The Wild, Wild Rose (4K Restored Version)

'JAJAMBO!!!' With hands raised high in what has become her signature pose, Grace Chang pumps audience emotions sky-high with a mesmerising parade of song and dance! The Wild, Wild Rose is a masterpiece of Hong Kong cinema, tailor-made for the always-enchanting Chang by MP & GI and directed by the always-great Wong Tin-lam. The wild creature in the title is a nightclub songstress, at once radiant, seductive and bewitching while also tempestuous and loyal. A character inspired by Bizet's opera Carmen, she ends the film as a variation of Puccini's Madame Butterfly, doomed by fate despite her determined individuality.

Shot in high-contrast black-and-white, the film features stylised lighting, sets and art direction, painting an enticing portrait of the smoky, alcohol-spiked atmosphere of 1950-60s nightlife. The jazz-inspired score by Yao Min, plus the many songs composed for the film by Ryoichi Hattori and lyrics by Li Junqing, are an amazing and everlasting fusion of Chinese and Western cultures. No wonder the film is now considered Must-see, a textbook example of Mandarin musicals and, to boot, a great work of art. This 4K restored version presents again the fruits of labour of the cast and crew, offering a bountiful feast of audial and visual excellence.

Courtesy of Cathay-Keris Films Pte Ltd

# Post-screening talk with Shu Kei & Sam Ho

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