Below The Lion Rock: Road/Bridge: Reviews

Road (1978)
Starring: Gigi Wong, Carol Cheng & Ida Chan
As Ann Hui discusses during her intro, there was little pressure put on these new filmmakers to adhere to a style set in place by RTHK. What needed to ring true however was the creating of something people could relate to. A Public Service Announcement if you will. In that regard, Road merely has that latter effect but enough basic effect to warrant a look for fans of the director. Creating intersecting stories of drug addiction, a quite effective stylistic choice during the beginning of these stories are about fading out before all is made clear. We can't catch enough glimpses to understand if old lady Fong is in an elderly home and all forgotten and same with the story of young Siu-Lai (Ida Chan). Shooting very straightforward and amidst reality (a criminally simplistic, effective choice), Hui travels around the surrounding characters, starting with the social worker Lee (Gigi Wong) finding out Fong's daughter Chui (Carol Cheng) is carrying an opium addiction as well. Siu-Lai's reality is that her parents can't afford a living and she's sent out to be a club hostess. The expected part of being abused sexually within this profession doesn't rear its head but rather the drug addiction that comes with it. That's not the reality Siu-Lai's parents wanted but perhaps her looking for love and being denied it by the parents spurs a decision to rebel. It's a road towards tragedy indeed and the short maintains a good focus on being part of a series but the short narrative really isn't at all times suited for this dual story. Ticking off content and indeed being preachy (although Hui does her very best at making the story naturally progressing), at least final sentiments works so well BECAUSE it's part of Below The Lion Rock. Roads have different turns you can take. You've got to think of the common ones attending this screening, not just advanced film buffs.

Bridge (1978)
Starring: Timothy Wilson, Cheung Yin, Shirley Wong & Shi Nan-Sun
During the intro, Media Specialist Peter Lam speaks specifically of Allen Fong's Ode To Un Chau Chai as having an actual impact on the government, leading to better treatment for the immigrant boat people and impact is part of Hui's Bridge. Set up as more of a documentary-drama, at the forefront is Western journalist John (Timothy Wilson, a member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra) who passionately follows the case of the closing of a bridge many poor villagers not setup in public housing are dependent on. Hui has Wilson break the fiction frame early on and all throughout she dips into this esthetic, almost playing the role of documentary crew following the events. This has the desired effect of enlightening the TV-audiences and she's clearly not being unclear about the different opinions on display here. In particular the issue of electricity that the bridge provides but the illegal angle of it too as village characters charge their fellow man for power. Also the protesters are seen upon as people refusing to take the step to apply for public housing but the opinions obviously differ. Who's the more constructive? People or government? By throwing us back and forth like rag dolls, there's not much drama effect to Bridge and the ropey acting by the Westerners further drag down the impact of the issues at hand. Fine instincts and probably a good watch for its local audiences, Hui is seen here in territory she's trying out to see what works for her and not. That's ok as she's not clueless as such.