Synopsis

In this adaptation of an Eileen Chang novel, cheerful Gu Manzhen (Jacklyn Wu) and introverted Shen Shijun (Leon Lai) are in love in 1930s Shanghai. But Shijun’s parents are opposed to a union because Manzhen’s sister, Gu Manlu (Anita Mui), works as an escort to support her family. Manlu devises a scheme to get Manzhen pregnant by her husband Zhu Hongcai (Ge You). Meanwhile, Shijun marries his cousin Shi Cuizhi (Annie Wu), who comes from a family of comparable status to his own. A decade later, the ex-lovers meet. Love has run out, leaving sorrow. With a shrewd use of narrative viewpoints and monologues, Eighteen Springs proves itself a successful adaptation of Chang’s work.

* Post-screening talk with Grace Mak (Film Critic). Conducted in Cantonese.