Though today's movie review is for a "dramedy", I’m going to start off by talking about Bruce Lee. Perhaps one of the most influential martial arts actors of all time, Bruce Lee took the world by storm within the last two years of his life. He had become a huge cultural icon thanks to his great films, his charisma, and even his otherworldly strength and speed. At the height of his career, he made a film that you've probably never heard of called Enter the Dragon in 1973. Shortly before the movie was released, Bruce Lee had died and people were devastated. It would make sense that Enter the Dragon would easily become the biggest blockbuster of the year, but it was somehow surpassed by another film in Hong Kong. That film being The House of 72 Tenants.
If you’re an average fan of Hong Kong cinema, you’ve probably heard of this movie before. It was a huge hit upon release and it dominated and inspired Cantonese cinema for many generations. One of the more recent tributes can be found in Kung Fu Hustle (over 30 years after Tenants was released).
If you’re an average fan of Hong Kong cinema, you’ve probably heard of this movie before. It was a huge hit upon release and it dominated and inspired Cantonese cinema for many generations. One of the more recent tributes can be found in Kung Fu Hustle (over 30 years after Tenants was released).
The plot of the movie is relatively straightforward. There's an apartment complex, occupied by 72 tenants (duh), who all help each other out when they can and try to live a peaceful life. Everything’s fine-and-dandy for them except that their landlady (Woo Gam) is a stubborn witch and her husband (Tin Ching) is an obnoxious playboy. It doesn’t help much that the local authorities are money-hungry too. When the two landlords try to sell off their adopted daughter (Ching Li) as a prostitute, the other tenants (including Yueh Hua) come together to do what’s right. With such a simple story, it’s almost hard to believe that it was more popular than a film that starred the biggest star in Asia at the time. Was it really so deserving?
There are a few reasons why this was such an important film and one of them being that this was one of the first films in HK cinema to be spoken in Cantonese in a Mandarin-dominated film industry. This movie not only had cultural significance, but (since it's a comedy) I also thought it was very funny. Some of the humor is dated and certainly wouldn’t be everyone’s taste, but I was surprised at how consistently I was laughing throughout. Most of the jokes are dialogue-driven as opposed to over-the top visual humor. This might be unfortunate for Western audiences as some of these jokes are only understood by Cantonese speakers, but there's more than enough situation and physical humor to keep the average viewer entertained.
There are a few reasons why this was such an important film and one of them being that this was one of the first films in HK cinema to be spoken in Cantonese in a Mandarin-dominated film industry. This movie not only had cultural significance, but (since it's a comedy) I also thought it was very funny. Some of the humor is dated and certainly wouldn’t be everyone’s taste, but I was surprised at how consistently I was laughing throughout. Most of the jokes are dialogue-driven as opposed to over-the top visual humor. This might be unfortunate for Western audiences as some of these jokes are only understood by Cantonese speakers, but there's more than enough situation and physical humor to keep the average viewer entertained.
Another great aspect is the characters. Though we aren’t introduced to all 72 tenants, the ones that you do meet almost feel like family. Most of these characters are unique and are very entertaining to watch. Seeing these characters interact is definitely a joy as well. It helps that a lot of these characters are portrayed by a lot of familiar faces.* Yueh Hua is great as the stern, but soft-hearted lead. Ching Li and Lydia Shum are both terrific. This film also features character-actors Cheng Kang Yeh and Cheng Miu, who are both wonderful in this movie. Even the characters who are terrible people are worth mentioning. Lau Yat Fan as the bumbling police officer, 369 (who even got his own spin-off film called Supremo), is definitely a lot of fun to watch. It would be hard to review this movie without talking about the landlady played by Woo Gam. This despicable landlady is oddly fun to watch, even if it's for the sake of seeing her being delightfully evil.
I feel like this movie’s strong point is the drama. This movie isn’t just funny, but it’s also incredibly touching to see these characters going out of their way to help each other. There are quite a few very touching scenes in which these desperate, kind-hearted people have to deal with social issues, but are helped to pull through those tough times. These moments aren't affecting because they're sad, but they're mainly affecting because they're so heartwarming. The refreshingly calm atmosphere also makes this movie very relaxing to watch.
I feel like this movie’s strong point is the drama. This movie isn’t just funny, but it’s also incredibly touching to see these characters going out of their way to help each other. There are quite a few very touching scenes in which these desperate, kind-hearted people have to deal with social issues, but are helped to pull through those tough times. These moments aren't affecting because they're sad, but they're mainly affecting because they're so heartwarming. The refreshingly calm atmosphere also makes this movie very relaxing to watch.
Though this movie’s mostly a comedy, it’s also a social commentary about life for the poor in Hong Kong. Sure, this movie (and its humor) certainly isn’t for everyone, but still, if you’re like me, then hopefully you can still enjoy this affecting film. It doesn’t have breathtaking kung fu, but it has a lot of heart. Even after repeated viewings, I still find this movie very affecting and it easily ranks as my favorite non-martial arts Shaw Brothers film. Oh yeah...and it’s also funny.
*I might as well add that some of the people who get top-billing are actually in this movie for about a minute (if that). Chen Kuan Tai, Danny Lee, and plenty of other actors are sadly underused. I've seen this movie about five times and I still haven't noticed Ricky Hui. On a positive note, Ku Feng does make the best of a small role, but I digress.
Images from HK Cinemagic
*I might as well add that some of the people who get top-billing are actually in this movie for about a minute (if that). Chen Kuan Tai, Danny Lee, and plenty of other actors are sadly underused. I've seen this movie about five times and I still haven't noticed Ricky Hui. On a positive note, Ku Feng does make the best of a small role, but I digress.
Images from HK Cinemagic