Cinema of Hong Kong

The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese-language cinema, alongside the cinema of China and the cinema of Taiwan. As a former Crown colony, Hong Kong had a greater degree of artistic freedom than mainland China and Taiwan, and developed into a filmmaking hub for the Chinese-speaking world (including its worldwide diaspora).

Hong Kong became the leading film exporter in East Asia in the 1960s, with its film output surpassing Hollywood, and remained the second-largest exporter (after Hollywood) from the 1970s through the 1990s. It also had the third-largest film industry in the world during the 1980s and 1990s, behind Hollywood and Bollywood. Despite an industry crisis starting in the mid-1990s and Hong Kong's transfer to Chinese sovereignty in July 1997, Hong Kong film has retained much of its distinctive identity and continues to play a prominent part on the world cinema stage. In the West, Hong Kong's vigorous pop cinema (especially Hong Kong action cinema) has long had a strong cult following, which is now a part of the cultural mainstream, widely available and imitated.

Economically, the film industry together with the value added of cultural and creative industries represents 5 per cent of Hong Kong's economy.

The Hong Kong industry

Hong Kong's film industry grew without much help from the government. It focused on making movies that people loved to watch, like comedies and action films. These movies often followed certain patterns to make them popular.

Hong Kong films mix ideas from Hollywood with traditions from Chinese stories and art. This mix, along with quick filming, gives Hong Kong movies a special energy that people from other places enjoy.

The industry relies on famous actors to draw in audiences. Many stars started in TV shows or music, especially Cantopop songs. Because the industry is small, actors and directors are always busy making many films each year.

Movies in Hong Kong are usually made with smaller budgets than in America. A big movie might cost around US$5 million, while smaller ones can cost less than US$1 million. Very special projects can cost up to US$20 million, but these are rare. Even with these budgets, Hong Kong films can look very polished because of lower costs and wages.

For a long time, Hong Kong films were made without recording sound while shooting. This made it easier to add different languages later, especially for exporting the films. Recently, filming with real sound has become more common as people now see it as a sign of higher quality.

History

1909 to World War II

During its early days, Hong Kong's cinema was less important than that of mainland China, especially the city of Shanghai, which was the movie capital for Chinese-speaking people. Very little of this early work still exists, with only a few films remaining from over 500 made in Hong Kong before World War II.

Early films were closely tied to Chinese opera, the main form of entertainment at the time. The first movies made in Hong Kong were short comedies based on opera scenes, directed by Liang Shaobo. The first feature film, Zhuangzi Tests His Wife, was also based on opera and directed by Lai Man-Wai, known as the "Father of Hong Kong Cinema." Lai's family members acted in the film, making it a milestone as the first Chinese woman appeared in a Chinese film.

The outbreak of World War I hindered cinema development in Hong Kong, as Germany was the source of film stock. It wasn't until 1923 that Lai and others formed Hong Kong's first Chinese-owned production company. However, they moved to the mainland in 1924 due to government restrictions.

The 1940s–1960s

After World War II, Hong Kong's cinema grew because of an influx of people and money from mainland China. The population rose from around 1 million in 1940 to around 3.9 million in 1967. This growth continued with the Chinese Civil War and the 1949 Communist victory, shifting the center of Chinese-language cinema to Hong Kong.

Cantonese and Mandarin films developed separately during this time. Mandarin films often had bigger budgets and were popular for export, while Cantonese films were more common but seen as less important. Subtitles were added to films to reach wider audiences.

Cantonese opera films were very popular, with stars like Yam Kim Fai and Pak Suet Sin. Low-budget martial arts films featuring Kwan Tak Hing as Wong Fei Hung were also hits. Fantasy swordplay serials and modern melodramas were popular too.

In Mandarin films, Shaw Brothers and Cathay were the top studios. They made musicals, historical epics, romantic melodramas, and Hollywood-style musicals. The Shaws introduced more intense wuxia films in the late 1960s, inspired by Japanese samurai movies and the rise of television.

Years of transformation (1970s)

In the 1970s, Mandarin-dialect film and the Shaw Brothers studio seemed very strong. However, Cantonese cinema almost disappeared due to Mandarin studios and Cantonese television. The Shaw Brothers dominated the martial arts genre, but changes were coming.

Television helped bring back Cantonese films, focusing on modern Hong Kong life. The comedy The House of 72 Tenants was a big hit in 1973. The Hui Brothers brought back Cantonese comedies, making films like Games Gamblers Play very popular. These films satirized Hong Kong's middle class and helped Cantonese films become successful again.

Golden Harvest, formed by former Shaw executives, became a major studio. They worked with Bruce Lee, whose films like The Big Boss made martial arts and kung fu popular worldwide. Golden Harvest also signed Jackie Chan, who became a huge star in Asia.

1980s – early 1990s: the boom years

The 1980s and early 1990s were great years for Hong Kong cinema. Cantonese films became dominant, and the industry grew in technical quality and style. Action, comedy, and fantasy films were very popular.

Hong Kong films became successful in international markets, especially in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. They also gained attention in the West through theaters and video shops.

Production companies like Cinema City made popular comedies and action films. Directors Tsui Hark and Wong Jing became important figures. John Woo's gangster films, romantic melodramas, and martial arts movies with stars like Chow Yun-fat and Brigitte Lin were hits. Jackie Chan's comedies and Jet Li's kung fu films were also very popular.

Mid-1990s – present: Post-boom

In the mid-1990s, the Hong Kong film industry faced big challenges. The number of films made each year dropped, and revenues fell. Factors included the Asian financial crisis, overproduction, rising ticket prices, changing audience tastes, video piracy, and competition from Hollywood.

Despite these challenges, there were some successes. Films like Infernal Affairs and comedies by Stephen Chow did well. Directors like Johnnie To had critical and commercial success with crime films. However, some worry that Hong Kong cinema might blend more with mainland Chinese films in the future.

Censorship

In 2021, new censorship laws were introduced in Hong Kong, giving authorities the power to ban films that might threaten national security. This has led to concerns that the film industry might become more controlled and less free. Some films have been banned or censored because of scenes or messages that authorities did not approve of.