The Bund 《上海灘》

[Ken Cheng]

The one time in THE BUND where the 16mm film worked well in daylight was the classic "snowfall" scene when Ching Ching is going around town looking for Mun Keung. This is one of the most memorable scenes of the series (and a big favorite of fans of the romantic aspect of THE BUND), and it looked great partially because of the 16mm medium (I think it would've worked on videotape too, but not as well; the 16mm film gave it a more timeless look). The combination of the acting, the costumes, the setting, the music, and the editing really clicked to perfection in this sequence.

Hell, I'll go out on a limb and declare this scene one of the greatest romance scenes ever committed to film...in ANY country, from ANY era. Filmmakers should study the construction of this scene to learn how to do a romance scene properly.

[Ghaleon]

Film noir:

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- uses low key lighting producing stark light/dark constrasts
- uses shadows in an innovative way
- chaotic narrative techniques that disrupt or obscure the narrative sequence
- main characters are usually morally ambiguous (shades of grey)
- usually takes places in pure urban settings like bars, lounges, nightclubs, and gambling dens
- crime is usually an essential component of film noir
- people smoke a lot
- the tone and atmosphere is usually unsettling, downbeat and extremely dark

So i think The Bund contains some of the common elements found in Film Noir. It'll be interesting to see The Bund in black and white. Since The Bund is in color, they could use lighting to help enhance the gritty atmosphere. I think TVB is lucky that the outdoor scenes (in 16mm) actually add to the gritty factor haha.

Here's some great examples of film noir that i really like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOgBa2Oij1A

I bet that when the cameras were turned off, Chow Yun Fat, Lau Dan (Fung Ging Yiu), and the other Chinese actors probably had a hard time keeping a straight face at that guy. Hell, it wouldn't surprise me if CYF and the other guys NGed (bloopered) this scene a dozen times breaking down in hysterics. I'd definitely have laughed my butt off!

Even when I saw this scene for the first time as a little kid, I wondered, "Where did TVB get this guy?!"

If i could find out how to youtube things, i would definitely put that scene up. I'll call it "How NOT to speak Cantonese" or "How to make people laugh with your Cantonese".

By the time that TVB made LOCH '82 a year later, TVB had given up on 16 mm film entirely.

So THE BUND was made at exactly the right time. Had the project been done even a year later, it would have had a very different look and feel.

Yeah I can't quite imagine how those gritty outdoor scenes will look if they weren't in 16mm. They almost have an alien yet cold look to them. It's hard to describe but the outdoor scenes made Shanghai look even more dangerous and brutal in a very cold-ruthless type of way.

[Ken Cheng]

Film noir:

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- uses low key lighting producing stark light/dark constrasts
- uses shadows in an innovative way
- chaotic narrative techniques that disrupt or obscure the narrative sequence
- main characters are usually morally ambiguous (shades of grey)
- usually takes places in pure urban settings like bars, lounges, nightclubs, and gambling dens
- crime is usually an essential component of film noir
- people smoke a lot
- the tone and atmosphere is usually unsettling, downbeat and extremely dark

Seems to me like THE BUND hits all the criteria listed here. The only thing missing is black and white film.

So i think The Bund contains some of the common elements found in Film Noir. It'll be interesting to see The Bund in black and white. Since The Bund is in color, they could use lighting to help enhance the gritty atmosphere. I think TVB is lucky that the outdoor scenes (in 16mm) actually add to the gritty factor haha.

Here's some great examples of film noir: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOgBa2Oij1A

I think the most noirish scenes in THE BUND take place in Episode 12, when Hui Mun Keung enters a fog-enshrouded warehouse building to check out a shipment of weapons (machine guns and bullets). That scene was pure noir.

If i could find out how to youtube things, i would definitely put that scene up. I'll call it "How NOT to speak Cantonese" or "How to make people laugh with your Cantonese".

Heh. Or "Failing To Act Like You're NOT Reading Off a Cue Card!"

Yeah I can't quite imagine how those gritty outdoor scenes will look if they weren't in 16mm. They almost have an alien yet cold look to them. It's hard to describe but the outdoor scenes made Shanghai look even more dangerous and brutal in a very cold-ruthless type of way.

Episodes 11-13. Get to them as soon as you can!

