Happy Times (2000) Xingfu shiguang (original title)

Director:

Yimou Zhang

Writers:

Yan Mo (novel)
Gai Zi

Release Date:

31 December 2000 (China)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

Zhao is an aging bachelor who hasn't been lucky in love. Thinking he has finally met the woman of his dreams...

Plot Keywords:

Blindness | Job Interview | Girlfriend | Based On Novel

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Benshan Zhao	...	Zhao
Jie Dong	...	Wu Ying
Lifan Dong	...	Stepmother
Biao Fu	...	Little Fu
Xuejian Li	...	Li
Qibin Leng	...	Wu Ying's Stepbrother
Ben Niu	...	Old Niu
Jinghua Gong	...	Aunty Liu
Hongjie Zhang	...	Lao Zhang
Bingkun Zhao	...	Lao Bai
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Honglei Sun	...	Customer at 'Happy Times'

Directed by
Yimou Zhang

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Yan Mo		novel "Shifu, You'll Do Anything for a Laugh"
Gai Zi

Produced by
Yu Chen	....	associate producer
Xiaofeng Hu	....	supervising producer
Wenhua Ma	....	line producer
Terrence Malick	....	executive producer
Erin O'Rourke	....	co-producer (International)
Edward R. Pressman	....	executive producer (International)
Lizhong Qiao	....	associate producer
Wang Wei	....	executive producer (International)
Qinglong Yang	....	producer
Yuxi Yu	....	associate producer
Weiping Zhang	....	producer
Zhenyan Zhang	....	supervising producer
Yu Zhao	....	producer
Ping Zhou	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Bao San

Cinematography by
Yong Hou

Film Editing by
Ru Zhai

Art Direction by
Juiping Cao

Set Decoration by
Ying Ma

Costume Design by
Huamiao Tong

Makeup Department
Bin Yuan	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Xiaofeng Hu	....	production manager
Zhenyan Zhang	....	production manager
Gregory G. Woertz	....	executive in charge of production (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Liu Guonan	....	assistant director
Dong Xie	....	assistant director
Wei Zhou	....	assistant director

Art Department
Zhongquan Hu	....	property master
Xin Ming Huang	....	assistant art director
Luyi Liu	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Qing Li	....	dialog editor
Qian Lin	....	dialog editor
Yin Miao	....	dialog editor
Dong Wang	....	dialog editor
Bo Wen	....	sound mixer
Lala Wu	....	sound
Zhigang Zhang	....	sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Xiaoyan Bai	....	still photographer
Ting Fei	....	assistant gaffer
Tianhui Ge	....	key grip
Zhaohong Gu	....	grip
Zhong Hu	....	key grip
Wenrui Jia	....	grip
Dongsheng Jiang	....	assistant gaffer
Xiaotian Kang	....	gaffer
Jiami Liu	....	assistant camera
Min Wang	....	camera operator
Fusen Xu	....	assistant camera
Xiaoshun Xu	....	grip
Chuncheng Zhao	....	assistant camera
Xianhai Zheng	....	assistant gaffer

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Xiaoxia Zhao	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Yanjuan Liu	....	assistant editor
Wenjun Zhang	....	assistant editor

Other crew
Li Guang	....	script supervisor
Zhihua Hou	....	assistant to director
Guang Li	....	script supervisor
Mingna Liu	....	finance
Brendan MacDevette	....	office production assistant
Wei Xiao	....	finance
Zhi Xiao	....	assistant to director

Production Companies

• Guangxi Film Studio
• Xin Huamian Film
• Zhuhai Zhenrong Co.

Distributors

• 20th Century Fox Italia (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Fox-Warner (2002-2003) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2002) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Diaphana Films
• Gemini Film (Russia)
• Mongrel Media (Canada)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (200?) (Netherlands) (video)

Other Companies

• Beijing Film and Postproduction Technologies  post-production
• Shanghai Film Technology Plant  sound post-production

Also Known As:

"Xingfu shiguang" - China (original title)
"Happy Time" - International (English title)

Runtime:

102 min | China:95 min

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | Dolby SR

Certification:

Australia:PG | France:U | Germany:6 | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:PG | USA:PG | Singapore:PG | Malaysia:U | South Korea:12

Filming Locations:

China

Company:

Guangxi Film Studio

Trivia:

Has two endings. The first, a shorter one, is not well received in its China screenings. Zhang Yimou subsequently shot a longer ending after its China release for international distribution.

The Masseuse

Yimau Zhang takes us along for a ride to explore how things seem to have changed in China. The country has given a step forward into the modern age as it shakes off its rigid past, adopting new ways in doing things. In fact, the country appears to have developed its own take on capitalism, as we watch a new prosperous, and aggressive China, transformed in ways we had not envisioned before. Mr. Zhang's film is an allegory about his country.

The main idea in the film is how Zhao, a factory worker, sets his eyes on a plump and attractive woman to get married. The woman, in turn, has her own ideas of what to expect from this man who lies to her and makes himself pass for a hotel manager. Thinking this is the case, the lady friend proposes he employs her stepdaughter, a blind girl that has been abandoned by her father, who has decamped to another city.

Zhao, who wants to keep the girlfriend happy, decides to take Wu Ying to work at his hotel, which in reality is a bus, that he and his buddy have converted in a lovers' motel, in a park. But before he can do anything, Zhao watches in horror as how some cleaning crews are taking his livelihood away because they are beautifying the area. Zhao is stuck with Wu Ying, so he takes her to his own humble apartment.

Zhao and his friends from the factory devise a plan to convert space in the dilapidated building a massage parlor so that the blind girl can work. The only thing, there are no clients, and only Zhao's friends are enrolled to tip the young woman using Zhao's own money.

The film is a delightful comedy about how being entrepreneurial backfires on the well intentioned man. The blind girl, Wu Ying, knows much more than what Zhao and the rest give her credit for, and unfortunately, everything ends badly, except for the blind girl, who recognizes the kindness of his mentor, who doesn't get to know first hand of her gratitude because fate intervenes.

"Happy Times" is a charming film that works thanks to the light touch by the director. Benshan Zhao, who has been seen in other Chinese films is excellent in the role of Zhao. Jie Dong plays Wu Ying with conviction and Lifan Dong, is the stepmother, who discovers the duplicity of her would be husband.

Recommended to all Yimou Zhang's fans who might have missed its commercial run.