Why Tsui Hark’s Shanghai Blues, shown at Cannes 2024, is one of his best films 40 years on

Four decades have passed since its first release, but Tsui Hark’s romcom Shanghai Blues remains one of the director’s most enjoyable works

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Sally Yeh in a still from Shanghai Blues. Lively and packed with romcom tropes, it remains one of its director Tsui Hark’s favourite films. Photo: Film Workshop

Published: 7:45am, 25 Aug 2024Updated: 7:53am, 25 Aug 2024

Luscious, loving and a lot of fun, the lively romantic comedy Shanghai Blues is one of Tsui Hark’s most enjoyable works.

It is also one of his most conventional – the Hong Kong director, who has said that his imagination ranges so widely that he often finds it difficult to keep his stories on track, steadfastly adheres to a slim plot that could be scribbled on the back of an envelope.

The unusually minimalist storyline gives his two female leads, Sally Yeh Chian-wen and Sylvia Chang Ai-cha, room to express themselves – which they do in magnificently jolly fashion.

The film was well received by Hong Kong cinema-goers when it was released in 1984.

“A real gem of a picture!” enthused the Post reviewer. “In Shanghai Blues, Tsui has created a mixture of Cantonese pop, comedy, poignant romance, slapstick humour laced with music, satire, fresh creativity, artistry and good taste.”

Tsui liked it, too – he has said that Shanghai Blues is a favourite among his own works, and notes that he has fond memories of it because it was the first movie produced by his production company Film Workshop.