Memories of Light and Shadow

Ten Brothers (2K Digital Version)

Dir: Ng Wui
Scrs: Szeto Hing, Cheung Shun
Prod Co: Oversea Chinese Film
Cast: Cheung Ying, Law Yim-hing, Sek Kin, Lui Ming, Sima Wah-lung
1959 | B&W | DCP | Cantonese | 104min

The Chinese folktale of the Ten Brothers tells of ten sons born to a humble family, each gifted with a remarkable supernatural ability: seeing a thousand miles away, hearing distant sounds, possessing Herculean strength, stretching to impossible lengths, and more. As the first cinematic adaptation of the tale in Hong Kong, this film was directed by Ng Wui, an extremely prolific filmmaker of the 1950s. It stars Cheung Ying and Law Yim-hing as a fisherman couple in China’s early Republican era who accidentally haul in ten magical pearls and attract the attention of a greedy warlord, played by legendary screen villain Shek Kin. When the wife swallows the pearls, to avoid being robbed, she miraculously gives birth to ten extraordinary sons. After the warlord kidnaps their father, the brothers set out on a rescue mission, each unleashing his unique ability.

Produced by the Oversea Chinese Film Company, a film studio co-founded by Cheung Ying, Ten Brothers followed the success of the studio’s previous fantasy film Big Clumsy Melon (1958). Rich with 1950s-style visual effects crafted on celluloid film and infused with Confucian morality presented in an accessible way, the film became a beloved title for audiences of all ages. Its popularity led to the sequel Ten Brothers vs. the Sea Monster (1960), and the folktale continues to inspire later adaptations for both film and television.

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