Zen and Sense in King Hu's Films

Film Screenings


Eternal Love

Dir/Scr: Chiang Wai-kwong
Prod: Joseph Sunn Jue Prod.Co: Grandview (U.S. Branch)
Cast: Wong Chiu-mo, Chow Kwun-ling, Luk Wan-fei, Tang Pui
1947 / Colour / D Beta / Cantonese / 81min

Made at times of turmoil in China after the end of World War II and the United States’ relaxation in immigration policy, this melodrama actually implies that finding a new home abroad may not be such a bad thing after all. After losing his memory on the battlefield, Keihung (Wong Chiu-mo) falls in love with nurse Mei-kuen (Chow Kwun-ling). Spurred on by his father-in-law’s cold attitude, Keihung takes off to the big city to find a job. However, he encounters a car accident that brings back his wartime trauma, but takes away his memories of Mei-kuen. In the end, one song helps Kei-hung remember his loving wife, and we see the reunited lovers driving off on the Golden Gate Bridge as a family. Here, memories are seen as the hope for returning home, though it’s also something that can suddenly disappear into the wind. It’s a bittersweet message that also encourages overseas Chinese to look ahead to the future instead of longing for a land they no longer feel secure.

9/3 (Sun) 2:30pm Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive  

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