[Ken Cheng]

Re: special lighting in THE BUND

In THE BUND, there were a few church scenes, filmed inside an actual church (possibly the largest church in Hong Kong). For the church scenes (the first of which we see in Episode 1 when Hui Mun Keung meets Fong Yim Wan at the funeral of her ex, and again when Ching Ching goes looking for Mun Keung during the "snowfall" sequence), TVB used natural sunlight as it filtered through the church windows. The church scenes are among the very few in which 16mm film was used *indoors*. This was a wise decision: the combination of the church venue, the natural sunlight, and the grit of the 16mm film created a great atmospheric effect. To this day, I feel it's the best way to do daytime indoor church scenes, provided the church lets in plenty of natural sunlight.

[Ken Cheng]

There is definitely no other series like it. It even stands out in the Golden 80's.

Well, THE BUND was the cultural explosion, or "Big Bang," that created the Golden 80s for TVB. I don't think the Golden 80s would have been so golden if THE BUND didn't kick off the decade so brilliantly for TVB. TVB built its reputation in the 1980s on the back of this series (yeah, the wuxia adaptations helped a lot too, but without THE BUND as a catalyst, I don't think TVB would have had the momentum for the Golden 80s; case in point: THE BUND launched the career of Kent Tong, the first of the Five Tigers, and in Part 2 and Part 3, there will be significant supporting roles for Felix Wong and Miu Kiu Wai).

TVB tried to replicate the success of THE BUND not only in the series' own two direct sequels, but also in THE SHELL GAME (also 1980) and THE LONELY HUNTER (1981), the latter of which showcased the up-and-coming talents of Felix Wong and Miu Kiu Wai in their earliest starring roles. THE SHELL GAME and THE LONELY HUNTER used many of the technical elements that went into the making of THE BUND, but although both series turned out very well and became classics in their own right, neither could quite recapture the magic (neither could THE BUND II or THE BUND III, really). TVB did it once, but could never successfully replicate it. THE SHELL GAME was probably the closest they ever came, but although THE SHELL GAME was also a very good series and a classic, it still fell considerably short of the standard set by THE BUND.

[NetDragon]

Personally I like the Shanghai Grand remake of The Bund more than the other remakes, especially the recent Chinese mainland production.

Let's face it, no one can replace the coolness of Chow Yun Fat, so just forget it. Like in the China version, that guy (who plays in most of the Jin Yong remakes for some reason) tries too hard to be CYF that it sometimes looks directly embarassing. And don't get me started on the ending (relax..no spoiling here hehe) of the mainland version. That one in my opinion is like a totally insult to the original Bund. The original showdown of The Bund was so powerful, full of hate and emotions that it cannot be described with words. Just notice how one of the guys involved in that scene sweats during the scene, now that is something that nowadays series tend to forget in suspense scenes. We are humans, when we are deadly nervous, it should be normal to sweat or have some slightly tears in the corner of our eyes :P

So why I like Shanghai Grand more? Because Leslie Cheung doesn't try to image CYF at all, it is like he is a completely new person. And what a dark and brutal personality he has, the showdown in this one is like of a completely different world compared to the original one, but to me it still captures the hate and emotions that the original one had.

I havent really seen Sunny Chan in the 96 remake, but saw one episode, and also he tries to copy that coolness of CYF..which again is embarassing in my opinion.

[Ken Cheng]

Let's face it, no one can replace the coolness of Chow Yun Fat, so just forget it.

This much is gospel.

Like in the China version, that guy (who plays in most of the Jin Yong remakes for some reason) tries too hard to be CYF that it sometimes looks directly embarassing.

Actually, of the three subsequent attempts to reinterpret the Hui Mun Keung character, I found Huang Xiaoming's the most respectable. He retained enough of Chow Yun Fat's interpretation to respect the original character, but put enough personal spin on the character to make him distinct. Huang's Hui Mun Keung wasn't as good as Chow's, but that's to be expected. I give him credit, though, for giving a respectable interpretation of the character.

And don't get me started on the ending (relax..no spoiling here hehe) of the mainland version. That one in my opinion is like a totally insult to the original Bund.

Yeah, the rewrite of the ending really was the weakest part of the China version...really screwed things up. Whereas the original BUND actually had an ending, the China version just sort of...stopped.

So why I like Shanghai Grand more? Because Leslie Cheung doesn't try to image CYF at all, it is like he is a completely new person. And what a dark and brutal personality he has, the showdown in this one is like of a completely different world compared to the original one, but to me it still captures the hate and emotions that the original one had.

