Random Musing: Little Reunion

Chang says with ominous accuracy that "only people who don't have a life are interested in others' private matters." It's with this voyeur's mentality that I proceed to read Chang's posthumous Little Reunion.

Little Reunion is Chang's catharsis to bring closure to part of her tumultuous life. In so doing, it's almost impossible to distinguish whether Chang is writing herself or writing a fictional character, Shing Gau Lei, who is by and large, in Chang's agent and confidant Stephen Soong's words, "unconventional" and "unsympathetic," just like Chang herself. Fiction is all about human experiences. Chang documents her life in every minute detail possible: from infant to a ghastly abortion with the fetus ended up flushing down the toilet. And in between, some wild sex that includes "carpet munching" and vigorous thrusts that are cervix crushing.

When she was an infant, she prefers to be fed with a china spoon to a steel spoon that inexplicably leaves certain fishy metallic aftertaste which doesn't sit well with her fine palate. This is a quiet harbinger to her impeccable taste and at times irritating sensibility which can easily guarantee her a lifetime of unhappiness. In the course of reading her loveless lonely upbringing in the big family, I can't help but see certain parallel in Chang's description to that of the Dream of Red Chamber: the impending collapse of the old, the decay of the filthy rich, the incestuous relationships within the family, right down to the wet dream of his own brother. Chang saves the most harshest revelation to herself. Gau Lei or herself is amoral when it comes to love. Often time, she sounds like she prefers the war never ends, placing her own interest above that of her own countrymen (she sees herself an outsider no matter where she is). Knowing her first love and probably the only love of her life, Shiu Chi Yung (Hu Lancheng in real life) is married doesn't stop her from beginning the relationship. Nor the fact that he works for the Japanese during the Sino-Japanese War. And not even when she discovers Shiu is a serial womanizer who seems to have an insatiable and uncontrollable appetite for women and sex even or especially in dire times. Many years after their relationship ended, Chang can no longer think of Hu's name but still knows the feeling--her innards are like boiling, her whole body is like on fire, the waves of pain only recedes after a few rushing up the body; the lady may be just experiencing hot flashes during menopause and yet she romanticizes it and attributes it to Hu. Her relationship with Hu may not be what the readers like but this is how she honestly feels about Hu and this is how she lives as a human being and she as a writer likes to share her private matters in all their glory with all those who are willing to learn about life.

I like the non linear narrative of the book. Life is fragmented and so is memory. The structure of the novel just reflects that. Chang picks up pieces of her life bit by bit, and fastidiously arranges them for the world to see. Right on the very first page, Chang is telling us how it's going to be done: the narrative is present, then fast forward to the future then back to the present. And in the end, Chang brings everything full circle, ending the story where it all begins, echoing the exact same sentences. It sends chills down on my spine when I read the very last page.

Random Musing: Little Reunion

This my musing on Little Reunion. There are many like it but this one is mine.

This can be called Memoir Of A Writer As The Last Chinese Aristocrat. But of course, the name Little Reunion is so much better. In the end, there is no reunion not even a little one. Irony is still alive and so well preserved in Chang's work. This is a no-holds-barred autobiography of her life from childhood to her late twenties. And I have to say this is the bomb. And I can't help but think how could Ang Lee be so prescient when he directed Si Jie which was based on Chang's same name short story, with added explicit sex scenes that couldn't be found in the original work? Apparently Lee was way ahead of us, seeing what we couldn't see in Chang. My hunch of all the explicit sex scenes in both Chang and Lee's works are a way of a clear fuck-you and liberation arising from the protagonist's indignation toward her life and time in general. And to a certain extent, humans are just animals without furs.

Random Musing: Little Reunion

I like Eileen Chang, because she had chicken feet handwriting. She must have eaten plenty of chicken feet. It's comforting to see a literary giant with chicken feet penmanship like hers.

The fact that she was from Shanghai and from a very well-to-do family easily makes her kind of feeling superior (or some might consider downright snobby). As a general principle, she has a healthy disdain for most of the people she comes across. Most of the Southerners, like local Hong Kong people she describes are flat faced, loud, all in all just plain ugly inside and outside. Once I looked past that, I was able to enjoy her writing. Or wait, I still have to "put up" with the English names written in Chinese. Because of the time and setting of the story, many of her characters have English names and they are transliterated in Chinese; I can't help but try to figure out what they really are: Bibi, Andrews, Audrey and so on and so forth. I have no doubt some names I thought are English in origin are indeed Chinese to begin with. It takes some efforts to get used to those names in their Chinese incarnations. Also her prose is pretty much Anglicized which isn't necessarily a bad thing or a good thing. The narrative jumps around a bit. Right off the bat on the very first page, it's present , then a quick fast forward, then back to present. Sometimes, it's fun and sometimes not so much, you just have to re-read it in order to form some narrative coherence.

This Week In Controversy

Just when you thought that the photogate, which mesmerized and provided daily fodder for the better part of early 2008, is over and life is boring again, Cecilia Cheung hit you with a 300 pound interview that promises the controversy to live on. Probably infuriated or at least disturbed by Chen's latest publicity tour or so called trial in Canada and his incessant pleads to the media to let the girls stand up again, Cheung finally speaks up. With a touch of make-up, slicked back hair, and a black and white checkered pillow-collared sweat shirt that not only makes her look good but also promises a good sleep in any cross Atlantic flight, Cheung basically calls Edison Chen a hypocrite and questions his new found Christian faith. As expected there are moments of choked-ups and tears. And over all, Cheung comes across as strong, responsible and above all just another ordinary Hong Kong girl who can't quite pronounce the word "I" correctly. She has a loving husband and families that stand by her during the most trying time of hers. Instead of blaming on Chen and the media, she owns up her mistakes and emphasizes it was never the fault of the media but only Chen and hers. (Which is in sharp contrast to a certain Ngai and Chow couple who issued the stupidest press releases to blame the gutter press and everybody else for their pathetic existence.) The media are going to love Cheung even more and for good reasons.

