VIFF 2009 | Night and Fog at Schema : more than ethnic

VIFF 2009 | Night and Fog

Night and Fog
Hong Kong, 2009l, 117min
DIR: Ann Hui

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Following her award-winning film The Way We Are, Ann Hui captures domestic violence in all its brutality in her latest film Night and Fog. Investing in well-known screen stars Simon Yam and Zhang Jingchu this time proves successful as their performances are outstanding. Hui's compelling storytelling techniques and powerful images do not go unnoted; however the film is not without the sensationalistic qualities Chinese cinema has long been criticized for.

Based on a true incident, Zhang Jingchu plays Wong Hiu-Ling, a mainland immigrant mother of two living with her Hong Kong husband Lee Sum, played by Simon Yam. Sum, unemployed for some time and squandering away his pension on alcohol, forces Ling to work as a waitress during the day. Overcompensating for his financial and patriarchal insecurities, Sum asserts his dominance in aggressive ways. A particularly poignant image occurs early in the film, setting the tone for events to come. Ling dreams of young girl walking through the mist of a tranquil bamboo forest, she is abruptly awoken by Sum forcing himself upon her. When Sum's abusive behavior grabs the attention of a concerned neighbour, Ling and her daughters are temporarily moved to a women's shelter. Prompted by a close friend, Ling notifies authorities and social services but her pleas are dismissed as typical marriage quarrels. Throughout the film, we are shown flashbacks of Ling and Sum's early relationship, including their visit to Ling's family's village in the Chinese countryside. Over time, Sum's once-charming demeanor turns ugly and sadistic, foreshadowing the film's tragic climax.

Director Hui is not about subtly when it comes to visualizing domestic violence in the film's setting of a conservative Chinese culture. Extremely graphic and often disturbing scenes carry on, often for longer than necessary to make their point. Reinforcing ideologies of traditional Chinese gender roles, the film's acclaim may be on account of the sensationalist aspects associated with the genre rather than the actual quality of filmmaking. Nonetheless, Night and Fog is visceral and emotive film worth seeing.

Schema Magazine's coverage of VIFF 2009 is sponsored by the Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival