Silent Love
Reviewed by YTSL
There she goes again, singing the praises of some
obscure melodrama that isn’t widely available! While there might be
some modicum of truth in such a thought, here’s nonetheless persisting in
taking the opportunity to assert that this D&B Production is one of those
Hong Kong movies that I’m surprised is not better known and/or frequently
mentioned than it appears to be. This is not least because of it being
so that while the 1986 John (AKA former Shaw Brothers star David) Chiang
directed offering can feel like a modest as well as small scale work, it’s
neither run of the mill in terms of its focus (on a close knit group of physically
challenged but enterprising, in their own way, individuals) nor quality (as
one might expect of a serious effort that has Sammo Hung as its producer,
Ivy Ho as its co-scriptwriter (along with Siu Kwok Wah) plus the likes of
Lau Ching Wan -- whose first film this was -- and Fan Siu Wong in its cast).
Perhaps this sign as well as Cantonese language utilizing offering slipped
under the radar of many Hong Kong filmophiles on account of it being the
third Jade Theatre effort -- after ones that were released in 1965 and 1971
-- to have SILENT LOVE as its (English) title. Another possibility
lies in it seeming to (still) only be out -- like with too many worthy works
for this (re)viewer’s liking -- on VCD or (Tai Seng) VHS tape (as opposed
to DVD). In any case, that which has been described as having had artistic
pretensions -- but which I prefer to look upon as being a movie whose makers
dared to come up with something that would be somewhat different from the
norm and were allowed to do so by a then fledgling production company that
Li Cheuk To described as having “no stars and large financial resources to
produce mainstream films, and so is forced to make smaller, more offbeat
films” (on pg. 101 of the 2000 HKIFF’s “Hong Kong Cinema ’79-’89”) -- is
one that I’m reckoning that some people, particularly those who appreciate
good acting and have yet to see Season Ma in action, will end up thanking
me for bringing it to their attention.
If I had not previously seen this HKFA Best Actress nominee (for “Boat People”
-- which also garnered her the Best Newcomer prize -- as well as SILENT LOVE)
having a speaking role in another seemingly under-rated 1980s Hong Kong movie
(i.e., “The First Time is the Last Time”), I would have thought that she
had had a life long sign language reliance. That’s how convincing Season
Ma was as the mute but not deaf and nonetheless very expressive character
known as Heung Gite (as well as by her official name of Heung Siu Kwai) who:
first appeared on screen skillfully performing what amounts to a dance-like
signing interpretation of a Cantopop song (on her own before being joined
by Fan Siu Wong); and, a short while later, is shown being convicted of manslaughter
and subsequently sentenced to a seven year prison term.
A quick glance at the way that Heung Gite and her fellow boat-dwelling pals
go about earning a living would seem to confirm their being fated to lead
troubled lives. This is because this spunky lass, the wide-eyed Little
Dragon (who Fan Siu Wong plays), Long Neck (so nicknamed because that’s what
he has!), Fatty Turtle (who does bear some physical resemblance to this animal!)
and the newly released from jail Leopard (a fellow portrayed by Ronald Wong
who is this group’s primary communicator with non-signing people) comprise
a gang of predominantly deaf plus dumb young pickpockets whose turf is being
claimed by a much meaner group of individuals (whose Tai Lo comes in the
form of Roy Cheung). Additionally, Lin (who appeared to be Heung Gite’s
real life elder sister as well as friend) is not just a member of the world’s
oldest profession but someone who looks to be further bedeviled by having
her pimp -- an unsavory character who may well have been called Rocky because
he seems to delight in battering others, namely his supposed significant
other -- also be her boyfriend (or vice versa).
Still, this is not at all to say that SILENT LOVE solely consists of doom
and gloom moments. Indeed, and even while possessing not one but two
love triangles -- both of which involve Lau Ching Wan’s admirably manly Kelly
character along with Season Ma’s Heung Kai -- plus having a main tale that
culminates in the shockingly sudden as well as violent death of more than
one individual, this well paced effort actually has a larger amount of relaxed
plus cheery moments than other Hong Kong movies that center on delinquent
youth (including Lawrence Ah Mon’s “Spacked Out” and “Gimme Gimme” along
with lower grade fare like “Girls in the Hood”).
In part, this is due to a significant amount of time having been spent on
positively fleshing out the movie’s main characters (by way of weaving into
the work such as a visit to a popular recreational cum community center for
deaf and dumb folks along with illustrative examples of how sign language
can come across as an artistic form as well as practical method of communicating).
At the same time, the Dickson Poon executive produced effort also undoubtedly
benefited from its makers having favored a style of storytelling that ensured
that this dramatic offering would be moving as well as eventful, yet -- to
my mind at least -- never overbearingly over-emotional. Hence it being
so that, on the face of his SILENT LOVE work, it seems to be a real pity
that the former kung fu film pin-up at the helm of this arresting offering
has not earned even half the directing kudos that his half brother, Derek
Yee, has done.
My rating for the film: 8.