As an original movie, SHANGHAI GRAND wasn't that bad. But as a reinterpretation of THE BUND...yeesh. I think I would have enjoyed this movie more if they didn't base it on THE BUND and its characters.

I havent really seen Sunny Chan in the 96 remake, but saw one episode, and also he tries to copy that coolness of CYF..which again is embarrassing in my opinion.

Now Sunny Chan as Hui Mun Keung really was embarrassing. He completely failed to capture the character or put his personal stamp on the character, which Huang and Cheung at least did. Chan really looked overwhelmed in this role; I felt I was watching a teenaged high school actor (and not a very good one at that) trying to play the role of Hui Mun Keung. It just didn't work at all.

The only plus in the 1996 remake was that Nnadia Chan made for an attractive Fung Ching Ching, but she wasn't better than Angie Chiu.

[Ghaleon]

Seems to me like THE BUND hits all the criteria listed here. The only thing missing is black and white film.

I think the most noirish scenes in THE BUND take place in Episode 12, when Hui Mun Keung enters a fog-enshrouded warehouse building to check out a shipment of weapons (machine guns and bullets). That scene was pure noir.

Yeah the series so far is quite noir-ish, especially compared to other TVB serials i've seen. I like those simple yet effective music they play during those mysterious and/or dangerous scenes. Along with the visuals, it gives The Bund a classic classic feel to it. It's too bad this type of feel is now extinct. So would you say it's both the "godfather of asian television" and the "film noir of asian television"? Granted i'm only a third way through this series so i can't give any comments to that yet.

Re: special lighting in THE BUND

In THE BUND, there were a few church scenes, filmed inside an actual church (possibly the largest church in Hong Kong). For the church scenes (the first of which we see in Episode 1 when Hui Mun Keung meets Fong Yim Wan at the funeral of her ex, and again when Ching Ching goes looking for Mun Keung during the "snowfall" sequence), TVB used natural sunlight as it filtered through the church windows. The church scenes are among the very few in which 16mm film was used *indoors*. This was a wise decision: the combination of the church venue, the natural sunlight, and the grit of the 16mm film created a great atmospheric effect. To this day, I feel it's the best way to do daytime indoor church scenes, provided the church lets it plenty of natural sunlight.

So far i like the lighting they used for the nightclubs, the mansions, restaurants, etc. They're simple but effective and directly convey the appropriate atmosphere. It gives it the feel of an old-school classic. Yeah i also noticed the lighting in the Church scenes. It was quite unique!

Well, THE BUND was the cultural explosion, or "Big Bang," that created the Golden 80s for TVB. I don't think the Golden 80s would have been so golden if THE BUND didn't kick off the decade so brilliantly for TVB. TVB built its reputation in the 1980s on the back of this series (yeah, the wuxia adaptations helped a lot too, but without THE BUND as a catalyst, I don't think TVB would have had the momentum for the Golden 80s; case in point: THE BUND launched the career of Kent Tong, the first of the Five Tigers, and in Part 2 and Part 3, there will be significant supporting roles for Felix Wong and Miu Kiu Wai).

Wow so Miu Kiu Wai and Felix are in THE BUND sequels? Sweet!! That makes it easier to bare with the absence of Angie and CYF. Not a big fan of Kent though. He's quite boring, doesn't have any charisma like CYF.

[Ken Cheng]

Yeah the series so far is quite noir-ish, especially compared to other TVB serials i've seen. I like those simple yet effective music they play during those mysterious and/or dangerous scenes. Along with the visuals, it gives The Bund a classic classic feel to it. It's too bad this type of feel is now extinct. So would you say it's both the "godfather of asian television" and the "film noir of asian television"?

I think THE BUND is the only time that TVB ever seriously attempted a noir feel in its series (including other gangster dramas). They never bothered so much to create an atmosphere for any other series. Most other series just have that bland, generic TVB house production style. For THE BUND, I think they put forth a once-in-a-lifetime effort to create a special noir atmosphere that would never be replicated by TVB.

Wow so Miu Kiu Wai and Felix are in THE BUND sequels? Sweet!!

Yeah, and I was surprised by how much of a role each of them got in II and III. I kind of knew that each of them was in these sequels, but I thought they were very brief cameos as extras without any extensive lines. It turns out that each of them plays a supporting character of some consequence.

That being the case, these are the first extensive roles that Felix and Miu had at TVB...where they weren't just being extras or cannon fodder anymore.

