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Known as mastermind of the "New Century of Martial Arts", the late director Chang Cheh (1924-2002) who was involved in about 100 films, was a significant film director in Hong Kong's film industry. Not only has he created his own brand of 'vigorous' martial arts genres in the 60s and 70s, but he was also instrumental in bringing about the success of numerous filmic heroes like the cool and tough Jimmy Wang Yu, the heroic Ti Lung, the mischievous and romantic David Chiang, the stern Chen Kuan-tai, the charming Alexander Fu Sheng and many who worked behind the camera like directors John Woo and Lau Kar-leung.
As a tribute to and in memory of this senior statesman of the Hong Kong cinema, the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department with the help and generous support of Mrs Chang Cheh, Celestial Pictures Ltd, Shaw Brothers (HK) Ltd, various organizations and friends has organized "A Tribute to Chang Cheh" retrospective programme from November 2002 to January 2003 including screenings of his representative works, an exhibition, seminar and publication.
A man of many talents, Chang Cheh was a director, screenwriter, calligrapher, columnist and critic. He was still writing his memoir at a retiring age. Chang had won numerous prizes and honourable awards. In 2002, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hong Kong Film Awards acknowledging his remarkable achievement.
Chang had input many innovative ideas in his films. He rejected the tradition of putting female stars before male stars. Instead, he advocated replacing the feminine style of Mandarin films with a masculine style and nurtured several generations of "masculine" stars of different style.
Chang used to study Beijing opera in his pastime and his works were greatly inspired by this art form. To Chang, the characterizations and roles in Beijing opera were quite modern and their martial arts scenes were like dance scenes. In the film "Vengeance" with which he garnered the Best Director Award at the Asian Film Festival, Ti Lung's fight to death is based on the Beijing Opera "Jie Pai Guan". In addition, he incorporated the Southern Shaolin boxing skills in his films, making the martial works more realistic. He made early Republican kung fu films even before Bruce Lee and pioneered the role of the martial arts kid before Jackie Chan. His contemporary action hero films influenced several generations of Hong Kong directors.
An exhibition on "A Tribute to Chang Cheh" will be held from November 1, 2002 to January 19, 2003 at the HKFA exhibition hall for the public to have a better understanding of his life, writings and films. Many precious relics and belongings of the late director will be displayed. These included his calligraphy of "Ode to Gallantry", stamps carved by playwright Ni Kuang, his walking stick and cigar box, his hand-written scripts and film-related collections. The exhibition's artistic consultant is Art Director Bill Lui. Interview footages on Chang from his proteges including Jimmy Wang Yu, Ti Lung, David Chiang, John Woo, Ng Ma and Lo Meng will be shown. Admission is free.
In addition, HKFA has complied Chang's writings together with a collection of essays by him as a film critic for a memoir to be published next month. Priced at $100, the Chinese version of the publication will be on sale at the HKFA and selected bookstores. The English version will be published at a later date.
Eight films including some of the representative titles of Chang's work from 1950 to 1990 will be screened from October 31 to November 30 at the HKFA cinema. They are: "Golden Swallow" (1968), "Vengeance" (1970), "Blood Brothers" (1973), "Heroes Two" (1974), "The Slaughter in Xian" (1990), with Chinese and English subtitles. The three black and white films without English subtitles are: "Happenings in Alishan" (1950), "Tragic Melody" (1960) and "It's Always Spring" (1962). All films are in Mandarin except "Happenings in Alishan" which is dubbed in Cantonese.
"Golden Swallow" is one of Chang's personal favourite works. Known for its fluid cinematography and stylistic characterization, together with the vigorous fight scenes, this film has become one of the definitive Chang Cheh martial arts films, bearing the standard of this genre for many years to come. Its full impact can only be realised on the big screen in cinemascope.
Ti Lung and David Chiang's "Vengeance" and "Blood Brothers" are groundbreaking works of Chang in its aesthetics of violence and mastery of film language, especially its merge with Beijing opera stage techniques with film. "Vengeance" is a simple story about revenge but Chang has woven skillfully the Beijing Opera stage death of Ti Lung with his tragic murder in the film. Based on a true story, "Blood Brothers" is a tragic story about brothers who turn against each other. The film signals another stage of Chang's career as he attempted to further explore with characters, structured narrative, and film language. A newly restored version will be shown. .
In "Heroes Two", Chang made a change from the swashbuckling swordplay epics to southern style fist-fight martial arts, leading to another pioneering piece of work. The film is preceded by a 9-minute prologue, entitled "Three Styles of Hung's School Kung Fu" in which Alexander Fu Sheng, Chen Kuan-tai and Chi Kuan-chun demonstrate different techniques of Hung Boxing.
Apart from works on brawny male brotherhood, Chang also has made good pieces on female in the 60s. The melodrama "Tragic Melody" tells the life of an opera singer starring the beautiful You Min while the musical comedy "It's Always Spring" depicts the jealousy and rivalry between two nightclub singers, Julie Yeh Feng and Helen Li Mei, who made a dynamic duo that gets audiences tapping their feet. The songs in the film were composed by Yao Ke with lyrics and in some cases, Chang himself.
"Happenings in Alishan" was the first Mandarin feature shot in Taiwan about the mountain tribes. The 20-minute incomplete version will be screened together with "It's Always Spring". "The Slaughter in Xian" was filmed in Mainland China, carrying the theme of male friendship, pitching the protagonists against the corrupted rich and powerful.
Tickets for "A Tribute to Chang Cheh" screenings are priced at $30 each and available for sale at all URBTIX outlets. Half-priced concessionary tickets are available for senior citizens, people with disabilities, full-time students and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) recipients.
Enquiries can be made at 2739 2139/ 2734 2900 or browsing the website at www.filmarchive.gov.hk and www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp. Reservations can be made at 2734 9009 and internet booking at www.urbtix.gov.hk.
End/Saturday, October 26, 2002
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