Human Relationships

Dir: Lee Sun-fung
Scr: Lee Sil-hong
Orig Story: Ba Jin'sSpring Dream in Old Garden
Prod Co: The Union
Co-starring: Ng Cho-fan, Pak Yin, Cheung Wood-yau, Yung Siu-yi
1959 / B&W / D Beta / Cantonese / 94min

The Union's seventh anniversary film is an adaptation of Ba Jin's Spring Dream in Old Garden. The Yiu family has just moved into an enormous estate. Mrs Yiu (Pak Yin) feels helpless against her spoiled stepson. One day, she meets the estate's previous owner Yeung Mung-chi (Ng Cho-fan), who was also spoiled at a young age and lives to regret it as an adult. Playing Mungchi's son, To Ping doesn't appear until halfway through the film, but he steals the scene as he cries, begs and screams at his father. Even though we know Mung-chi is in the wrong, it's hard not to feel sympathy for the emotional torment he receives.