Esprit d'amour
Encyclopedia
Espirit d'amour is a 1983 Hong Kong romantic drama film
. It is the first feature film directed by Ringo Lam
who would go on to international fame for making gritty action films
such as City on Fire
.
) is a life-insurance investigator who while driving on a rainy night to his engagement party, looses control of his car and almost runs over a young girl called Siu-Yu (Ni Shu Chun). Eventually Koo Chi-Ming arrives at his parent's house where the party is being held. He and his father (Bill Tung
) soon begin getting henpecked by Koo Chi-Ming's mother and his fiancée Ivy (Cecilia Yip
). Later on when the party dies down everyone decides to have some fun fooling around with a Ouija board by attempting to talk to a spirit. This is commonly known as 玩碟仙 or "playing with cup spirits". Before they begin Koo Chi-Ming's little brother explains that after they are finished they must send the spirit back, otherwise a spot of blood will appear under the small saucer they are using and the person last holding the saucer will be haunted by the spirit. At the same time, the young girl Siu Yu who Koo Chi-Ming nearly ran over is at her apartment on the roof with her 4 year old goddaughter Mimi. Siu-Yu sees that Mimi is playing very close to the edge and rushes forward to grab her. Siu-Yu's foot accidentally lands on a skateboard which sends her over the edge of the roof falling to her death. Back at the house, as soon as Siu-Yu dies the saucer begins to show signs of movement and points out the spirits name Chang Siu-Yu and her address. The saucer then begins to circle violently around the board and everyone is thrown backwards apart from Koo Chi-Ming who holds on until the last movement at which point the saucer flips over to reveal a small spot of blood.
The next day at work Koo Chi-Ming is handed two cases to investigate by his boss (Philip Chan
) one of which belongs to a girl who fell from the roof of a apartment building. Koo takes the other one but the spirit of Siu-Yu switches the files. While looking through the case file Koo Chi-Ming notices that the name and address of the deceased is the same as the ones spelled out on the Ouija board. After visiting the deceased girls apartment relies that the girl who died; Siu-Yu was the girl he almost ran over the night before. Ming is unsure whether or not it was suicide so returns home. All of a sudden the ghost of Siu-Yu appears in front of Ming and tells him that it was a suicide and to pay as the money is for her goddaughter Mimi.
Back at work Koo Chi-Ming is about to write up his report but his boss intervenes and tells hims they can't afford to payout and to say that the girl committed suicide. Later Siu-Yu reappears to Ming and he tells her that he can't help as it is his boss's decision. At the recording studio Siu-Yu begins playing tricks on Koo Chi-Ming's boss and makes a fool out of him on TV which prompts him to sign the case off as accidental death, because of this he blames Koo Chi-Ming at fires him from the company. Koo Chi-Ming takes loosing his job hard and decides to get drunk which results in him getting mugged and being thrown in jail. At the police station his old boss appears, posts bail for him and even gives him back his old job with a promotion. When asked why, he tells him that the ghost of Siu-Yu began haunting him and wouldn't leave him alone until he helped.
Now a free man and with a promotion Ming begins a romantic relationship with Siu-Yu. Eventually Ming's girlfriend Ivy finds out that he has fallen in love with a ghost and along with Ming's mother hire the skills of a exorcist called Dr. Han do get rid of the ghost. They go to Koo Chi-Ming's apartment where Dr Han explains that while he is preforming the exorcism the front door which he calls "the door of life" can't be opened as this will cause the "door of death" to open. He also instructs Ivy to keep Koo Chi-Ming away from his apartment as he tries to exorcise the ghost. So Ivy decides to take Koo Chi-Ming out to a club to distract him, while sitting in a crowd watching a dance performance he spots Siu-Yu on stage and in great distress. At the same time in Koo Chi-Ming's apartment Dr. Han starts to summon Siu-Yu which causes Siu-Yu to disappear in front of Koo Chi-Ming. Leaving Ivy in the club, Ming rushes home as fast as he can in his car to find Dr. Han in the middle of the exorcism. Ming rushes to help Siu-Yu, but by opening the door he triggered the opening of the "door of death" which at this point Dr. Han as ran away. Everything in the room begins being sucked out the window along with Koo Chi-Ming and Siu-Yu. Koo Chi-Ming grabs hold of the balcony railing but Siu-Yu lets go of his hand and is sucked into the sky. Deeply in love with her Koo Chi-Ming tries to follow her by letting go of the railing but falls 18 floors onto a parked car. After recovering in hospital Ming returns to where he first saw Siu-Yu in hope of finding her. He walks out onto the road and is nearly hit by a car. Looking through the window for a split he thinks the female driver is Siu-Yu but then notices it isn't and lets her drive away. With an emotional look he takes of his glasses looks up to the sky with a smile.
Romance film
Romance films are love stories that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate involvement of the main characters and the journey that their love takes through courtship or marriage. Romance films make the love story or the search for love the main plot focus...
