I wasn't expecting anything much when I went to watch it last week. After all, I am your typical ang mo pai sort of guy whose Mandarin is atrocious and whose Hokkien... Let's just say that I can only swear in that dialect. And because I had to rely on subtitles most of the time, my head was practically turning left and right the whole time through. Yes, I was seated only a few rows from the screen and hence, have more real estate to cover (neck pain!!).
But while the story was simple, the mood and the music were infectious. Covering the life of two singers who perform in the cultural underworld of the seventh month Hungry Ghost festival's getai (歌台 - song stage), it is one of the rare occasions when Singaporeans can get to hear Hokkien dialogue and music on screen of a mainstream (and not art house) cinema.
Somehow, I think it appeals to the inner rebel of a majority of Chinese Singaporeans who have been forcibly press by the government into the Mandarin-only mould since primary one. Our dialects have practically been made illegal. And the only time we can indulge in it is either with our parents or grandparents who were too old to be coerced, in the karaoke or once a year during the getai performances of the seventh month.
And now with 881, Hokkien is somehow becoming cool again and the cringe-inducing (for me that is) Hokkien songs sung by the bengs and lians in karaoke has taken on a new life that I was never aware of.
As the movie played itself out, I found myself listening to these songs free of any preconception or judgement. And what struck me was the palpable emotions underlying the singing of these often moving songs that focussed on the often difficult lives led by ordinary people, usually poor or underprivileged (read: cham). And for this, I guess we can give credit to Mingzhu Jiemei (明珠姐妹) who provided the singing for the two lead characters that formed The Papaya Sisters. Of course, there were others who contributed to the excellent music as well.
I know some may argue that the music is a bit too modern and the costumes a bit too campy, but I think we can indulge Royston his artistic license to glam it up for the silver screen.
And you know what would be even better? That after this movie, the kitschy getai and its music would somehow become cool again with the general Chinese population. Maybe it can even become an industry in its own right. And every seventh month, people will check online for the listing of their favourite acts and rush all over Singapore just to catch them live.
Now that would probably give seizures to the guys managing the yearly "Speak Mandarin" campaign.
Sans the online checking, I guess this is what our parents and grandparents had to contend with for entertainment when television wasn't that affordable, movies were a rare treat and VCR, DVD, internet, computer games and gaming consoles were not even in existence.
So if you're in Singapore, go and watch it. If you're not in Singapore... well, I guess you'll just have to wait for it to be released commercially in your country. Otherwise your best hope is for it to make an appearance in some film festival in a city near you.
This movie is as Singapore (in a non-government sanctified non-Singapore-Tourism-Board glorified way) as it can get.
Oh, and I just have to mention this. There are three be-gowned drags that play background roles in a few scenes. And their name? HIV, Holy Innocent Virgins. BWAH!!! HA! HA! HA! HA!
To give you a sampling of the music, here are the videos of two of my favourite songs from the movie: 一人一半 and 代替.
Watching the second video and listening to the song made me teared a bit, just like the last scene in the movie before the end credits rolled.
And to get a feel of the movie, here are The Papaya Sisters singing (actually Mingzhu Jiemei singing lah) 野花唔通找. The video of the original singers performing the same version of the song for KTV is available on this YouTube posting.
Labels: culture, movies, singapore
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