Chinese Box (1997)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

Wayne Wang

Writers:

Jean-Claude Carrière (screenplay)
Jean-Claude Carrière (story)
(more)

Release Date:

17 April 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

The story of Hong Kong, from New Year's Day to June 30th, 1997, when the British left their colony and turned it over to the People's Republic of China.

Plot Keywords:

Hong Kong | Video | Leukemia | Political | Prostitution

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Jeremy Irons	...	John
Li Gong	...	Vivian
Maggie Cheung	...	Jean
Michael Hui	...	Chang
Rubén Blades	...	Jim
Jared Harris	...	William
Chaplin Chang	...	Homeless Man
Noel Rands	...	John's Friend at New Year's Party
Emma Lucia	...	Amanda Everheart
Ken Bennett	...	Rick
Russell Cawthorne	...	New Year's Party MC
Emotion Cheung	...	William Wong
Harvey Stockwin	...	Weeks
Jonathan Midgley	...	Jonathan
Bruce Walker	...	Bruce
Angelica Lofgren	...	Baby-Lin
Dr. Julian Chang	...	Dr. Chang
Rui Chao Jian	...	Businessman #1
Sing Chau Wai	...	Businessman #2
Lo Hung	...	Businessman #3
Shirley Hung	...	Girlfriend #1
Michelle Yeung	...	Girlfriend #2
Alex Ng	...	Drunk Karaoke Singer (as Alex Ng Hong Ling)
Wah Lee Chiu	...	Minibus Passenger
Maria Cordero	...	Mamasan
Fong Pao	...	Godfather
Fan Hui	...	Godfather's Wife
Man Cheung Lam	...	Wedding Photographer
Siu-Kei Lee	...	Gangster #1
Chi On Leung	...	Gangster #2
Yuen Fat Tse	...	Gangster #3
Roderick Lee	...	Manhattan Club Bouncer
Hui Li	...	Black Moon Hostess
Maria St. Lynne	...	Black Moon Hostess
Josie Ho	...	Lilly (as Josephine Ho)
Gloria Wu	...	News Reporter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
François Chau	...	Mr. Wong
Winston Ellis	...	Brian
Turbo Kong	...	Ganster
Ralph Lister	...	Principal
Tony Blair	...	Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
James Huang	...	Patron (uncredited)
Kim Penn	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Wayne Wang

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean-Claude Carrière		screenplay
Jean-Claude Carrière		story
Larry Gross		writer
Paul Theroux		story
Wayne Wang		story

Produced by
Reinhard Brundig	....	executive producer
Lydia Dean Pilcher	....	producer
Francey Grace	....	associate producer
Akinori Inaba	....	executive producer
Jean Labadie	....	executive producer
Heidi Levitt	....	co-producer
Jessinta Liu	....	co-producer
Andrew Loo	....	line producer
Jean-Louis Piel	....	producer
Wayne Wang	....	producer
Michiyo Yoshizaki	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Graeme Revell

Cinematography by
Vilko Filac

Film Editing by
Christopher Tellefsen

Production Design by
Chris Wong

Costume Design by
Shirley Chan

Makeup Department
Isabel Harkins	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Kelley Cribben	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jo Jo Hui	....	assistant director
Chiu Wah Lee	....	second assistant director
Gary Mak	....	second assistant director
Henry Ng	....	second assistant director
Tom Razzano	....	first assistant director: USA
Mary Soan	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Michael Barry	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stan Bochner	....	supervising sound editor
Jason Canovas	....	assistant sound editor
Tim J. Carroll	....	consultant: Dolby Digital
Pam DeMetruis-Thomas	....	dialogue editor (as Pam DeMetruis)
Gil Hova	....	apprentice sound editor
Richard King	....	sound effects editor (as Richard Q. King)
Drew Kunin	....	sound
George A. Lara	....	foley mixer
Kevin Lee	....	foley editor
Lisa J. Levine	....	supervising adr editor
Branka Mrkic	....	dialogue editor
Barbara Parks	....	assistant sound editor (as Barbara J. Parks)
Brian Williams	....	sound designer

Visual Effects by
Kathy Kelehan	....	animation producer: titles
Daniel Leung	....	3D animation supervisor
Daniel Leung	....	CG supervisor
Matt McDonald	....	3D animator
Amit Sethi	....	3D animator
Tomoko Shin	....	3D animator

