The Contract (1978) - Michael Hui

Inspired heavily by the Vaudeville tradition of American comedy yet wholly infused with Hong Kong modernity, Michael Hui's The Contract is a pejorative yet playful farce, one in which a TV Network serves as the perfect playground for Hui's sly critique of the Mandarian studio model. A Frankenstein-Esque creation of Network meets Harold Lloyd, The Contract is one of the quintessential Hong Kong comedies and one of the most important films - along with Hui's other work - at paving the way for the re-birth of the Cantonese tradition and the Hong Kong New Wave. Comedic set-piece after comedic set-piece the film is an endearing and maximalist comedy in the way it uses space to evince the ethos of physical comedy in the cinematic forum. The story of a struggling actor who attempts to escape the vice-grip of his 8-year exclusivity contract at a Network after being offered a chance elsewhere, The Contract has a rich subtext of the era in Hong Kong, one in which Mandarin-language films, led by the Shaw Brothers, dominated Hong Kong cinema thru the 70s, leaving Cantonese-language cinema and its traditions on the edge of existence. A film which could be read as a commentary on the lack of opportunities for Cantonese youth filmmakers at a time when the rigid structuralism of the Mandarian-language industry systemically created barriers, Hui's film is a not only a highly effective and endearing comedy but also one worthy of a healthy discourse about its subtext.