1955 / Japan / 124 min / b & w / DCP / in Japanese with Chinese and English subtitles
In the desolate, poverty-stricken post-war Japan, Yukiko (Hideko Takamine) struggles for a living in back alleys and the black market; she even becomes the mistress of a G. I. Joe in order to get hold of a few more daily supplies. But deep in Yukiko’s heart she does not forget her man Kengo (Masayuki Mori). Even though he, being jobless and totally hopeless, whines and laments incessantly, nothing can stop the determined Yukiko from going back to her lover. As time moves on and the economy in Japan thrives, the situation of Yukiko and Kengo sees no improvement; their love remains very much ill-fated and the Indochina that was once bathed in glorious sunshine was long gone for both for them. Yasujiro Ozu said Floating Clouds is a film that he could not have made, whereas Akira Kurosawa commented on Mikio Naruse’s style as “a great river with a calm surface and a raging current in its depths”; Naruse definitely reached the pinnacle of his art with the subtle yet heart-wrenching emotions in Floating Clouds.
Director Ann Hui will analyse the movement and stillness, mise-en-scene and camera movements, music and rhythm in the film, giving us an in-depth and comprehensive angle to appreciate Naruse’s skills and fascinating achievements in Floating Clouds. The event will show a 4K restoration of Floating Clouds, which has never been shown in Hong Kong before; do not miss this rare chance and book your ticket now!
*The artist’s talk will be conducted in Cantonese, with simultaneous interpretation from Cantonese to English available.