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Waste Not Our Youth
(1967)
Director:
Ng Dan
Cast: Connie
Chan, Lui Kei, Tam Bing-man, Lydia Shum
Publisher: Winson; Format:
VCD, DVD (Region 0)
English subtitles: No
Full credits and synopsis from the HKFA online catalog
YouTube clip
You know this is going to be a great youth film when
the movie starts with a school bell ringing and swarms of youngsters
running out of class and hopping into their cars. English words and
phrases like “barbecue,” “water ski,” and “let’s go!” and a rocking
Cantonese version of “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini”
are associated with the spoiled rich girl (played by Connie Chan) and her
all-night-partying friends. The son of the family’s butler (played by Lui
Kei) is the voice of reason and filial responsibility, and he keeps
a distance from the selfish behavior of Connie and her pals.
Waste Not Our Youth is one of several “problem youth” films
from late 60s Hong Kong cinema that portrayed and addressed the rebellious
spirit of the times. Connie plays the rebel who is wasting her precious
youth, but she is too innately good to be a real “Ah Fei”. In fact, none
of the young folk in this film are that bad, not even Tam Bing-man who
is pressed into committing the movie’s dastardly deed by his calculating
father. In fact, as Stephen Teo has written, Waste Not Our Youth
is a refreshingly undidactic departure from the moralistic tradition of Cantonese
melodrama. This is seen best when a party is held to bring Connie out
of her trauma-induced amnesia. The rocking song from the beginning of
the film is reprised, but this time Connie’s parents are dancing along—as
well as the maids and the butler! Truly, the family that parties together
stays together.
Waste Not Our Youth is finely crafted with nice
tracking shots and well orchestrated group scenes. The editing is
noteworthy, especially in the first party scene, where quick cuts evoke
the rhythm of youth. And best of all, the film is in glorious Kowloon-Scope.
The print is for the most part pretty pristine, except unfortunately
for the final reel, which seems like it was taken from a faded, full-screen
television dub and then cropped again on the top and bottom to create
a fake scope aspect ratio...urghh!
There is much to recommend about this film, but one scene in particular
guarantees a memorable viewing experience. After Connie loses her marbles
as a result of extreme trauma, she is committed to a hospital. Lui
Kei and her family visit her, and what happens next is one of the best
ever “acting crazy” performances I’ve ever seen (watch out Jack Nicholson!).
Connie swings from laughter to tears; regresses to childhood and back in
the blink of an eye; sings and dances her way through a medley of opera
and popular songs; and finally goes berserk, beating the crap out of half
a dozen hospital attendants trying to subdue her! Totally amazing!
Reviewed
by Dave Wells |
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Let’s have fun with Connie and
her friends!
Lui Kei is the voice of responsibility.
And Connie is the spoiled rich girl.
Connie’s in love with... No, not her
doll!
Driven insane in the face of evil.
A faded but happy ending for Connie
and Lui Kei.
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