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Why Tsui Hark’s Shanghai Blues, shown at Cannes 2024, is one of his best films 40 years on
- Four decades have passed since its first release, but Tsui Hark’s romcom Shanghai Blues remains one of the director’s most enjoyable works
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Luscious, loving and a lot of fun, the lively romantic comedy Shanghai Blues is one of Tsui Hark’s most enjoyable works.
It is also one of his most conventional – the Hong Kong director, who has said that his imagination ranges so widely that he often finds it difficult to keep his stories on track, steadfastly adheres to a slim plot that could be scribbled on the back of an envelope.
The unusually minimalist storyline gives his two female leads, Sally Yeh Chian-wen and Sylvia Chang Ai-cha, room to express themselves – which they do in magnificently jolly fashion.
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The film was well received by Hong Kong cinema-goers when it was released in 1984.
“A real gem of a picture!” enthused the Post reviewer. “In Shanghai Blues, Tsui has created a mixture of Cantonese pop, comedy, poignant romance, slapstick humour laced with music, satire, fresh creativity, artistry and good taste.”
Tsui liked it, too – he has said that Shanghai Blues is a favourite among his own works, and notes that he has fond memories of it because it was the first movie produced by his production company Film Workshop.
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