The Untold Story of “Lover’s Tear”: Lee Lai-Chun’s Bold Attempt to Break Free
In 1981, at the age of 15, Lee Lai-Chun (also known as Loletta Lee) was scouted and began her career as a model. By 1984, she successfully transitioned into acting with her role as “Siu Fa” in “Happy Ghost.”
Following this breakthrough, Lee starred in a series of popular films such as “Everlasting Love,” “Shanghai Night,” “Merry Christmas,” “Devoted to You,” “For Your Love,” “Love Season,” and “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad World.” These roles solidified her image as the “student sweetheart” of Hong Kong cinema in the 1980s.
A Career Crossroads
However, as the '90s dawned, Lee’s film career faced a significant hurdle.
While she rose to fame playing “schoolgirl” and “rebellious teen” characters, her growing age made these roles less believable. The “student sweetheart” image became a constraint, hindering her professional growth.
To break free from this typecasting, Lee attempted a bold career shift in 1993. She collaborated with Golden Harvest and Win’s Movie Production to create a “Category III fantasy” film: “Lover’s Tear.”
In “Lover’s Tear,” Lee challenged her established image by portraying a “mother” figure. She also drastically altered her on-screen persona.
Although intended as a turning point, the film became a market failure due to unexpected competitive pressures. Let’s delve into the story of Lee Lai-Chun’s ambitious project, “Lover’s Tear.”
The Production Team
“Lover’s Tear” was a joint venture between Golden Harvest and Win’s Movie Production, with Chow Ting-ngoh of Golden Harvest and Louis Lai Kin-Wai of Win’s serving as producers.
Renowned writer Chua Lam, one of Hong Kong’s “Four Literary Talents,” also served as the film’s supervisor. Notably, Chua Lam was involved in the production of several Category III Hong Kong films in the early '90s, including “Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky,” “Erotic Ghost Story,” “Robotrix,” and “Sex and Zen.”
The film was written and directed by the acclaimed Hong Kong director, Lu Jianming.
In the 1980s, Lu was known for his work in romance films, including “A Match Made by Fun,” “Happy Bigamist,” “Four Daughters,” and “I Love Chinatown.” However, with increasing competition in the '90s, he transitioned to the Category III film market to achieve greater commercial success.
In 1991, Lu directed “Robotrix,” starring Amy Yip and Chika Akanishi, which was well-received. In 1993, he was recommended by Chua Lam to direct and write “Lover’s Tear.”
The Plot Unfolds
“Lover’s Tear” revolves around a model named Ah Ling, played by Lee Lai-Chun. Ah Ling works for an advertising agency and always wears a purple crystal necklace, which she cherishes.
During a commercial shoot, the director asks her to remove the necklace as it interferes with the camera’s focus. After some hesitation, Ah Ling agrees, entrusting it to the assistant director.
However, the assistant director accidentally breaks the crystal. As it shatters, a gust of wind sweeps through the set, and Ah Ling’s life takes a dramatic turn.
Fearing Ah Ling’s reaction, the assistant director glues the crystal back together. After the shoot, Ah Ling rushes home without noticing the damage.
Mr. Li (played by Lam Wai), an advertising executive, is pursuing Ah Ling. He offers her a ride home and confesses his feelings, hoping to deepen their relationship.
In response, Ah Ling shares a painful chapter from her past.
Five years prior, she was married to a real estate businessman named Chong Ho-Tin (played by Poon Chun-Wai). However, he had an affair during her pregnancy.
A heated argument led to Chong pushing Ah Ling down the stairs, causing her to miscarry. They divorced, leaving Ah Ling with a deep-seated fear of marriage.
Mr. Li assures her that he doesn’t care about her past and wants to give her a happy future.
While touched by his words, Ah Ling remains haunted by her failed marriage.
After Mr. Li leaves, Ah Ling notices the crack in the crystal. She seeks help from a Taoist master, who reveals the crystal’s secret.
After her miscarriage, Ah Ling dreamed of her unborn child, who cried of loneliness and fear. She had a memorial tablet erected for the child and the Taoist master sealed the child’s spirit within the crystal to keep her company.
Now that the crystal is broken, the child’s spirit is lost. The Taoist master comforts Ah Ling, suggesting that this is fate and that the child may now have a chance to be reincarnated. He encourages her to let go of the past and embrace a new life.
Inspired by the Taoist master, Ah Ling decides to move on and accepts Mr. Li’s proposal. However, strange events begin to plague her.
One day, she finds blood flowing from her shower. A clown doll comes to life and attacks her.
A ghostly figure appears, revealing itself as her aborted child, Siu Yu.
Siu Yu accuses Ah Ling of abandoning her by breaking the crystal. Ah Ling explains that she always remembers her. Siu Yu’s spirit remains in Ah Ling’s home, keeping her company each night.
