Lady Windermere's Fan

First staged in 1892 in London, Wilde's comedy has inspired a host of adaptations for stage, film, television and opera at home and abroad. Lubitsch's silent-screen adaptation is faithful to Wilde's original, retaining the essence of its character and plot development and revealing the intricacies of a quadruple relationship with its gripping twists and turns in a meticulously orchestrated spatial sequence. Mrs Erlynne returns to London with a wealth of charm and enigma but insufficient means to re-enter society. Having designs on marrying the eligible bachelor Lord Augustus, she, through blackmail, demands from her daughter's husband, Lord Windermere, money and connections in exchange for keeping her dishonorable past a secret. Lady Windermere, who suspects her husband of having an affair with Erlynne, now has a convenient excuse to leave her husband for Lord Darlington, an admirer who is pining for her. In the end, Erlynne lets her maternal instincts take over and saves Lady Windermere from social disgrace that will leave her marriage and reputation in tatters… Through meandering light-and-shadow labyrinths, Lubitsch paints an empathetic introspection on a glamorous socialite who tiptoes through emotional entanglements in high society with ease and grace.

Print courtesy of The Museum of Modern Art, New York

Date	Time	Venue
1/2/2017 (Sat)	7:30pm	Cinema, Hong Kong Film Archive

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