Black Window (film)

Black Window  (: 黑窗) is a 1974 Kodeshi directed by Li Wei and starring Teng Jie, Zhang Hong and Wang Zhiwen. The film follows Li Bao, a former secret agent who is now a private detective, as he investigates the murder of his former partner and lover Chen Xiao. The film is known for its suspenseful plot, stylish cinematography and shocking twist. The film is based on the 1948 novel of the same name by Jiang Qing, a Kodeshi writer and dissident. Jiang wrote the novel as a critique of the authoritarian regime of Guoist era and its suppression of civil liberties and political opposition. The novel was banned in Kodeshia at the time and Jiang was arrested and executed for treason in 1949. The film adaptation was made with the permission of Jiang’s widow, who fled to Qingcheng after his death. The film is faithful to the novel’s plot and themes, but also adds some elements of Li Wei’s own style and vision.

Plot
The film begins with a scene of a young woman being chased and killed by a masked man in a dark alley. The woman is revealed to be Chen Xiao (Zhang Hong), the daughter of a wealthy businessman named Mr. Chen (Li Ming).

Li Bao (Teng Jie) is a former secret agent who is now a private detective. He is hired by Mr. Chen to investigate Chen Xiao’s murder. Li Bao meets with Mr. Chen and his wife Mrs. Chen (Chen Yu) at their mansion. Mr. Chen tells Li Bao that he suspects that Chen Xiao was killed by her lover, a gangster named Zhou Xin (Wang Zhiwen). Mr. Chen also tells Li Bao that he wants him to find Zhou Xin and bring him to justice.

Li Bao goes to Chen Xiao’s apartment to look for clues. He finds a photo of Chen Xiao and Zhou Xin together, as well as a letter from Zhou Xin to Chen Xiao. The letter reveals that Zhou Xin was planning to leave Kodeshia with Chen Xiao and start a new life in Akiteiwa. Li Bao also finds a hidden safe in Chen Xiao’s closet, which contains a large amount of money and a gun.

Li Bao then goes to Zhou Xin’s nightclub, where he meets Zhou Xin’s henchman Liu Wei (Liu Wei). Li Bao pretends to be a friend of Zhou Xin and asks Liu Wei where he can find him. Liu Wei tells Li Bao that Zhou Xin is hiding in a warehouse near the Chenghai Airport. Li Bao leaves the nightclub and follows Liu Wei to the warehouse.

At the warehouse, Li Bao confronts Zhou Xin and accuses him of killing Chen Xiao. Zhou Xin denies the accusation and claims that he loved Chen Xiao and wanted to run away with her. Zhou Xin also tells Li Bao that he has evidence that proves his innocence. Zhou Xin shows Li Bao a video tape that he recorded on the night of Chen Xiao’s murder. The video tape shows that Zhou Xin was at his nightclub with Liu Wei and other witnesses at the time of the murder. Zhou Xin also shows Li Bao another video tape that he received from an anonymous source. The video tape shows that Chen Xiao was killed by someone else, someone who wore a mask and gloves and used the same gun that was found in Chen Xiao’s safe.

Li Bao is shocked by the revelation and wonders who the real killer is and why they killed Chen Xiao. He also wonders who sent Zhou Xin the video tape and how they knew about the murder. Zhou Xin tells Li Bao that he doesn’t know who the killer or the sender are, but he suspects that they are connected to Chen Xiao’s past.

Li Bao then asks Zhou Xin about Chen Xiao’s past and what secrets she had. Zhou Xin tells Li Bao that Chen Xiao was not who she seemed to be. He tells Li Bao that Chen Xiao was actually a former secret agent, just like Li Bao himself.

Li Bao is stunned by this revelation and remembers his own past as a secret agent. He remembers that he used to work for the National Security Office, along with his partner and lover Chen Xiao. He remembers that they were assigned to infiltrate and destroy a terrorist organization called the Red Lotus Society, which was led by a mysterious man named Master X (Xu Jie). He remembers that they succeeded in their mission, but at a great cost. He remembers that Chen Xiao betrayed him and joined forces with Master X, who turned out to be her brother. He remembers that Chen Xiao shot him in the chest and left him for dead.

Li Bao then realizes that Chen Xiao was not really dead, but faked her death and changed her identity. He realizes that she used her skills and connections to become the daughter of Mr. Chen, who was one of the most influential businessmen in Kodeshia. He realizes that she used her position and wealth to fund and support the Red Lotus Society, which was still active and dangerous.

Li Bao then wonders why Chen Xiao betrayed him and joined the Red Lotus Society in the first place. He wonders what her motives and goals were. He wonders if she ever loved him or if she only used him as a pawn.

Zhou Xin tells Li Bao that he doesn’t know why Chen Xiao did what she did, but he knows that she regretted it later. He tells Li Bao that Chen Xiao told him everything about her past when they met and fell in love. He tells Li Bao that Chen Xiao wanted to leave Kodeshia and start a new life with him in Akiteiwa, but someone wanted to prevent them from leaving. Zhou Xin suggests that the real killer might be someone who had a personal grudge against Chen Xiao or had a vested interest in preventing her from leaving Kodeshia.

Li Bao realizes that he needs to find out the truth behind Chen Xiao’s betrayal and the identity of her killer. He decides to investigate further and goes to the Red Lotus Society headquarters, where he confronts Master X. Master X reveals that he did not kill Chen Xiao and that he had no reason to do so, as he had already won the war against the National Security Office. Master X also tells Li Bao that he suspects that the real killer is someone who is close to him and has access to his secrets.

Li Bao then goes to Mr. Chen’s mansion and confronts Mrs. Chen. Mrs. Chen reveals that she was the one who killed Chen Xiao, as she could not bear the thought of losing her daughter to Zhou Xin and leaving Kodeshia. She also reveals that she was the one who sent the video tape to Zhou Xin, as she wanted to frame him for the murder and get rid of him.

Li Bao is shocked and appalled by Mrs. Chen’s confession. He realizes that she is a cold-blooded killer who will stop at nothing to protect her interests. He also realizes that he has been played by Chen Xiao and her family, who used him as a tool in their own schemes.

In the final scene of the film, Li Bao confronts Mrs. Chen and arrests her for murder. He also tells Zhou Xin the truth about Chen Xiao’s past and apologizes for his suspicions. Zhou Xin forgives him and tells him that they can still leave Kodeshia together and start a new life. Li Bao nods and smiles, as the camera fades to black.

Cast

 * Teng Jie as Li Bao
 * Zhang Hong as Chen Xiao
 * Wang Zhiwen as Zhou Xin
 * Liu Wei as Detective Wang
 * Li Ming as Mr. Chen
 * Chen Yu as Mrs. Chen
 * Wang Zhiwen as Zhou Xin
 * