Chinese Box (1997)

Absolutely Fantastic

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

When I first saw Chinese Box, it was because I was a fan of Irons and Gong Li and the fact they were in the same film made it irresistible. Coincidentally I'm a world events hound and was well informed about the relationship between and history of Hong Kong and China, though that didn't factor into my seeing the film as I was unaware of its story. The actors were enough to attract me.But oh my, I was more than stunned after seeing it! This worked on so many levels I'm amazed it didn't get more notice. Ah, well, that's what happens to truly substantial films far too often; they are shoved aside (in the US at least) by the flashy hyped stuff.

For starters, it would be fair to say that I have seen this movie at least ten times. I was never bored... In fact, the magical atmosphere of the movie makes it beautiful to watch, and makes you enjoy every minute of it, even with the story aside. The cast is excellent, and the way that the actors 'ignore' the camera really makes you believe the story. The story has many layers, all of them viewed from an aspect of a dying man, packed with emotion, all masks down. The handover of Hong Kong and a love story, with all the cultural differences and barriers, is captured from a very close range. It's done almost like a documentary and strongly effects any spectator. The characters are complete, the story also, and everything else in the movie (from the photography and the music to the actual footage of HK and its people) only makes it more powerful. A beautiful movie.

Much has already been said about the film itself. Here are some comments regarding the portrayal of Hong Kong. An early comment was saying that this film makes Hong Kong look dirty and cramped.Well, having lived in Hong Kong (in several different areas) I have to say that what the film shows is reality. I was paying about US$1,000 per month for a small room about 10 x 15 feet in Hong Kong (Tin Hau area) in 1996. It was not even a really nice place. Hong Kong is very expensive to live in.It is also a very dirty and polluted place compared to cities in the West. The director of the film was not making this up.By reading this you may think I hated it there, well it rates as one of my favorite cities in the world. It has a lot of charm.By the way, the movie isn't bad and worth a look.

The movie was OK, and does give an interesting depiction of Hong Kong. Whether the depiction is accurate is another thing.Jeremy Irons I like, but Gong Li? I just don't know what all the fuss is about her, except that she is very beautiful, I didn't find her acting anything special in this movie anyway.The strange thing I don't understand is why does Gong Li hire the 2 prostitutes to spend the night with Jeremy Irons, then later on in the film have sex with him? If her love is unrequitted, one would think the 2 prostitutes would be more than enough. The love scene between Gong Li and Jeremy Irons was done very tastefully, with no nudity even, though it is implied that they do it.