City of Glass (film)

1998 Hong Kong film by Mabel Cheung

City of Glass

Film poster

Directed by| Mabel Cheung
Written by| Mabel Cheung
Alex Law
Produced by| Alex Law
Starring| Leon Lai
Shu Qi
Nicola Cheung
Daniel Wu
Vincent Kok
Pauline Yam
Eason Chan
Cinematography| Jingle Ma
Arthur Wong
Edited by| Maurice Li
Music by| Chiu Tsang-hei
Dick Lee

Production
companies

Golden Harvest Entertainment
Amuse
United Filmmakers Organisation (UFO)

Distributed by| Golden Harvest

Release date

* 28 October 1998 (1998-10-28)

Running time

| 110 minutes
Country| Hong Kong
Language| Cantonese
Box office| HK$9,875,565

City of Glass (玻璃之城) is a 1998 Hong Kong romance film written and directed by Mabel Cheung and starring Leon Lai, Shu Qi, Nicola Cheung and Daniel Wu.

## Summary

[edit]

On New Year's Day 1997, a car accident in London, England claims the lives of Raphael (Leon Lai) and Vivien (Shu Qi). The couple was once young lovers during their days at the University of Hong Kong in the 1970s, but had drifted apart and eventually ended up marrying other people and raising their own families. However, they reunited in the 1990s and their love partially rekindled. After their funeral, Raphael's son, David (Daniel Wu), and Vivien's daughter, Susie (Nicola Cheung), learned of their parents' affair and embark on a journey to discover their secret lives. In the end, the two fall in love.

## Cast

[edit]

* Leon Lai as Raphael Hui Kong-sun
* Shu Qi as Mrs. Vivien Hung
* Nicola Cheung as Susie Hung
* Daniel Wu as David Hui
* Vincent Kok as Derek
* Pauline Yam as Raphael's wife
* Eason Chan as Hung Ping-ching
* Elaine Jin as Vivien's mom (special appearance)
* Joe Cheung as Raphael's dad (special appearance)
* Henry Fong as Vivien's dad
* Chan Ka-hung as Taxi driver #1
* Jimmy Wong as Taxi driver #2
* Benny Tse as Taxi driver #3
* Wong Sze-yan as Flat buyer
* Hung Yip as Flate buyer's wife
* Tong Man-yee as Tiger Singh
* Laura Clarke as Marliane Griffith
* Richard Hampton as London detective
* Muk Sing as Leader of students' protest in '70s
* Poon Wai-ka as Student of the '70s
* An Mei-tik as Student of the '70s
* Wong Fat as Student of the '70s
* Tam Tik-si as Student of the '70s
* Leung Suk-chin as Student of the '70s
* Mak Nga-ka as Student of the '70s
* Chang Yat-man as Student of the '70s
* Man Wai-ling as Student of the '70s
* Yu Hoi-man as Student of the '70s
* Chan Kit-chi as Student of the '70s
* Ngai Hoi-yin as Student of the '70s
* Poon Man-wai as Student of the '70s
* Yip Tin-pui as Student of the '70s
* Leung Sin-hang as Student of the '70s
* Chan Chun-shing as Student of the '70s
* Leung Kwok-po as Student of the '70s
* Yan Shui-tong as Student of the '70s
* Luk Yuk-wai as Student of the '70s
* Cheung Wing-hang as Student of the '70s
* Cheung Sau-wai as Student of the '70s
* Ng Wai-san as Student of the '70s
* Cheung Hok-ming as Student of the '70s
* Ben Cheung as Student of the '70s
* Szeto Chi-kit as Student of the '70s
* Tang Wing-san as Uncle Henry
* Chow Ka-lai as Veterinarian
* Fong Jing-to as Member of band
* Poon Pau-lok as Member of band
* Leung Kam-biu as Member of band
* Carthy Rosslyn as Warden of Lady Hall
* Chui Wing-suen as Dr. Bernadette Tsui
* Hung Man-ling as Student of the '90s
* Lam Yuk-jan as Student of the '90s
* Lam Siu-bing as Student of the '90s
* Luk Yan as Student of the '90s
* Yeung Lam as Student of the '90s
* Cheung Pui-san as Student of the '90s
* Yeung Yat-man as Student of the '90s
* Lee Pui-ling as Student of the '90s
* Cheung Yuet-fan as Student of the '90s
* Chan Ka-ying as Student of the '90s
* Yiu Koon-tung as Student of the '90s
* Lee Hon-wai as Student of the '90s
* Chan Chui-hung as Student of the '90s
* Wong Yan-wing as Student of the '90s
* Chan Man-ho as Student of the '90s
* Ng Shiu-wa as Student of the '90s
* Lee Hon-ban as Student of the '90s
* Chan Cheuk-wing as Student of the '90s
* Chiu Kin-tong as Student of the '90s
* Yau Wai-hung as Student of the '90s
* Leung Wing-ban as Chinese language teacher
* Paul Cliff as Pilot trainer
* Hogan Ho as Pilot trainer
* Charles Montgomery as Pilot trainer
* Sam Pau-man as Paul
* Paul Harrington as Riot Central Officer
* Craig Leeson as Riot Central Officer
* Verner Bickley as Judge
* David Rosslyn as Professor

