“July Rhapsody”, a story of a married teacher having an affair with his teenage student, came out in 2002. It was somewhat acclaimed but still underrated. Its Chinese title means “A man at 40”. I was only 33 then. 20 years later, I saw it for the second time and really savored each scene. “July Rhapsody” is one of the best in director Ann Hui’s illustrious career. It is a most intricate tale of a mid-life crisis
The story revolves around the three central characters. The couple Lam (Jacky Cheung) and Man-Ching (Anita Mui) lived a modest but harmonious life with their two teenage sons. Until he was tempted by the rebellious student Wu (Karena Lam), the normal life they built over the years were at risk of unraveling.
Classical Chinese literature is hardly a favorite subject of the teenage students who just want to be cool. As their teacher, Lam tried hard to make it relevant and interesting. Perhaps he wants to inspire them to develop a true love and appreciation of Chinese literature just like his.
It is not clear how it started, maybe it was only a girly fantasy. Wu loves his teacher. And she acts flirtatiously toward him.
For this role, newcomer Karena Lam won the best supporting actress in the Hong Kong Film Awards. They must have been mistaken. She, not Anita Mui, should be the main actress. Wu’s character stands out in the whole film. She was audacious beyond her years. Uninhibited, she pursues him, she mocks him, she is a free spirit. Unmotivated in her study, she is nevertheless worldly and self-assured.
Lam, an upright person, duty-bound to his wife and children, is he even capable of going astray? Her cute face, her flirting, does he have desire? His restraint, is there any exception?
The film makes skillful use of flashbacks and memory fragments to tell a parallel story across generations, slowly revealing many family secrets. It very much reminds me of another great film of the same era, Yi Yi by Edward Yang. They successfully created such depth beneath the main narrative.
Classical Chinese poetry, a motif of the film, connects the characters and brings a resolution to the story. These 1,000 year old poems immortalized the passion from antiquity and are still being recited to this day. In “July Rhapsody”, the story of an ordinary life interrupted by a torrent of passion can perhaps be made unforgettable by this film.