The new generation of intellectuals’
Within Chaiu’s films, “his characters always reflect Hong Kong’s Chinese migrants as emerging from the premodern agrarian society of China into (pre/post)modern Hong Kong and, somewhat improbably, becoming an overnight success.” (Stephen 1997:246) He usually represents those “small potatoes” in the society, or those who being marginalize, who try to struggle in the society and want to be success. In Fight Back to School, he acted a policeman, who needs to do the undercover job in a secondary school to help the police chief. He is not willing to do this undercover job, but for the pressure of his “boss”, he accepts it. It just likes all the workers in the society, they just obey what their boss told. In Shaolin Soccer, chaiu’s character is a lower class who is a jobless guy always dreams of getting public attention of Shaolin Kung Fu. Although they may not have the power to be success, those marginalize groups in the society just need to keep their faith and someday they will have achievement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, no doubt Stephen Chiau Sing-chi is the ubiquitous star of the new genre of ‘nonsense comedies’, but his style of “mou lei-tau” is not something does not make sense, he represents the Hong Kong’s postmodernism. His high box office affirms his popularity and acceptance within audience in Hong Kong, maybe even can pass to the west. By studying his films, they included lots of ideas of postmodernism that those three main influential postmodern theorists mentioned before. He breaks down the traditional Hong Kong films, in an interview, the interviewer pointed out there are many Asian movies often use very stereotypical elements like kung-fu fighting, triads, those are the common storylines. As Chaiu responded that “even with the western audiences, they are only interested in watching good kung-fu films; it's not just the genre that attracts them. So as long as we continue to enhance the quality of our work, the rest of the world will know that we have the ability to make good quality movies -- not just kung-fu movies, but all types. As long as we continue to have good imagination for ideas, I am confident we can do it!” By using animation in the films is also one of postmodern elements – hypertextuality. To keep the audience’s attraction, Chaiu keep trying something new just like he uses a lot of computer-generated effects, like God of Cookery, Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle are using lots of computer-generated effects, as he mentioned that “if you use traditional means to do things, you're very limited. But with computer-generated effects, you can let your imagination run bigger and wilder. Things that you couldn't do in the past can now be done with computer-generated effects. However, I always have this motto: computer-generated effects are there to help you tell your story.” (Hahn 2005)
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Reference
Book
Fonoroff, Paul. (1998) “AT THE HONG KONG MOVIES 600 REVIEWS FROM 1988 TILL THE HANDOVER”. HK: FILM BIWEEKLY PUBLISHING HOUSE.
Storey, John. (1993) “An Introductory Guide to CULTURAL THEORY AND POPULAR CULTURE”. US: University of Georgia Press.
Teo, Stephen. (1997) “Hong Kong Cinema: The Extra Dimensions” London: British Film Institute.
Website
Aftab, Kaleem. “Kung Fu hustler Stephen Chow takes on the world” 23 September, 2005. 1 December, 2006.
<http://www.tonight.co.za/?fArticleId=2888148&fSectionId=362&fSetId=216 >
Blockbusters. ”Top 20 Hong Kong Box Office Champ” n.d. 1 December, 2006. <http://newmedia.cityu.edu.hk/03mwrr/top20.htm >
EMMA Online “Stephen Chow, Kung Fu superstar” 30 June, 2005. 1 December, 2006. <http://www.emma.tv/entertainment/film/reviews/kung_fu_hustle_hong_kong_hollywood.aspx >
Hahn, Lorraine. “Stephen Chow Talkasia Transcript” 20 September, 2005. 1 December 2006.
<http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapcf/09/20/talkasia.chow.script/index.html >