Mr. Li repeatedly asks Ah Ling out, but she declines to stay home with Siu Yu. He grows frustrated, unable to understand why she is distancing herself after accepting his proposal.
Meanwhile, Ah Ling’s ex-husband, Chong Ho-Tin, seeks her out to borrow money after his business fails. Seeing them together, Mr. Li assumes that Ah Ling is considering reconciliation. He confronts her, seeking clarity about their relationship.
Ah Ling assures him that she has no intention of getting back with her ex-husband and reveals the truth about Siu Yu.
Mr. Li, a materialist, dismisses the existence of ghosts and believes that Ah Ling is making excuses. Their relationship becomes strained.
One night, Ah Ling shoots a commercial. Siu Yu secretly follows her to the set.
Because no one can see her, Siu Yu causes mischief. However, the camera captures her ghostly image. During editing, the editor notices a child inexplicably appearing in the footage, always near Ah Ling.
The editor informs Mr. Li, who realizes that Ah Ling was telling the truth.
Mr. Li apologizes to Ah Ling and promises to care for Siu Yu with her. Touched by his sincerity, Ah Ling is deeply moved.
Meanwhile, the bankrupt Chong Ho-Tin seeks a feng shui master to change his fate and get rich quickly.
The master tells him that his son, Siu Yu, is a restless spirit. By capturing Siu Yu’s soul and performing a “ghost child wealth” ritual, he can become wealthy.
Following the master’s instructions, Chong Ho-Tin goes to Ah Ling’s house with a Qiankun bag and yin-yang talisman and kidnaps Siu Yu.
The “ghost child wealth” ritual drains Siu Yu’s spiritual energy, weakening her.
Ah Ling and Mr. Li devise a plan to rescue Siu Yu. To get her back, Chong Ho-Tin confronts them, leading to a struggle.
During the fight, Chong attacks Ah Ling, and Siu Yu uses her last bit of energy to protect her. After a chaotic battle, Chong Ho-Tin is subdued, and Siu Yu is on the verge of fading away.
In the end, Ah Ling marries Mr. Li, and Siu Yu gets a chance to be reincarnated. A year later, Ah Ling gives birth to a child, who is the reincarnation of Siu Yu.
A Missed Opportunity
Despite its Category III rating, “Lover’s Tear” excels in its plot and character development.
Lee Lai-Chun’s portrayal of a “mother” figure is commendable, a departure from her previous roles.
However, the film was overshadowed by a feud between Win’s Movie Production and D & B Films.
The Rivalry
In 1991, the film giant Cinema City dissolved, and Raymond Wong, one of its directors, founded D & B Films.
In 1992, D & B Films collaborated with Win’s Movie Production to produce “All’s Well, Ends Well” and “The Great Conspiracy.”
After these films achieved commercial success, a dispute over profit sharing led to a falling out between the two companies.
After the partnership ended, D & B Films and Win’s Movie Production began to compete.
In 1993, Win’s collaborated with Golden Harvest to produce “Lover’s Tear,” starring Lee Lai-Chun and Poon Chun-Wai. Upon hearing this, D & B Films partnered with Clifton Ko Productions to produce “Sex and Zen II,” also starring Lee Lai-Chun and Poon Chun-Wai.
“Lover’s Tear” was scheduled to be released on April 17, 1993. To compete, “Sex and Zen II” was rushed into production in just one month and released on the same day.
In terms of production quality, “Lover’s Tear” was far superior to “Sex and Zen II.” The latter was a rushed production with a runtime of only 77 minutes and a weak plot.
Win’s and Golden Harvest accused D & B Films of stealing ideas, rushing production, and engaging in malicious competition.
However, despite its superior production, “Sex and Zen II” proved to be more popular with audiences.
While “Sex and Zen II” lacked a strong plot, director Cheung Tsao-Fan seemed to have a better understanding of what the audience wanted than director Lu Jianming.
“Sex and Zen II” was packed with explicit content from start to finish.
In “Lover’s Tear,” Lu Jianming pushed boundaries but focused more on storytelling and emotional expression.
In the early '90s, the Hong Kong film market was at its peak, but “bad money drives out good” became the norm.
“Sex and Zen II,” produced in just one month, grossed over HK$12 million, while “Lover’s Tear,” with a budget of HK$10 million and six months of production, earned just over HK$9 million.
Due to the cutthroat competition, “Lover’s Tear” was lost in the shuffle, and Lee Lai-Chun’s attempt to reinvent herself failed.
After “Lover’s Tear” and “Sex and Zen II,” Lee continued to play “student” and “teen” roles. It wasn’t until 1999 that she met Ann Hui and starred in “Ordinary Heroes.”
“Ordinary Heroes” not only freed Lee from her “student sweetheart” image but also earned her a Best Actress award. Her career reached new heights after this film.