If for some reason you think Cecilia Cheung or the photogate is so passe so 2008 and so vulgar, then perhaps another Cheung (or Chang), that is Eileen Chang may capture your elitist imagination. Chang who died in 1995 never leaves the minds of her fans death or alive. Her private secluded life and ultimate death only add to her allure. Her novel named Little Reunion which was completed in 1976 finally got published in 2009, thirty three years after its completion and fourteen years after her death. The publication, to some, is not meant to happen, as her will* stated that "Little Reunion" is to be destroyed. As a blogger, that's the irresponsible kind, I have not sourced any evidence except other blog posts like from Chang's estate administrator Roland Soong's. My opinion as a reader is let's publish it. I believe Chang would like to see it published too. I can't imagine doing otherwise, that's, a major work by one of the most popular if not greatest modern Chinese writers got destroyed per her will. Plus I think her works acquire the kind of importance that they basically have a life of their own and in some way, most likely not legal, they really belong to the public. To destroy Little Reunion is unthinkable.

*updated 3/2, further blog reading suggests that wasn't actually in her will, so who knows.

Update 3/20, Roland Soong updated his blog with the Chang's "Last Will And Testament" which made no mention of destroying "Little Reunion." People want to believe what they want to believe. From day one, I think to destroy "Little Reunion" is unthinkable.

Se, Jie

"Se, Jie" is director Lee Ang latest meditation on celluloid on the themes of lust, love and loss. Set in World War II Hong Kong and Shanghai, the movie chronicles a group of college student activists who are no longer satisfied with their peripheral contribution to the war, namely raising money for the resistance by performing political drama on stage, decide to spend the summer to play real spies. Their goal? To kill a high level political turncoat Mr. Yee (Leung Chiu Wai) who happens to be stationed in Hong Kong. Their plan? Leading lady Wang Jiazhi (Tang Wei) would play seductress Mrs. Mak to lure Yee out of his lair and kill him. Revolution is not a dinner party. Things can go wrong do go wrong. Mr. Yee leaves Hong Kong abruptly and the plan falls apart. It isn't until years later that the plan resumes in Shanghai and gets carried out to its tragic but not unexpected ending.

Lee's films always have that exquisite quality, it's subtle but it's there. Tang when playing Wang playing Mrs. Mak always appears in beautiful Cheung Sam, or in her iconic form fitting overcoat topped with a bucket hat. You see Tang in a beautiful Cheung Sam, not a beautiful Cheung Sam on Tang. The wardrobe and the production design never overwhelm the characters. They just serve their purpose, earnestly and quietly in the background where they belong. What's not so subtle is the much talked about on screen NC-17 performance. <BS>Leung's balls are rumored to be nominated for best supporting actor, and not to be outdone, Tang's erected nipples and bushy armpits are in competition for best supporting actress.</BS> They are as erotic and acrobatic as they are repressive and melancholic. I think those are the most brutally honest sex scenes I have ever seen on big screen. Leung's Mr. Yee to Tang's Mrs. Mak is lust at first sight, but through sexual intimacy they get to reveal their naked selves to each other and to themselves. It's almost like how much do you know a person if you don't ever have sex with him? The answer is not much. In their first sexual encounter, it was almost like rape: it's forced, quick and both are partially clothed. And Mr. Yee doesn't even let himself be seen as he was doing it from behind. As the relationship progresses the dynamic changes, the last sex scene, Mrs. Mak is on top, in control, is able to put a pillow over Mr. Yee's face to do the coming while going, and if she chooses, she could have killed him by using his gun hanging on one of the bed posts. But she chooses not to. So that is it. She is done as a would be assassin. She falls for her target. In the end, Wang's forbidden love is destined to be doomed.

Many people think that Leung's performance here is underwhelming, I for one appreciate his rather stoic, understated presence. I am still mesmerized by his performance in Wong Kar Wai's "Days of Being Wild" in which Leung appears just before the end credit rolls with no dialog whatsoever. I think it's one the most beautiful movie endings. Leung, despite his size does have a screen presence, what he lacks in size he more than makes up with his eyes. He's one of the few actors that can do more with less using his eyes only. In his other performances, mostly collaborations with Wong Kar Wai, he seems to be playing superstar Leung Chiu Wai playing whatever character that he is playing. In "Se, Jie," he just plays Mr. Yee straight up, the charming superstar Leung is gone for good. Tang, as a newcomer, delivers the wide range of emotions demanded for this role and carries the movie from beginning to end. That also shows director Lee's superb direction. I have never seen Michelle Yeoh or even Chow Yun Fat that good until in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

Lee, Leung and Tang deserve Oscar nomination for their no holds barred direction and performance

Eileen Chang

Se Jie (Lust, Caution)

From eswn.

The backstory of Se jie (2007) from somethingabouteileen.blogspot.com via eswn.

Movie Trailers from Apple.