. It is the first feature film directed by Ringo Lam
Ringo Lam
Ringo Lam Ling-Tung , born in 1955 is a Hong Kong film director, producer and scriptwriter.He is known for gritty, dark and realistic action thrillers. He was born in Hong Kong and studied film at York University film school in Toronto...
who would go on to international fame for making gritty action films
Hong Kong action cinema
Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. It combines elements from the action film, as codified by Hollywood, with Chinese storytelling and aesthetic traditions, to create a culturally distinctive form that nevertheless has a wide transcultural...
such as City on Fire
City on Fire (1987 film)
City on Fire is a gritty and stylish 1987 Hong Kong action crime drama film produced and directed by Ringo Lam, and starring Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee and Sun Yueh...
.
Plot summary
Koo Chi-Ming (Alan TamAlan Tam
Wing Lun Alan Tam, MH is an award-winning Hong Kong Cantopop and English pop singer and actor. During the early 1980s he played a major role in developing the cantopop scene as he was known for singing romantic ballads with modern arrangements. As of 2008, he is still active in the music...
) is a life-insurance investigator who while driving on a rainy night to his engagement party, looses control of his car and almost runs over a young girl called Siu-Yu (Ni Shu Chun). Eventually Koo Chi-Ming arrives at his parent's house where the party is being held. He and his father (Bill Tung
Bill Tung
Bill Tung Biu was a Hong Kong actor and horse racing commentator. Tung started off as a horse jockey with his family racing horse stable. He was then recruited to become a horse racing commentator. Due to his fame, he was invited to act in many movies from 1949 to 1996, many of them with Jackie...
) soon begin getting henpecked by Koo Chi-Ming's mother and his fiancée Ivy (Cecilia Yip
Cecilia Yip
Cecilia Yip Tung is a Hong Kong actress. Cecilia Yip is a well-regarded actress from Hong Kong whose work is known throughout Asia, especially Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. She began her acting career in 1982 with "Nomad" in which she was nominated for The Best Newcomer of The Year Award...
). Later on when the party dies down everyone decides to have some fun fooling around with a Ouija board by attempting to talk to a spirit. This is commonly known as 玩碟仙 or "playing with cup spirits". Before they begin Koo Chi-Ming's little brother explains that after they are finished they must send the spirit back, otherwise a spot of blood will appear under the small saucer they are using and the person last holding the saucer will be haunted by the spirit. At the same time, the young girl Siu Yu who Koo Chi-Ming nearly ran over is at her apartment on the roof with her 4 year old goddaughter Mimi. Siu-Yu sees that Mimi is playing very close to the edge and rushes forward to grab her. Siu-Yu's foot accidentally lands on a skateboard which sends her over the edge of the roof falling to her death. Back at the house, as soon as Siu-Yu dies the saucer begins to show signs of movement and points out the spirits name Chang Siu-Yu and her address. The saucer then begins to circle violently around the board and everyone is thrown backwards apart from Koo Chi-Ming who holds on until the last movement at which point the saucer flips over to reveal a small spot of blood.
The next day at work Koo Chi-Ming is handed two cases to investigate by his boss (Philip Chan
Philip Chan
Philip Chan Yan-Kin is a Hong Kong actor, film director, producer, screenwriter and music composer of Taishan area origin.He worked as a Royal Hong Kong Police Force police inspector before entering the entertainment industry...
) one of which belongs to a girl who fell from the roof of a apartment building. Koo takes the other one but the spirit of Siu-Yu switches the files. While looking through the case file Koo Chi-Ming notices that the name and address of the deceased is the same as the ones spelled out on the Ouija board. After visiting the deceased girls apartment relies that the girl who died; Siu-Yu was the girl he almost ran over the night before. Ming is unsure whether or not it was suicide so returns home. All of a sudden the ghost of Siu-Yu appears in front of Ming and tells him that it was a suicide and to pay as the money is for her goddaughter Mimi.
Back at work Koo Chi-Ming is about to write up his report but his boss intervenes and tells hims they can't afford to payout and to say that the girl committed suicide. Later Siu-Yu reappears to Ming and he tells her that he can't help as it is his boss's decision. At the recording studio Siu-Yu begins playing tricks on Koo Chi-Ming's boss and makes a fool out of him on TV which prompts him to sign the case off as accidental death, because of this he blames Koo Chi-Ming at fires him from the company. Koo Chi-Ming takes loosing his job hard and decides to get drunk which results in him getting mugged and being thrown in jail. At the police station his old boss appears, posts bail for him and even gives him back his old job with a promotion. When asked why, he tells him that the ghost of Siu-Yu began haunting him and wouldn't leave him alone until he helped.
