By Spidey Vi
Trigger warning: Graphic and violent imagery
Limbo, the 2021 action thriller film, won two out of four awards in the 28th Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards and five out of fourteen from the 40th Hong Kong Film Awards. It’s based on the novel Wisdom Tooth by Chinese writer Lei Mi, which centres around a veteran officer confronting his worst nightmare, while teaming up with a rookie to solve a case on serial killings. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Director Cheang Poh Sui explores the central themes in Limbo to their extreme. Firstly, there is the haunting presence of ‘the street people’. The homeless are the ignored at the lowest position in society; discriminated and abandoned as if garbage, though still full of feeling, desire to survive, to be respected and loved. Their unfortunate fates have left them with no choice but to compensate themselves with drugs, theft, and violence. Despite causing public unease, these people remain the inevitable throb in society, just as the Mandarin film title – Wisdom Tooth 智齿 – suggests. The English version Limbo, on the other hand, is defined as the ‘supposed abode of souls of unbaptized infants’ in some Christian beliefs. That brings us to the second theme – the ironic insignificance of religion against corrupted humanity. The film touches on various dark topics, including an antagonist with an Oedipus complex and acrotomophilia, as well as religious motifs in the forms of statues of Saint Maria Goretti, Buddha and Guan Yin being powerless against the brutality of the real world.
Let’s talk about the eerily magnificent artistic direction. We rarely see a black-and-white film in modern cinema, let alone among Chinese films; Cheang opted for the recreation of a dystopian look that he experienced when he first came to Hong Kong. Shades of grey blend the characters into the scenes, amplifying the sense of distress and hollowness to the story. I personally think it’s a rather thoughtful decision for viewers, as it diminishes the visual sickeningness of dumpster piles and gory moments.
I was also fascinated by the dazzling camera work. The use of wide lens and overhead shots when filming broad areas of slums and junkyards maximize the inferiority of human beings and the sense of oppression surrounded by the unpleasant landscape. One of the most impressive shots was the slow-motion car crash scene, where body movements and expressions from multiple points of view were delicately captured – Cham frozen in shock on the sidewalk, his wife thrust onto the car, Wong Tou fearfully hitting the brake.
Among the three protagonists, Wong Tou stands out the most to me. When Cham re-enters her life, her first thought is to flee, but her good nature urges her to beg for Cham’s forgiveness and subsequently offers to help as an informant for the case. I was heartbroken seeing her facing mental breakdowns and physical abuses all by herself, however, I admire her quick-wittedness and endurance in tough situations as she strives to stay alive. Cya Liu won the Best Actress in two events for her performance. Though constantly being in filthy surroundings and unthinkable torments, she claimed it was all worth it, and I’d say she deserves this recognition.
In short, Limbo is hauntingly impressive in all ways. I love how the storyline hits the bottom of the audiences’ heart, how protagonists confront their obstacles head-on, despite troubled by fear, and how the colourless scenes spark out such breathtaking savageness. It would’ve been a waste if the film, which wrapped up filming in 2017, had never made it on to the big screen.
Spidey Vi is a chronic overthinker slash realistic dreamer pursuing a Screen Content Production degree for the love of films. Her favourite shows range from Kung Fu Panda, 10 Things I Hate About You to The Last of Us. She looks up to Greta Gerwig, Tim Burton and James Wan, and aspires to become a filmmaking practitioner like them. She has a thing for wolves, motivational quotes, and Emma Myers. Experimental is her middle name.