Camera and Electrical Department
Christopher Doyle	....	camera operator: second unit
Christopher Doyle	....	director of photography: second unit (as Chris Doyle)
Louis Jong	....	key grip
Deborah Lipman	....	second assistant camera: New York

Casting Department
David H. Kramer	....	adr voice casting
Monika Mikkelsen	....	casting associate

Editorial Department
Don Ciana	....	color timer
Nick Dibeneditto	....	negative matcher
Craig Marsden	....	assistant film editor
Misako Shimizu	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Paul Haslinger	....	music programmer
Susan Jacobs	....	music supervisor
Simon James	....	conductor
Graeme Revell	....	score producer
Tim Simonec	....	conductor
Tim Simonec	....	orchestrator
Elizabeth Waldo	....	consultant: Chinese choral
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer
Dan Wallin	....	score recordist
Brian Williams	....	music designer
Joshua Winget	....	music editor (as Josh Winget)

Other crew
Randall Balsmeyer	....	title designer
Kelley Cribben	....	production coordinator: New York
Jennifer Zolten Freed	....	post-production accountant
Paul Haslinger	....	additional arranger
Claudia Raschke	....	operator
Thierry Valletoux	....	reportage

Production Companies

• Canal+
• NDF International
• Pony Canyon
• WW Productions Inc.

Distributors

• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• Behaviour Distribution (Canada)
• Eurocine (Argentina)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Lions Gate Films (2003) (USA) (all media)
• NTV-PROFIT
• Panasia Films (1998) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Panorama Entertainment (2004) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• RCV Film Distribution (Belgium)
• RCV Film Distribution (Luxembourg)
• RCV Film Distribution (Netherlands)
• Trimark Pictures (1998) (USA) (all media)

Other Companies

• ABC News Video Source  news footage (as ABCNews Videosource)
• Associated Press Television News  news footage (as Associated Press Television)
• Balsmeyer and Everett  title design and production
• Birns & Sawyer  additional camera equipment
• Cable News Network (CNN)  news footage (as CNN)
• Capitol Records  soundtrack (as Metro Blue)
• Effects House  opticals
• LVT - Laser Subtitling  subtitles (as LVT, New York)
• Magno Sound and Video  post-production services
• N&D Film and Video  negative matching
• Northwest Sinfonia  score performed by
• On-Core Productions  continuity
• Perfect Sound Productions  sound services: Hong Kong
• Salon Films  camera and lighting equipment
• Salon Films  thanks
• Sound One Corporation  sound re-recording facility
• Technicolor  film lab: post-production (as Technicolor New York)
• Trevanna Post  post-production accounting

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexual content.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

France | Japan | USA

Language:

English | Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:12 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Hong Kong:IIB | USA:R | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Singapore:R(A)

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

Canal+

Quotes:

John: Just a week ago all I wanted was to tell Vivian how much I loved her. But now I see that's the one thing I mustn't do. I can't offload my illness onto her, or Jim, or Mary and the kids. I don't want the look in their eyes to remind me I'm dying. I wonder if I can hold out longer than the British. Not that I could be described as an empire.

Movie Connections:

Features A Foreign Affair (1948)

Mosaic mood piece

I don't know if Wayne Wang is into photography or painting as a hobby, but just like his last two films, SMOKE and BLUE IN THE FACE, this movie reminded me of a mosaic or a photo album. I can see how some people had problems with it, since it's not a plot-driven film, but rather one of mood and atmosphere. I was moved by the images I saw, not just of the city and the changes it went through, but also of the actors. Irons is so often celebrated for the way that he uses his voice (justly, I might add) that you forget how well he's able to act with his face, and he does a terrific job here, communicating his sadness, his will to live even as disease ravages him, his agony over his unrequited love for Gong Li, and his curiosity and attraction to Maggie Cheung.

I haven't seen much of Cheung that I remember, but I've seen a few of Li's films. Both of them are excellent, Li especially in a role that's a lot more complicated than it might first appear. You really do feel that deep down, if circumstances allowed, she'd love Irons back. Cheung's role is mostly a symbolic one, but she handles it well. Not an easy film to watch, but moving.