The Writer / Director in Focus III: Mok Hong-si
Introduction
The cinema of Mok Hong-si is the third subject of study in the "Writer/Director in Focus" series, after that of Cheng Kang and Yue Feng.
Born in 1908, Mok began his filmmaking career as early as the 1930s as a screenwriter. He made his directorial debut in 1939. His fluency in English most probably gave him the advantage to "borrow" concepts and stories freely from Western films. He was often screenwriter of his own films, but also occasionally wrote for other directors such as Lee Ying-yuen, Ng Wui, Chun Kim, Cheung Ying, Wong Yiu, Luk Bong and Yu Leung, etc. He is best remembered for his comedies, the first one most probably dating back to Bitter Phoenix, Sorrowful Oriole (1947) which he wrote for Yeung Kung-leong (with a nod to Dashiell Hammett's The Thin Man (1937)). A number of his early comedies seemed to contain elements of eroticism. The recently unearthed Flames of Lust (1946), for example, features an explicit scene in which Lee Lan, the lead actress, bares herself and seduces Lee Ching, the male protagonist. Romantic Adventure (1949) was heavily criticised by the leftist newspaper, Ta Kung Pao, because of "its concentration on depicting sexual rendezvous. The result is a hollow ‘sex comedy' and nothing more." In 1950, he adapted a popular serialised novel, The Diary of Broker Lai, written by Ko Hung and published in Sun Sang Evening News, into a trilogy within a span of eight months. The Misarranged Love Trap, the third in the series and the only one that had been broadcasted on television, is notable for its biting criticism on the ruthlessness and engagement in deceit typical of the then contemporary Hong Kong society (and which still rings true today). Credits for this may have to go to Ko's original novel, but the impeccable pacing of the film, the hugely enjoyable performances of the cast and a delicate balance between downright farce and broad comedy are certainly a demonstration of Mok's proficient and accomplished direction.
Another distinguished feature of Mok's comedies is the exceptional richness of their many sub-plots and side characters, which make the films both colourful and vibrant. As such, many supporting and character actors were able to deliver glowing, if not career-breaking, performances inhis films, sometimes despite merely playing a minor role. Examples can be found in Ma Siu-ying and Mak Bing-wing in Young Mother (1954), Yee Chau-shui and Ko Lo-chuen in Village Girl (1955), Lok Kung in Madame Kam (1963) and Chan Lap-bun in Three Love Affairs (1963).
Under Mok's direction, two leading actresses came of age and established a long-term working relationship with him. They were Fong Yim-fun in the 1950s and Ting Ying in the 1960s. The former made 15 films for him between 1952 and 1958. With a background in Cantonese Opera, she quickly proved herself a talented comedienne excelled in playing sassy and vivacious heroines, either with a childlike innocence or an earthy sophistication. Ting Ying, the only contracted female artist of Lan Kwong Film Company, appeared in 23 films directed by Mok from 1959 to 1966. A less gifted performer by comparison, Ting's acting capacity was, however, compensated by the diversified images Mok created for her in those films. This resulted in grooming her to be one of the most popular and prevalent actresses in the last period of the Cantonese cinema.
Other than the Broker Lai series, Mok also created two other immensely successful series, both featuring a Jane-Bond-like contemporary action heroine. These are The Girl in the Bus series (1965-66, two installments) and the Lady Bond series (1966-67, four installments). Both heroines had a grass-root proletarian background, well-trained in martial arts and disguised as a factory employee. Indeed, as Hong Kong was moving into an industralised city in the mid-1960s, the Cantonese cinema discovered a new sector of audience, i.e. the young females working in factories who had gained financial independence from their newfound profession. This phenomenon prompted Mok into making another string of films featuring young women facing conflict and confusion between their profession life and the tradition familial roles they were demanded by the society to play. These are Three Love Affairs which takes place in a shoe factory, Two City Girls (1963), A Modern Wife (1963) and Queen of the Tea House (1965).
Mok Hong-si: A Short Bio
Mok Hong-si was born in Teng County, Guangxi Province on December 25, 1908 (another source indicates his birthday was December 31). Graduated from the law school in Hujiang University, he enrolled in the screenwriting training course organised by the Great Wall Film Company in Shanghai. He completed his first script, Shadows, in 1932, co-written by Fung Chikong and Lee Ying-yuen. He made his directorial feature, Sunset (silent), for Hong Kong's Fenghuang Film Company in 1935, but the latter declared bankruptcy before the film was even released. Between 1936- 39, Mok worked for the Nanjing Theatre in Nanjing, moonlighting at the same time as translator for an American film company in after hours.
In 1939, he went to Hong Kong and finished two screenplays, Marriage Made in Heaven (adapted from a play) and The Spotlight (1940), both directed by Lee Ying-yuen. He tried his hands in directing again in 1940 with Spring Returns to the Good Earth. During the occupation of Hong Kong by the Japanese, he joined the Yingyou Stage Troupe and toured in China until the war ended.
He continued his directorial career with Flames of Lust, which was the second feature to be made in Hong Kong after the war. Ever since then, he had been one of the most sought after writer/director in the Cantonese cinema (he also made a small number of Mandarin films throughout his career). Between 1940 and 1969, Mok directed 137 films. He once formed an alliance with nine other filmmakers, set up the Ten Brothers Motion Picture Enterprise Company and produced two films, The Beautiful Heaven (1964) and An Affair Between a Man and a Ghost (1965). After his death on April 15, 1969, the remaining eight directors (excluding Wong Toi and Wong Hok-sing) and Yeung Kuen, Mok's mentee, made Establishment of Household in commemoration of him.
This programme is guest-curated by Cantonese Cinema Study Association (CCSA).
The contents of the programme do not represent the views of the presenter.
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