Hong Kong Reviews Reviews

Film Review: Love Unto Waste (1986) by Stanley Kwan

What is inside me is empty, what is outside is empty too

After impressing Hong Kong cinephiles with his debut, continued to explore the mentality of women through their interactions with men, an effort which led him to the international scene, as “” premiered at Locarno, before netting awards for Best Supporting Actress () and Best Screenplay (Lai Kit, Yau-Tai On-ping) from Hong Kong Film Awards. 

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Billie, a model who always wears sunglasses and asks to borrow money from men, and her two friends, Jade Screen Lau, an actress, and Jane Chiu, a singer, have come to Hong Kong from Taiwan, in order to become famous. One night at a karaoke bar, they meet Tony Cheung, the playboy son of a rice wholesaler, who is accompanied by Miss Chung, a girl who works at his company and seems to have a thing for him. Despite the fact that the meeting is rather eventful, with Tony getting drunk and throwing up all over the place, Billie seems to like him. The two eventually become a couple, staying at her new apartment, whom Tony helped pay. The four of them spend a night at Jade's home, celebrating her birthday, where it is revealed that the birthday girl also likes the apple of discord. However, tragedy soon strikes, when Jade, returning home late last night, finds Jane brutally murdered. A shattered Jade ends up staying at Tony and Billie's place, while an eccentric detective, Sergeant Lan, who handles the case in the most nosy way possible, eventually reveals that he would like to be friends with the rest of the company. In the meanwhile, Tony finds himself having to choose, while an unexpected pregnancy comes to the fore. 

Stanley Kwan directs a film that stretches on a number of unusual paths, since neither the social drama, nor the crime, nor the romance are presented in ways they usually do on films. That all three girls have come to Hong Kong to succeed in show business is very briefly explored, the whodunit aspect seems just like a side-story aiming to introduce the once more brilliant Chow Yun-fat to the story, while the romantic relationships are explored rather epidermically, since no one seems to be particular in-love with anyone else. This last part however, is where the main comment of the movie derives from, as Kwan states that the then young generation were so self-absorbed and egoistic, that forming a meaningful relationship was essentially out of the question, with their only care being having a good time, drinking and smoking. Tony's womanizing ways highlight the comment quite eloquently, but the same applies to the way Billie exploits everyone around her for money and Jade has sex with the boyfriend of one of her best friends. Tony's father, who asks him not to mess with Miss Chung, who is a great employee, also adds to the comment, since he seems to know exactly his son's nature. 

Probably the most peculiar character in the movie, however, is Sergeant Lan, whose flimsiness goes completely against the archetype of the movie detective, since he is funny, nosy, eager to become friends with the group, and even looks shattered by the death of the victim, despite the fact that he did not know her at all. His presence, however, allows Kwan to analyze the characters more through their interactions with him, while also making a comment about friendship and the unusual ways it can be formed. 

Lastly, a recurring mention about abortions also shows what the concept means for women, although its analysis is subtle to the point of epidermic. 

Cinematically, the film is much more interesting I daresay, particularly in the way the visual aspect becomes part of the narrative. The two erotic scenes are the highlight of this approach, with the lustful, feeling-wrong, hasty first one coming in complete antithesis with the second, which takes places literally in rice, while also highlighting how Tony took up his father's idea. Johnny Koo's cinematography is also excellent in the way it presents Lan's peeking into the protagonists, in a voyeuristic approach that is impeccably framed, allowing the audience to witness the action essentially from the Sergeant's eyes. Lastly the frame in the end, with Tony and the two girls, is among the most memorable in the movie. 

Elaine Jin as Jade Screen Lau is excellent as a confident woman who becomes a total wreck after the death of her friend, while she also highlights her vulnerability and resolve with the same artistry. as Billie presents the detached mentality of the model quite nicely, with her coolness being rather evident during her interrogation. The way she breaks only during her interactions with Tony speaks volumes about her character, with her presenting the fact that her detachment is essentially a facade quite convincingly. Tony Leung Chiu-Wai plays the playboy with gusto, with his evident beauty helping the most in that regard. His interactions with the Sergeant, that begin from annoyance until they are transformed into something completely different, and his uncertainty about his choice, are the moments where he also shows his acting abilities. 

“Love Unto Waste” is an unusual mashup of genres, since the movie could not be fully defined by any of its separate elements, but at the same time, this is what makes it rather interesting, along with the evident charisma and acting abilities of its cast. 

About the author

Panos Kotzathanasis

My name is Panos Kotzathanasis and I am Greek. Being a fan of Asian cinema and especially of Chinese kung fu and Japanese samurai movies since I was a little kid, I cultivated that love during my adolescence, to extend to the whole of SE Asia.

Starting from my own blog in Greek, I then moved on to write for some of the major publications in Greece, and in a number of websites dealing with (Asian) cinema, such as Taste of Cinema, Hancinema, EasternKicks, Chinese Policy Institute, and of course, Asian Movie Pulse. in which I still continue to contribute.

In the beginning of 2017, I launched my own website, Asian Film Vault, which I merged in 2018 with Asian Movie Pulse, creating the most complete website about the Asian movie industry, as it deals with almost every country from East and South Asia, and definitely all genres.

You can follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

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