[Ghaleon]

I think THE BUND is the only time that TVB ever seriously attempted a noir feel in its series (including other gangster dramas). They never bothered so much to create an atmosphere for any other series. Most other series just have that bland, generic TVB house production style. For THE BUND, I think they put forth a once-in-a-lifetime effort to create a special noir atmosphere that would never be replicated by TVB.

That is why Bund is so unique. It's very stylish. It's such a great joy watching it... and you simply cannot get this experience in serials made today it's the same with hollywood movies. Classics will always be classics even with the advanced technology and bigger budget we have today. It's a highly specialized and lost art of filmmaking. So i will "try" to finish the entire Bund 1 by this weekend CYF does a "Godfather" impression in episode 9 LOL. You're right, episode 11 is noirish, especially the foggy warehouse scene. Ep. 11 is another great ep.

[Ken Cheng]

CYF does a "Godfather" impression in episode 9 LOL.

To which scene in particular are you referring?

[almo89]

They used 16mm film for LOCH didn't they? Those underwater "pool" scenes.

[Ken Cheng]

They used 16mm film for LOCH didn't they? Those underwater "pool" scenes.

Yeah, but ONLY for those brief scenes and ONLY because they didn't have a video camera that was waterproof, I'm guessing.

[Ghaleon]

To which scene in particular are you referring?

well he was trying to imitate his boss through voice imitation but he ended up imitating The Godfather LOL. And i notice some Godfather-sounding music during that episode.

[lizzyd]

I called fivestarlaser and am reporting back as requested. They were really nice on the phone but couldn't figure out what the issue is. They said they're still getting orders so nothing is wrong with their site. They told me I can order by phone or by email instead. I'm going to be in the area in a few weeks so I might stop by the store. Has anyone been there? Do they have a good selection?

[Ken Cheng]

well he was trying to imitate his boss through voice imitation but he ended up imitating The Godfather LOL. And i notice some Godfather-sounding music during that episode.

Heh. That's right. It was one of the very few moments in THE BUND where we see Hui Mun Keung behaving in a more lighthearted manner (which is ironic, considering he was under quite a bit of stress at the time).

It's not surprising that you heard GODFATHER-sounding music in THE BUND. TVB used the *actual* GODFATHER music in the series. In addition to the series' own original music, TVB also used music from Pink Floyd (especially the recordings "One of These Days" and "Time") and the GODFATHER soundtrack. These were placed very strategically in various scenes throughout the series.

[Ghaleon]

I called fivestarlaser and am reporting back as requested. They were really nice on the phone but couldn't figure out what the issue is. They said they're still getting orders so nothing is wrong with their site. They told me I can order by phone or by email instead. I'm going to be in the area in a few weeks so I might stop by the store. Has anyone been there? Do they have a good selection?

Thanks, that's great to hear. Hope you find what you're looking for at the store. I just received my order so i'm pretty happy Their website has a great selection of DVD titles. Probably the most extensive collection of TVB and Chinese series online (apart from Yesasia).

Heh. That's right. It was one of the very few moments in THE BUND where we see Hui Mun Keung behaving in a more lighthearted manner (which is ironic, considering he was under quite a bit of stress at the time).

It's not surprising that you heard GODFATHER-sounding music in THE BUND. TVB used the *actual* GODFATHER music in the series. In additional to the series' own original music, TVB also used music from Pink Floyd (especially the recordings "One of These Days" and "Time") and the GODFATHER soundtrack. These were placed very strategically in various scenes throughout the series.

YES i knew it was the music from that movie. They're trying to add the Godfather feel to their noirish feel.

The characters of THE BUND, particularly Hui Mun Keung, Ding Lik, and Fung Ging Yiu (Lau Dan's character and main villain of the series) are all multilayered and complex. The usual distinctions between "good" and "evil" that is seen in most teledrama are fairly useless in viewing THE BUND, because the lines between such concepts in the series are blurred. The series simply doesn't feature many black-and-white good or evil characters (with the exception of Fung Ching Ching, who might be the one purely good character in the series). Our heroes (Hui, Ding) are capable of doing some despicable things for their self-interest, while the villain (Fung Ging Yiu) has a human, vulnerable side (and a surprising amount of loyalty and affection for those who serve him well) that audiences can relate to even as they recognize him as a power-obsessed madman.