Now a free man and with a promotion Ming begins a romantic relationship with Siu-Yu. Eventually Ming's girlfriend Ivy finds out that he has fallen in love with a ghost and along with Ming's mother hire the skills of a exorcist called Dr. Han do get rid of the ghost. They go to Koo Chi-Ming's apartment where Dr Han explains that while he is preforming the exorcism the front door which he calls "the door of life" can't be opened as this will cause the "door of death" to open. He also instructs Ivy to keep Koo Chi-Ming away from his apartment as he tries to exorcise the ghost. So Ivy decides to take Koo Chi-Ming out to a club to distract him, while sitting in a crowd watching a dance performance he spots Siu-Yu on stage and in great distress. At the same time in Koo Chi-Ming's apartment Dr. Han starts to summon Siu-Yu which causes Siu-Yu to disappear in front of Koo Chi-Ming. Leaving Ivy in the club, Ming rushes home as fast as he can in his car to find Dr. Han in the middle of the exorcism. Ming rushes to help Siu-Yu, but by opening the door he triggered the opening of the "door of death" which at this point Dr. Han as ran away. Everything in the room begins being sucked out the window along with Koo Chi-Ming and Siu-Yu. Koo Chi-Ming grabs hold of the balcony railing but Siu-Yu lets go of his hand and is sucked into the sky. Deeply in love with her Koo Chi-Ming tries to follow her by letting go of the railing but falls 18 floors onto a parked car. After recovering in hospital Ming returns to where he first saw Siu-Yu in hope of finding her. He walks out onto the road and is nearly hit by a car. Looking through the window for a split he thinks the female driver is Siu-Yu but then notices it isn't and lets her drive away. With an emotional look he takes of his glasses looks up to the sky with a smile.
Cast
- Alan TamAlan TamWing Lun Alan Tam, MH is an award-winning Hong Kong Cantopop and English pop singer and actor. During the early 1980s he played a major role in developing the cantopop scene as he was known for singing romantic ballads with modern arrangements. As of 2008, he is still active in the music...
as Koo Chi-Ming (古志明) - a insurance investigator who falls in love with a female ghost
- Ni Shu Chun as Chang Siu-Yu (張小瑜) - a girl who accidentally died, became a ghost and begins to haunt Chi-Ming
- Cecilia YipCecilia YipCecilia Yip Tung is a Hong Kong actress. Cecilia Yip is a well-regarded actress from Hong Kong whose work is known throughout Asia, especially Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. She began her acting career in 1982 with "Nomad" in which she was nominated for The Best Newcomer of The Year Award...
as Ivy - Chi-Ming's controlling girlfriend who bosses him around
- Pik-Wan Tang as Chi-Ming's Mother
- Bill TungBill TungBill Tung Biu was a Hong Kong actor and horse racing commentator. Tung started off as a horse jockey with his family racing horse stable. He was then recruited to become a horse racing commentator. Due to his fame, he was invited to act in many movies from 1949 to 1996, many of them with Jackie...
as Chi-Ming's Father
- Cheng Mang-Ha as Mimi's Grandmother
- Feng Tien as Dr. Han - a Taoist priest who tries to exorcise the ghost Siu-Yu
- Lung Tin-Sang as Dr Han's assistant
- Billy Lau as Chi-Ming's colleague
- Philip ChanPhilip ChanPhilip Chan Yan-Kin is a Hong Kong actor, film director, producer, screenwriter and music composer of Taishan area origin.He worked as a Royal Hong Kong Police Force police inspector before entering the entertainment industry...
as John Tang - Chi-Ming's boss
VHS Releases
| Release date |
Country |
Classifaction |
Publisher |
Format |
Language | Subtitles | Notes |
REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 July 1998 | United States | Unknown | Tai Seng Entertainment | NTSC | Cantonese | English |
Laserdisc Releases
| Release date |
Country |
Classifaction |
Publisher |
Catalog No |
Format |
Language | Subtitles | Notes |
REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Unknown | N/A | Golden Cinema City Video Distribution | A025 | CLV / NTSC | Cantonese, Mandarin | English, Chinese | Ratio: 1.75:1, Audio: Stereo, 2 Sides |
VCD Releases
| Release date |
Country |
Classifaction |
Publisher |
Format |
Language | Subtitles | Notes |
REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown | Hong Kong | N/A | Megastar (HK) | NTSC | Cantonese, Mandarin | English | 2VCDs | |
| Unknown | Hong Kong | N/A | Deltamac (HK) | NTSC | Cantonese | English, Traditional Chinese | 2VCDs | |
| 5 December 2005 | China | N/A | HEI LONG JIANG YIN XIANG CHU BAN SHE | NTSC | Mandarin | None | 2VCDs | |
| 8 May 2008 | Hong Kong | N/A | Joy Sales (HK) | NTSC | Cantonese, Mandarin | English, Traditional Chinese | 2VCDs Digitally Remastered |
DVD Releases
| Release date |
Country |
Classifaction |
Publisher |
Format |
Region |
Language |
Sound |
Subtitles |
Notes |
REF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 December 2005 | United States | N/A | Megastar/ Tai Seng Video (US) |
NTSC | ALL | Cantonese, Mandarin | Dolby Digital 5.1 | English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese | ||
| 11 October 2007 | Japan | N/A | Universal Pictures Japan | NTSC | 2 | Cantonese | Unknown | Japanese | Digitally Remastered Edition | |
| 27 May 2008 | Hong Kong | N/A | Joy Sales (HK) | NTSC | ALL | Cantonese, Mandarin | Dolby Digital 2.0, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS Digital Surround | English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese | Digitally Remastered | |
| 1 September 2009 | Hong Kong | N/A | Deltamac (HK) | NTSC | ALL | Cantonese, Mandarin | Dolby Digital 2.0 | English, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese |
External links
- A review of the film from LoveHKFilms.com