A Torn Lily

A Torn Lily
A Torn Lily
	Film poster
Chinese	孽海花
Mandarin	Niè Hǎi Huā
Literally	A Flower in a Sinful Sea
Directed by	Yuen Yang-an
Written by	Yuen Yang-an
Produced by	Yuen Yang-an
Starring	Xia Meng; ; ; ; ;
Cinematography	Yu Sheng-san; Wong Shek-lam;
Edited by	Chong Man-long
Music by	Li Houxiang
Production; company	Great Wall Movie Enterprises
Release date	February 13, 1953;
Running time	120 minutes
Country	British Hong Kong
Language	Mandarin

A Torn Lily is a 1953 Hong Kong black-and-white costume film written and directed by Yuen Yang-an, based on the traditional story of Wang Kui Betrays Guiying. The film was produced by Great Wall Movie Enterprises and stars their 20-year-old starlet Xia Meng (19 at the time of filming) in the lead role.

It became the first Hong Kong film to compete in an international festival when it entered the 7th Edinburgh International Film Festival in 1953,^[1] though it represented China.^[2] It is also likely the first Hong Kong film released in the People's Republic of China, where it drew an audience of over 8.7 million viewers on 16347 screens in December 1954, about 22 months after it was released in Hong Kong.^[3] It is currently kept at the Hong Kong Film Archive.^[4]

Cast[]

Xia Meng as Jiao Guiying, a courtesan
- Dai Lei as Jiao Guiying (child)
Ping Fan as Wang Kui, a scholar
Shek Hwei as Xiao Ju, Guiying's friend
Su Qin as Wang Zhong, the servant
Sun Zhijun as Jin Lei
Li Ciyu as Minister Xie
Gam Sha as Zhang Xingjian
Cao Yan as Zhang Qian
Chang Tseng as Nobleman Kou
Chan Ching-po as Wandering Singer
Shi Lei as Prime Minister Han
Chi Ching
Wen Yi-min
Huang Fan
Wong Chun
Chu Li
Cheung Ho

Reception[]

Raymond Durgnat wrote a not very flattering review in Sight & Sound (Vol. 24–25), calling Chinese films (along with Japanese films and Vsevolod Pudovkin's films) too "theatrical". But he called the first half of the film "beautifully evoked".^[3]

References[]

^ "【夏夢作品】《孽海花》揚威海外" [Xia Meng's works: A Torn Lily Recognised Abroad]. Apple Daily (in Chinese). 2016-11-04.
^ "A Torn Lily". British Film Institute.
^ ^a ^b Doctor Qi'ai (奇爱博士) (March 2014). "夏梦和她的理想年代" [Xia Meng and Her Ideal Era]. Iris (虹膜) (in Chinese). 1 (13).
^ "Film Screenings: A Torn Lily". Film Programmes Office, Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

External links[]

Nie hai hua at IMDb
A Torn Lily at the Hong Kong Movie DataBase

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[1] "【夏夢作品】《孽海花》揚威海外" [Xia Meng's works: A Torn Lily Recognised Abroad]. Apple Daily (in Chinese). 2016-11-04.

[2] "A Torn Lily". British Film Institute.

[iris-3] Doctor Qi'ai (奇爱博士) (March 2014). "夏梦和她的理想年代" [Xia Meng and Her Ideal Era]. Iris (虹膜) (in Chinese). 1 (13).

[4] "Film Screenings: A Torn Lily". Film Programmes Office, Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

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