I'm on ep. 14 now and it's getting good So far i found Ding Lik capable of doing despicable things like slashing Lo Gum's throat for example. But I found our charismatic hero HMK pretty moral. He always does the moral thing even if it means he has to make sacrifices. So later on in the series he becomes more morallly ambiguous? Fung Ging Yiu is indeed loyal to those who serve him and menacing to those who betray him. I'm guessing as the series progresses FGY will also be more developed like DL.

[Ken Cheng]

T
I'm on ep. 14 now and it's getting good So far i found Ding Lik capable of doing despicable things like slashing Lo Gum's throat for example.

Yep. The thing with Ah Lik is that you learn to dislike him before you learn to like him. In Part 1 and Part 2, he's still a growing, developing character. There are many bumps along the way because, among other things, we have a character who isn't well-educated and has a naturally impulsive and aggressive temperament to begin with. But the thing is: Ah Lik GROWS. He learns from his mistakes (although only after paying a heavy personal price) and becomes better as a result. By Part 3, he has really come a long way, and you really grow to respect the man he ends up becoming in his later years.

But I found our charismatic hero HMK pretty moral. He always does the moral thing even if it means he has to make sacrifices.

Not always. Remember how he set up his first boss, cinema owner Lee Mong Kei, and his rival Ah Bing to kill each other so that he could become the new boss of the cinema? One of the things that Hui Mun Keung learned during his three years in prison is that one can't be overly scrupulous. Sometimes, you have to play dirty to get ahead. That's also what he taught to Chan Hon Lam (Kent Tong's character) after Chan joined the police force.

When push comes to shove, however, Hui Mun Keung does do the ethical thing MOST of the time, but he's not above compromising his ethics if the objective is worthwhile enough to him.

So later on in the series he becomes more morallly ambiguous?

I think he is from the beginning, and if there's any doubt, it's erased by his final conversation with Ching Ching in the last episode. Hui Mun Keung was a great man in many ways, but he was not above being incredibly selfish at times.

Fung Ging Yiu is indeed loyal to those who serve him and menacing to those who betray him. I'm guessing as the series progresses FGY will also be more developed like DL.

Yes. Towards the end of the series, we sort of develop sympathy for Fung Ging Yiu. We see the old man's anguish as all that he has worked and strived for begins to crumble around him, and although we've seen him do heartless things throughout the series, we also see that he's capable of feeling deep love for his daughter and his friends, and that he learns (a bit too late) what is really valuable in life.

[Ghaleon]

Not always. Remember how he set up his first boss, cinema owner Lee Mong Kei, and his rival Ah Bing to kill each other so that he could become the new boss of the cinema? One of the things that Hui Mun Keung learned during his three years in prison is that one can't be overly scrupulous. Sometimes, you have to play dirty to get ahead. That's also what he taught to Chan Hon Lam (Kent Tong's character) after Chan joined the police force.

When push comes to shove, however, Hui Mun Keung does do the ethical thing MOST of the time, but he's not above compromising his ethics if the objective is worthwhile enough to him.

Oh right, i almost forgot about that. You're right it's already in his character. Yeah i'm looking forward to the character development of DL and FGY. So far, so good. The characters are pretty multidimensional. I'm guessing everybody has to get their hands dirty in Shanghai just to survive because it's a pretty dangerous plcae. I'm anxious to see DL's rise to power in II and III. BTW i like the title sequence they play within an episode with the gunshots. I think that's old-school coolness. BTW does II and III carry over the noir tradition?

[Ken Cheng]

O I'm guessing everybody has to get their hands dirty in Shanghai just to survive because it's a pretty dangerous plcae.

That's the theme of THE BUND, I guess. The series has a very cynical attitude: there is no pure good in the world - only grey shades of moral ambiguity.

I'm anxious to see DL's rise to power in II and III.

His rise to power begins in I, especially after Hui Mun Keung goes to Hong Kong, but it's an ongoing process that is still in play even in II (mainly because new rivals emerge).

BTW i like the title sequence they play within an episode with the gunshots.

Yeah...and they keep that commercial bumper through II and III.

BTW does II and III carry over the noir tradition?

THE BUND II and THE BUND III were shot using the same techniques as the original, so the overall flavor is the same. However, it seems less refined in II and III. In I, TVB was extremely careful to not only establish the elements, but to also make sure they were well-coordinated for specific artistic effects. In II and III, the elements are all still there, but the coordination is not quite as intense or on-target. That's not to say they were sloppy, but some of the magic was missing.