COMRADES, ALMOST A LOVE STORY: REVIEW BY DIANA CHEUNG
‘Comrades: Almost a love story’ a film by Peter Chan – A personal review
Never have I felt my dual identity more present than when I watched Peter Chan’s Comrades: Almost a love story, a film set in Hong Kong during the 80s and 90s, about two Chinese immigrants from the ‘mainland’ China, who fall in love after a chance meeting in a McDonalds. As I simultaneously alternated between the English subtitles and picking up the odd phrase here and there in Cantonese and Mandarin, this film was having an impact on me on a level that many children of immigrants can resonate with.
My parents are Hong Kongers or Hongkies as Qiao Li (played by the esteemed Maggie Cheung) our leading woman endearingly phrases it. Whichever term you prefer, it is a given in the film that being from Hong Kong is something to be proud of. However, being proud wasn’t a theme in my life certainly as a Chinese kid growing up in 1990s Northern Ireland. I was born in Derry in 1981, too young to remember the height of the ‘Troubles’ but old enough to remember the checkpoints, the riots and the sectarianism.
Watching Comrades, brought back fond childhood memories of being submerged into Cantonese films, where we would for the duration of the film forget our ‘otherness’. Hong Kong films like, All for the Winner starring Stephen Chow and Police Story, Drunken Master starring Jackie Chan were our household favourites. It was always comforting to have been familiar with Jackie Chan’s work before the Western world discovered his genius.
I came to filmmaking later in life relatively speaking, enticed by the urgency to tell the stories of our community authentically. As a Chinese person with a dual identity and an Irish accent, the ability to ‘code switch’ has been both a help and a hindrance in life and certainly whilst watching this film. There were times that the subtitles didn’t do the dialogue any justice. I have come to learn that some things just cannot be translated to English or in some cases, when translated, can lose its meaning. The Chinese title of the film is an interesting example. In Chinese, the film is called ‘Tian Mi Mi’ which literally means ‘Sweet Honey’ and evokes a song of the same name by music star Teresa Teng, whose music is a running theme throughout the film. Instead, the title is translated for a Western audience as ‘Comrades, Almost A Love Story’ with the translation loses this connection.
However, I am continuously grateful for the subtitles in films not in the English language so I can have access to narratives from across the world. As Bong Joon-ho director of Oscar winning film Parasite puts it in his acceptance speech “Once you overcome the one inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films”.
For me when watching this film, as soon as the opening scene kicked in, I was confident I was in safe hands and about to enjoy a classic Chinese love story. The director Peter Chen captured the ‘fish out of water’ tone from the outset and the likeability of the protagonist Xiao Jun Li was instant. A film made in the 90s but still as relatable today, exploring universal themes not only in love but immigration, identity, belonging and language.
A story of two people from China making a new life in Hong Kong and choosing to hide their Chinese identity was a theme that hit close to home. My parents immigrated to Northern Ireland in the 1970s. Like the majority of immigrants at that time they worked in the Chinese food industry running takeaways and restaurants. Life was work and work was life, they came to Northern Ireland for economic opportunity and a better quality of life for their family. Much like the two protagonists Qiao Li and Xiao Jun Li who left home in search for economic opportunity ending up finding solace in their common language and a shared goal to ‘make it’ in Hong Kong. One of my favourite scenes was when they first meet in McDonalds. It was well written and cleverly played out showing the contrasting personalities of the two characters – the naïve and innocence of Leon Lai’s character against the shrewd and confident Maggie Cheung’s character was an enjoyable watch.
The cultural differences and xenophobic connotations between the Chinese Mainlanders and the Hong Kongers are at the opening and throughout the film, an issue that is very much at the forefront of the current Chinese political landscape. For the Western audience it may come as a surprise to learn that Chinese immigrants from China living in Hong Kong can face discrimination that is deep rooted in a history that I wouldn’t even attempt to dissect here.
It is possible to make comparisons to chasing the ‘American Dream’ where success is related to financial status. The presence of capitalist giant McDonalds in the first act alludes to the similarities with the West. Hong Kong is often described as where ‘East meets West’, and the two main characters often reflect this in their differing goals in life. One is building a future for his wife and the other is an entrepreneur with high ambitions. New York being the location for the final act is an interesting choice and helps to elevate the narrative of our ambitious characters.
The film is a love story that hits the usual beats of a Western rom com, if its comparison that you feel comfortable with. Boy meets girl, life still gets in the way, boy and girl reunite through fate and the type of coincidences that Hollywood is well used to. The old saying that film transcends culture and language rings true in this story. However, the intensity of the characters as they fight their internal battles is played with hope and heart, giving it an edge over the typical Hollywood rom com.
This is a masterclass in acting by Leon Lai and Maggie Cheung. Their nuanced performances were the heart of the film and gave a realistic portrayal of what heartbreak looks like in reality. It will resonate with audiences whether they are reading the subtitles, listening to the audio or like me, doing a bit of both fairly badly.
It is an honour to give a personal insight to a film that is both familiar and foreign. Overall, I enjoyed the brief nostalgia this film has gifted to me.
Diana Cheung
Diana Cheung is a filmmaker from Derry, Northern Ireland. She has experience in writing, producing and directing, and works across documentary and drama. Her latest film The Girl with the Lion, a short drama funded by NI Screen and produced by Tara Hegarty, is in post-production. Currently, Diana is in development for her first feature documentary Chinese Takeaway Kids, a film about the Chinese community in Ireland.