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Under the prevailing Six-pillar System in Cantonese opera, the roles of siu sang (the young scholar male) and siu mo (the young warrior male) are combined into one, namely man mo sang (the scholar and warrior male role). Since the 1930s, the Cantonese operas staged in Hong Kong have no longer featured the role of siu mo solely. However, many big-name artists like Yam Kim-fai, Sun Ma Si-tsang and Mak Bing-wing were trained in the siu mo discipline. Those who came after them, such as Lam Kar-sing and Yu Kai, also show traces of siu mo in their art. The Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) "Morning Matinee" series, held at 11am on Friday mornings, will present "The Heroic Charm of Siu-Mo" in March and April for audiences to revisit the craft and charms of these opera greats on the big screen.
The films "The Crab Beauty, The Concluding Episode" (1957), "Tan Kei in the Meat Hill" (1958), "The Fourth Son" (1959) and "The Double-speared Luk Man-Lung" (1959) will be shown on March 6, 13, 20 and 27 respectively, while "Lady Racketeer" (1960), "Two Heroes" (1961), "The Birth of Nazha" (1962) and "An Agnostic and Sagacious Intercession" (1962) will be shown on April 3, 10, 17 and 24 respectively. A screening of "The General and the Tyrant" (1961) will be held on March 15 at 2pm.
To complement the screenings, guest curator Tong Ka-wai will host the seminar "Siu-Mo on the Silver Screen" on March 15 at 4.30pm at the Cinema of the HKFA. It will be conducted in Cantonese with free admission.
In "The Crab Beauty, The Concluding Episode", Wong Chiu-mo seeks revenge on the Clam Fairy (Fung Wong Nui) for his father. The scenes of him battling the Clam Fairy and breaking a stone to save his mother offer a valuable glimpse of his charm as a siu mo. In "Tan Kei in the Meat Hill", Law Kim-long co-stars as an elder prince alongside Chung Shiu-lee and Law Kar-kuen. Well-built and staunchly masculine in his armour, Law looks every inch the formidable commander. His armed combat skills and varied acrobatic moves in the film display his excellence in martial roles.
Yam Kim-fai, who was first trained in the siu mo discipline, handled talking scenes with action style and played military parts with a masculine flair. In "The General and the Tyrant", Yam plays Commander Sze while Leung Sing-po plays the assassinator Lui. Dressed in heavy and light armour respectively, they excel in both singing and acting. "The Fourth Son", featuring the well-known story of General Yang of Northern Song, sees Sun Ma Si-tsang play the Fourth Brother, Yang, while Sek Yin-tsi plays his younger sibling. Both put their remarkable martial arts skills on full display in the fighting scenes.
"The Double-speared Luk Man-Lung" was adapted from a staple play of Kei Siu-ying's self-named theatre troupe. Hailed as "The Top Female Martial Arts Fighter", Kei plays Luk Man-lung of the Jin Empire while "The Top Martial Arts Fighter", Chan Kam-tong, plays the Song general Wong, who feigns allegiance by chopping off his arm. The stunning performance of Lan Chi Pak and Poon Yat On also adds to this sumptuous opera. Drawn from the story of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "Lady Racketeer" features Chan Kam-tong as Chow Yue, who plots a beauty ruse against Lau Bei (Sun Ma Si-tsang) but to no avail. This film showcases Chan's acrobatic potency as "The Top Martial Arts Fighter" alongside a stellar cast including his protégés So Siu-tong and Siu Chung-kwan.
Yu Kai began his operatic training at the age of 4 under his parents Tsak Sin-chung and Chow Siu-ying, who were both Cantonese opera actors, and he became known as the "Child Prodigy". Yu also learned northern-style acrobatics, wushu and Peking opera from other professionals. Adapted from the old play "Bloodshed in the Yellow Mountain", "Two Heroes" was Yu's first appearance after he came of age, and he had free rein to show his talents. Another martial adept only plays a small part in the film, yet the fine performance of Mak Bing-wing in this role leaves a strong impression. Mak, who has been described as "the last siu mo purist in Cantonese opera", played an arrogant and impulsive brother in another film, "An Agnostic and Sagacious Intercession". Consumed with jealousy, Mak disobeys his father (Lan Chi Pak) and vows to slay his own sibling for stealing his lover. The well-orchestrated combat sequences aptly show Mak's mettle.
Apart from studying under his mentors Tang Chiu Lan Fong and Sit Kok-sin, Lam Kar-sing also learned from many opera veterans to hone his skills and develop versatility. For example, he learned gong and drum performance from Lee Hoi-yung, ancient set pieces from Wong Chiwan, and northern-style acrobatics from Yuan Xiaotian and Guo Hongbin. Lam plays Nazha in "The Birth of Nazha", and his diverse talents shine in one combat sequence after another. The film is also an elaborate Cantonese opera fantasy heavily spiced with special effects.
All films are in Cantonese and without subtitles.
Tickets priced at $20 are now available at URBTIX. Half-price tickets are available for senior citizens aged 60 and above, people with disabilities (and one accompanying minder), full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance recipients. Credit card bookings can be made at 2111 5999 or on the Internet at www.urbtix.hk.
For programme enquiries, please call 2739 2139 or 2734 2900 or browse the website at www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp/en_US/web/fpo/programmes/2011mm/film.html.
Ends/Friday, February 6, 2015
Issued at HKT 17:15
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