Torrents of Spring

During a trip to Macau, the young Su Erning (Tian Qing) has a brief but intense romance with Meiniang (Jeanette Lin Tsui). Having pledged his love with promises, the inexperienced Erning soon throws the pact out of the window when seduced by the wife (Helen Li Mei) of his former classmate Lu Zuhua (Wang Zhibo). Mrs Lu quickly grows tired of Erning and abandons him. Reduced to destitution, Erning encounters Meiniang again 18 years later and becomes overwhelmed by all the past regrets and memories.

Based on the novel of the same name by the Russian literary giant Ivan Turgenev, Torrents of Spring was adapted on screen in the 1930s with the Shanghai production featuring Li Li, Wang Renmei and Gao Zhanfei. Under the refined touch of Doe Ching, the work was adapted again in a Hong Kong/Macau setting with many outdoor scenes. The film’s fleshed-out characters, along with their tragic stories, tug at the heartstrings of the audience. 

At the tender age of 11 in 1956 during film production, Yuen Siu-fai had already stolen the screen and shown his acting chops. As Meiniang’s little brother, his character was initially ill with his eyes rolled back and lying on the sofa in agony. With this small role, Yuen made the character alive and memorable as someone by turns innocent and mature with a full range of facial expressions including sadness and disgust. While filming the outdoor scenes in Macau with Tian Qing who was a newcomer then, Yuen recalls Doe Ching being particularly strict with Tian. Although it was a heavy experience, Yuen gained more insight into diverse skills taught by different directors.

Courtesy of Cathay-Keris Films Pte Ltd

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