Ann Hui’s Love After Love, Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution and 4 more films adapted from Eileen Chang books, 25 years after the celebrated Chinese writer’s death
As Ann Hui’s Love After Love premieres at the Venice International Film Festival, STYLE looks back at 5 more movies based on the timeless novels of Chinese writer Eileen Chang – from Ang Lee’s Lust, Caution to Hui’s earlier adaptations Love in a Fallen City and Eighteen Springs
Eileen Chang was “the best and most important writer in Chinese today”, literary scholar C.T. Hsia once claimed in his authoritative book A History of Modern Chinese Fiction, 1917-1957, published in 1961.
Born into a Shanghai family, Eileen Chang (1920-1995) was arguably one of the most important writers in 20th century China. In the Western world, some scholars have often compared Chang with Jane Austen for her ability to dissect, in minute detail, the mundane things in life that affect human relationships.
Keen readers will be familiar with the themes of her work – usually about misfortunes that befall young women and the families of urban China at that time, which propagated emotionally isolated and crippled personalities.
It’s not difficult to sum up Chang’s oeuvre in a single word – desolation (荒涼 in Chinese). In fact, by Chang’s own reckoning, this was the word she used most often, reflecting the mood that dominates her writing.
Chang’s intricate stories about intimate love and marriage have provided excellent backbones for movie scripts. Indeed, several of her novels have been made into plays and films in the past few decades, increasing her popularity and relevance for new generations in turn.
Ann Hui’s Love After Love – a movie adapted from Chang’s Agarwood Incense: The First Censer (沉香屑·第一爐香) – is set to premiere on September 8 at the 77th edition of the Venice International Film Festival. It is the first major film festival to return since the pandemic began, and the celebrated Hong Kong director will be awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
Set in Hong Kong shortly before the second world war, Love After Love has Eddie Peng and Sandra Ma in the leading roles – a first trailer for which just dropped on Sunday (September 6).
From page to stage, to commemorate Chang on the 25th anniversary of her death – and what would have been her 100th birthday on September 30 – we take a look at the memorable films her novels have inspired.
Love in a Fallen City (傾城之戀)