What the English subtitles completely missed.....

"i just saw this movie yesterday,"

Hope you enjoyed it.

"and i would appreciate if someone would explain the history behind the movie.
initially i think the driver said to Ms Wong that foreigners get only hard bread to eat each day (pertaining to a long queue of ppl), who were the "foreigners" ?"

Considering the "class" -- "status" -- if those around Yee, the "foreignors" could have been other Chinese. In addition to the decadence there is a contempt for "inferiors".

"now i know that the resistance was KMT. then was Mr. Yee communist ? someone says he was part of collaborationist govt ? what does that mean ? if both KMT and Commies were fighting with japs, then who was collaborating ?"

There was the Chinese Kuomintang -- KMT/Nationalist -- faction; and there was the Chinese Communist faction. When not fighting each other, they were fighting against the Japanese occupation and its puppet gov't.

I don't know that Yee had any particular political views; but he was collaborating with the Japanese. I.e., there were three visible political factions involved: Chinese KMT, Chinese Commies, and occupation Japanese.

"usually i would feel that if a country is invaded, then there would be very few traitors who would help the invaders, but here Mr.Yee seems to be quite a prominent and powerful man.how is that ?"

It's not rare. During the lengthy war preceeding the so-called "American Revolution," American colonists traded with the enemy. It seems there are always those willing to make money no matter when, where, or how.

I would assume that Yee had skills in that field when the Japanese took over, and they retained him -- either by persuasive offer, or offer he couldn't refuse. (Note at the end that he realizes that he too is being watched.)

"also when Mr.Yee is in the geisha house, then he kind of hides his face, when some japanese general is passing by ! if he was working for them, then why hide his face ?"

He probably wanted to prevent the general recognizing him, so he wouldn't "stop in" for a few words -- becaseu he didn't want Mak Tai Tai to know of the relationship.

"and if he wanted to hide himself, why go to the japanese district ?"

As he said, he went to the Japanese district to take care of some business.

That particular scene (Chap. 16 on the DVD) is wonderful and beautiful for the performances.

"later when shanghai was shown, and Yee asks Ms Wong to meet in the jap district - so i suppose by that time shanghai has fallen and taken over by japs."

I believe Shanghai had already fallen at the beginning of the film. The change of locale is from Hong Kong to Shanghai (as I recall), probably because Japanese forces had made ground gains, and perhaps because Britain/the allies were contesting for Hong Kong.

"in the last scene when Yee signs the death of the resistance members, there was 1 jap flag, what was the other flag ?"

I didn't notice.

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i just saw this movie yesterday,
and i would appreciate if someone would explain the history behind the movie.

Without watching the movie again, let me try to get answer you by memory (forgive me if I get it/you wrong)

initially i think the driver said to Ms Wong that foreigners get only hard bread to eat each day (pertaining to a long queue of ppl), who were the "foreigners" ?

They were the Jewish and other westerner who fled/settled in Shanghai prior to the start of WW2 proper-- due the immense influence of the Nazi, Europe and America daren't accept Jews fleeing persecution in Germany, and China became one of the last refuges for them prior to and during the actual breakout of WW2.

The attitude of the Japanese occupiers to Jewish/Western settlers/refugees is another one for the books-- Japan treated civilized/"ethnically-equal" Jewish/Western settlers/refugees with a modicum of "human rights", as it was trying to become a western-styled Imperialist Colonialist Power who is merely "uplifting" the uncivilized/"ethnically-inferior" Asian natives.

now i know that the resistance was KMT. then was Mr. Yee communist ? someone says he was part of collaborationist govt ? what does that mean ? if both KMT and Commies were fighting with japs, then who was collaborating ?

The Chinese collaboratonist government was formed by a faction which "split-off" from the Nationalist (KMT) Party government-- primarily those who followed (& continued to follow) in the initial "appeasement" approach taken by the Nationalist-KMT party/goverment, which "permitted" the Japanese occupied most of North-east China ("re-invented" as Manchuria/Manchukuo) to the point of "cracking down" on students demonstrating against their policies.

