Famed for the "Wong Fei-hung" series, director Wu Pang was also good at melodramas. A native of Guangdong, he grew up in Shanghai and only came to Hong Kong in 1936. He was heavily influenced by Shanghainese films. Fishing Village in the War was inspired by Song of the Fishermen made by Cai Chusheng in 1934, but Wu Pang managed to impart a strong Hong Kong flavor to it. Shot on location in Cheung Chau, the film documented the lives of fishermen during that era. It portrays two fisherman families and contains fully fleshed-out characters. Stubborn and upright by nature, Kwan Tak-hing is dispirited by the hardships of life. While Pak Yin seems worldly and timid at first sight, she shows strength in adversity. Even the portrayal of supporting characters such as Wong Cho-shan is lifelike. Credit goes to scriptwriter Chun Kim, who made Fishermen's Song of the South Sea (1950) with a similar subject matter two years later. In terms of the directing, Wu Pang demonstrates a flair for fluid camerawork and restraint in the dramatic treatment. An interesting comparison can be made with Wong Wai-yat's Dawn Must Come (1950).

# To follow with seminar

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