YANG KWEI FEI
Taiwan, 1964, 105 minutes, Colour.
Li Hua Li.
Directed by Han Hsiang Li.
Yang Kwei Fei is the work of director Han Hsiang Li who had a long career, from the mid-50s to the mid-90s, making a great number of films in Taiwan, especially historical epics.
This film is a beautiful re-creation of 8th century China, the focus of an emperor, ageing, and his infatuation and love for a frivolous young woman. The film also shows the eventual maturing of the young woman, her relationship with the emperor, her role in the country.
Li Hua Li was a very popular actress in Taiwan and brings psychological conviction to the central role of the young woman.
An interesting example of the Taiwanese film industry in the 1960s, the Taiwanese perspective on Chinese history and the re-creation of a colourful period in that history.
1. How interesting a Japanese film? How enjoyable? Why?
2. Comment on the particularly Japanese tone and presentation of the film: the techniques, the use of colour, the re-creation of China in the 8th century, posings and tableaux, the stylized forms and style? Visuals, dialogue, the use of Japanese music? How credible an atmosphere did these techniques make?
3. The importance of structure for audience involvement: the Emperor and his imprisonment, the statue of Kwei Fei and his memories, the flashback technique, the pathos of the Emperor's old age?
4. The presentation of the Emperor as a person and a character, in prison at the end, the state of disillusion of his empire, the explanation from his flashbacks, his musical involvement, the way that he ran his empire, his incompetence, his forfeiting of responsibilities? His grief for his wife? Was he responsible for the decline of his empire? Why could he not see this?
5. The characterization of the advisers, the world of politics, their ambitions, their good advice and the motivations for this advice? The repercussions on their careers later?
6. The various women offered to the Emperor to take the place of his wife? The failures? Kwei Fei and her simplicity, the scenes of her at work? The detailed and stylized presentation of her exaltation, her beauty? Her dignity and grace as a woman? Her role in the empire, her support to the Emperor, his change of attitude and the tenderness of his love? The possibility of their relationship as being beneficial for themselves and for the empire?
7. The political repercussion of the rise of the Yang family, their ambitions, their lack of scruple, people's reactions?
8. The presentation of the revolt, the reasons given, the decay of the empire? The Emperor's inability to cope?
9. Audience response to the pathos of Kwei Fei as being the victim of this politics and revolution? The Emperor’s inability to do anything to save her? Her acceptance of her fate? The stylized preparation for her death, the attention from her servants who had been so important to her? Her dignity? The preparations for the execution, especially the noose, the focus on her slippers? The lack of visual presentation of her death and yet audiences feeling it?
10. Audience response when the film returned to the Emperor, the ending and the retrospect on this piece of history?
11. How important is this kind of film an character study, history, insight into human nature and society?