[1] [2]

## Reception

[edit]

The film was deemed a modest commercial success, grossing HK$9 million in its 1998 Hong Kong theatrical release.[3] Critical commentary perceived the film as a metaphorical comment on the end of British rule in Hong Kong after the handover to Chinese sovereignty in 1997.[4][5]

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

Awards and nominations  Ceremony  | Category  | Recipient  | Result

|
|
|

18th Hong Kong Film Awards[6] | Best Film | City of Glass | Nominated
Best Director | Mabel Cheung | Nominated
Best Screenplay  | Alex Law, Mabel Cheung  | Nominated
Best Actor | Leon Lai | Nominated
Best Actress | Shu Qi | Nominated
Best New Performer | Daniel Wu | Nominated
Best Cinematography | Jingle Ma | Nominated
Best Art Direction  | Bruce Yu  | Nominated
Best Costume Design  | Bruce Yu  | Nominated
Best Original Film Score  | Dick Lee, Chiu Tsang-hei  | Nominated
Best Original Film Song  | Song: No Longer This Life (今生不再)

Composer: Dick Lee

Lyricist: Lin Xi

Singer: Leon Lai

| Won
Best Sound Design  | Golden Harvest Entertainment, Amuse  | Nominated
35th Golden Horse Awards[7] | Best Feature Film | City of Glass | Nominated
Best Director | Mabel Cheung  | Nominated
Best Actor | Leon Lai  | Nominated
Best Original Screenplay | Mabel Cheung, Alex Law  | Won
Best Cinematography | Jingle Ma  | Won
Best Visual Effects  | Centro Digital Pictures Limited | Nominated
Best Art Direction  | Bruce Yu  | Nominated
Best Film Editing  | Maurice Li  | Won
Best Sound Design  | Kinson Tsang  | Won
Best Original Film Score  | Dick Lee, Chiu Tsang-hei  | Nominated
Best Original Film Song  | Song: No Longer This Life (今生不再)

Composer: Dick Lee

Lyricist: Lin Xi

Singer: Leon Lai

| Nominated

## References

[edit]

1. ^ City of Glass at HKMDB
2. ^ City of Glass at chinesemov.com
3. ^ "Review: 'City of Glass'", 21 March 1999.
4. ^ Michael Berry, A History of Pain: Trauma in Modern Chinese Literature and Film (Columbia University Press, 2013), ISBN 978-0231512008, p. 374. Excerpts available at Google Books.
5. ^ Yingjin Zhang, Chinese National Cinema (Psychology Press, 2004), ISBN 978-0415172899, p. 270. Excerpts available at Google Books.
6. ^ List of Award Winner of The 18th Hong Kong Film Awards (accessed 2014-09-02).
7. ^ "Film stars honored at double festival" Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Taiwan Info, 18 December 1998.

## External links

[edit]

* City of Glass at IMDb
* HK Cinemagic entry

* v
* t
* e

Mabel Cheung filmography

Films directed|

* The Illegal Immigrant (1985)
* An Autumn's Tale (1987)
* Eight Taels of Gold (1989)
* The Soong Sisters (1997)
* City of Glass (1998)
* Beijing Rocks (2001)
* Traces of a Dragon (2003)
* A Tale of Three Cities (2015)

Written only|

* Painted Faces (1988)
* Now You See Love, Now You Don't (1992)
* The Chinese Widow (2017)

Produced only|

* Echoes of the Rainbow (2010)

* v
* t
* e

Golden Horse Award for Audience Choice

* Hill of No Return (1992)
* A Borrowed Life (1994)
* Summer Snow (1995)
* Such a life (1997)
* City of Glass (1998)
* Darkness and Light (1999)
* Shadow Magic (2000)
* Lan Yu (2001)
* The Best of Times (2002)
* Infernal Affairs (2003)
* New Police Story (2004)
* Face (2005)
* Exiled (2006)
* Getting Home (2007)
* Cape No. 7 (2008)
* Cannot Live Without You (2009)
* When Love Comes (2010)
* Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale (2011)
* Girlfriend, Boyfriend (2012)
* The Grandmaster (2013)
* Kano (2014)
* Mountains May Depart (2015)
* I Am Not Madame Bovary (2016)
* The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful (2017)
* An Elephant Sitting Still (2018)
* A Sun (2019)
* Classmates Minus (2020)
* American Girl (2021)
* Limbo (2022)
* Time Still Turns the Pages (2023)
* Bel Ami (2024)

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