Shanghai Blues (1984)

Dreams really do come true

Tsui Hark's love letter to the classic screwball comedy and giddy genre mash-ups of Classical Hollywood, it's impossible not to be carried along by Shanghai Blues' delirious rush of silliness and delightfully vibrant mix of slapstick, sweetness, and song. Pure magic from beginning to end. As always with this tireless filmmaker, the pace never lets up, and the screen is constantly awhirl with colourful movement. Thanks to the persistent abuse of the starburst filter and soft focus at every opportunity, the cartoonish slapstick is balanced with carefully crafted set pieces and a sincere wistfulness beneath a youthful touch of punkish anarchism. The screenplay shamelessly deploys fate to manipulate events into a pleasing narrative, while the actors deliver their lines in a manner reminiscent of American pre-code cinema. The trio of likeable leads does a marvellous job guiding us through the insanity, heightened to the point of satire, that ensues throughout Shanghai Blues. Meticulously crafted and saturated in vivid colour, this is a world where even the most lofty dreams can come true.

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