Green Mansion

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Movie: Green Mansion
Chinese:
Director: Stanley Kwan
Writer: Jimmy Ngai
Producer: Stanley Kwan
Cinematographer
Release Date: 2008/2009
Runtime:
Language: Cantonese
Country: Hong Kong

Plot

The time is 1955. In an apartment on Conduit Road lives a woman named Guishan. Every evening as the setting sun dyes the floorboard golden yellow, it is the time for the arrival of the guests. The apartment is adorned with mundane luxury and refinement. A few years ago when Guishan followed Laowu to come to Hong Kong from Shanghai, she had taken great efforts in packing the valuable possessions. She told him she would give up everything else but not the possessions. She regretted instantly afterwards. What had she given up? Neither of them would have expected that shortly after they arrived in Hong Kong, Laowu had to give up his life as well. The Conduit apartment is also a club.

Perhaps it is fate. Fusui Club has gained quite a name these few years among the exiled Shanghaiese on the island. Frequented mostly by businessmen and socialites, the club opens every night to almost packed house. Hung in the middle of the main hall is the banner of Fusui Club written by famous painter Chang Da-qian whereas the name Fusui is taken from a line in the Classics Book of Poetry. With business going well, Guishan hardly has any free time of her own.

Early last year, Guishan thought the owner of the textile factory Boss Guo was going after her. Instead, he paid off the debts owed by the hostess Xuer and took her as the second wife. Being double-crossed by her own apprentice, Guishan was extremely frustrated. While she had to replace the vacancy left by Xuer, she still had to put up a happy face in front of others during the wedding. The crisis almost bankrupted Fusui Club's fame.

Thanks to the endeavors of Jiao, the maidservant of Fusui Club and Guishan's confidante. Years ago Jiao followed her boss the Zhao family to come to Hong Kong. She hoped to become Master Zhao's concubine soon as he had promised earlier. However things took a bad turn. After the Republic was founded, Zhao's family business in Shanghai crumbled. Old Master Zhao died and soon Lady Zhao came into power, she announced the dissolution of the servant. The family would relocate to Taiwan to wait for opportunities. She took the chance to get rid of Jiao. Master Zhao did not dare to protest. When Jiao left Zhao's mansion, the jewelry given to her by Master Zhao were even confiscated. Luckily the money she deposited in a bank was kept intact. Laowu used to be a regular guest at Master Zhao's Shanghai mansion. During those days, Jiao did not cook often. She only showed her skill when special guests were present. Guishan could always remember her cooking. Likewise Guishan could also remember the looks on Laowu's face when Jiao came to the table to greet the guests after dinner.

With a good hand at cooking, a pair of sharp eyes and smooth social skills, such a woman should never worry about the future. When Guishan sought to restart her business after Laowu died, Jiao naturally became her right-hand woman.

Director's Statement

During the inception or shooting of a film, I believe there is always an enormous space for the original concept to evolve to become something beyond our expectations. Based on my personal experience, I'm actually quite afraid of setting the theme before everything else. The truth is I tend to pay more attention to the characters in my films.

Despite the fact that Centre Stage, Red Rose White Rose and Everlasting Regret were all set in Shanghai, people think that they all somehow reflect my feelings for Hong Kong instead. This is undeniably true. Any filmmaker, whether intentionally or not, would instill his personal feelings about different things into his film. The place where he grew up is definitely one of them.

In the past few years, especially after Hong Kong's handover in 1997, more and more local filmmakers including myself have started to consider the possibilities to make films in the Chinese mainland. Circumstantial factors like investment, market and policy changes have driven Hong Kong films to shift its focus to the north. This aptly explains why Hong Kong films in recent years have lost its unique quality. Be it an intentional or unintentional effort, Green Mansion is a homecoming and a Hong Kong story that takes place in a time both real and distant to our generation. Hong Kong in the 1950s is a time beyond our reach but it is certainly real enough as we have learnt every bit of it from our parents as well as from the fading images of old photos. This feeling of far away and yet so close is very intriguing. I remember when I interviewed director Hou Hsiao-hsien in the documentary Centenary of Film, we have discussed about a saying which we both recognized to be the creative objective of every director. It goes like this, "be distant yet close, be close yet distant." I really hope I can attain this - but it is not at all easy. On one hand you have to be passionate about the story, yet on the other you have to stay away at a distance to look at it clearly.