This is why Yee specializes in smoking out and taking down Nationalist (KMT) Party operatives-- because he already knows the Nationalist (KMT) Party members and the way they work (I think Yee mentions "seeing" an old friend when he meets up with Chia Chi after a torture session). That is also why Nationalist (KMT) Party operatives have a personal "thing" against the Chinese collaborationist government-- they are traitors to the Nationalist (KMT) Party government (after the Japanese took Shanghai and war was finally declared) as well as China.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) were the real "diehard" nationalists who would never accept Japanese rule/occupation in any shape or form-- a lot of their early support/popularity came from the fact they objected to the initial "appeasement" approach taken by the Nationalist-KMT party/goverment.

usually i would feel that if a country is invaded, then there would be very few traitors who would help the invaders, but here Mr.Yee seems to be quite a prominent and powerful man.how is that ?

Mr Yee is only as prominent and powerful as the Japanese occupiers "allow" him to be-- which is his reward for being a "traitor".

It is an important part of the Western Imperialist Colonialist model to prop up local/ethnic administrations/governments as an act of "uplifting" the uncivilized/"ethnically-inferior" Asian natives.

It is also quite possible that, at least initially, some members of the Chinese collaborationist government accepted that they were "uplifting" their own people with the help of the Japanese liberators-- perhaps with the hope of gaining independence in time (see the eventual breakup of the Western Coloniaist Empires after WW2).

also when Mr.Yee is in the geisha house, then he kind of hides his face, when some japanese general is passing by ! if he was working for them, then why hide his face ? and if he wanted to hide himself, why go to the japanese district ?

That is really up for interpretation-- and sets up a good sense of irony...

Yee decides to relax in the Japanese district of Shanghai because that is where he feels safe-- from the Nationlist (KMT) Party operatives trying to kill him and his family/servants "spying" on him. It is also supposedly an "exclusive" place where only Japanese and officials of the Collaborationist Government gets to go (see the military checkpoints and all)-- which would make Chia Chi feel "special"

But I think even there he feels threatened as well as embarassed by the Japanese-- threatened because he doesn't want the Japanese to see or know too much about his personal life/relationship with Chia Chi; and embarassed because he doesn't want Chia Chi to see how he usually has to kowtow/entertain the Japanese.

later when shanghai was shown, and Yee asks Ms Wong to meet in the jap district - so i suppose by that time shanghai has fallen and taken over by japs.

The movie takes place in 2 places, Hong Kong initially and then Shanghai.

Hong Kong was shown AFTER the Japanese had taken Shanghai and are moving to take Hong Kong-- Chia Chi had fled to Hong Kong (seeing initial fleeing scene) to escape the Japanese.

Shanghai was shown AFTER the Japanese had taken Hong Kong as well-- Chia Chi had moved to live with her aunt in Shanghai, since both places are now Japanese-occupied territory.

in the last scene when Yee signs the death of the resistance members, there was 1 jap flag, what was the other flag ?

The Nationalist (KMT) Party Flag-- as I mentioned earlier, the Chinese collaboratonist government was formed by a faction which "split-off" from the Nationalist (KMT) Party government.

As far as the Japanese were the concerned, the "legitimate" Nationalist (KMT) Party government (i.e. the Collaborationist Faction) had surrendered and accepted Japanese rule.

The initial "appeasement" approach and the "split-off" of the Collaborationist Faction might be considered as two of the many strategic failures of the Nationalist (KMT) Party-- or to be precise/fairer, of then party leader Chiang Kai-Shek.

thanks

You're very welcome. 8^)


Why do people who don't care keep telling other people not to care?

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Allow me to be the perfect guinea pig for those history buffs who think one would be confused as to where specific loyalties lied. I know pretty much nothing about Chinese history, period, and as a simpleton in that sense I observed that the resistance were not communists (there wasn't a lot of the typical commie banter - luckily, I majored in English, so I'm familiar communist literature) and that Yee was a collaborator with the Japanese. Although the history is intricate and complicated, it boiled down to me that it was resistance v. Japan. I didn't even think about communism as a possibility. But I also knew that China was not a communist country until after the war, thanks to 9th grade history.

I hope that settles it; I wasn't confused at all. And for the record, I hate when foreign films are dubbed.

A severed foot is the ultimate stocking stuffer.

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