Roar of the People

Dir: Tang Xiaodan
Scr: Lee Fung
Prod Co: Grandview
Cast: Cheung Ying, Wong Ang, Fung Fung, Ng Wui, Tso Tat-wah
1941 | B&W | DCP | Cantonese | 126min

When the Anti-Japanese War broke out in the late 1930s, filmmakers from Hong Kong and those from Shanghai who escaped south to Hong Kong, were enthusiastic about making war resistance films to arouse awareness of fighting against the enemy. Produced by Grandview Film Company Limited and directed by Tang Xiaodan, Roar of the People is a masterpiece among them. The film portrays refugees in Hong Kong colluding with Mainland military officials to steal supplies from the Chinese military and selling them to the Japanese for profit. Lui Pang (Cheung Ying) and a group of poor people accidentally discover the evil plot of the traitorous merchants. They join with guerilla forces to work together to foil the plot. Tang Xiaodan holds no bars in telling off the corrupt officials who profited from the national disaster, and at the same time, through the portrayals of the trials and tribulations of the common people, emphasises the noble behaviour of the poor, showing an ideal lifestyle where everyone helps one another, for which the director himself longs.

Please note the quality of some segments of this film is poor.

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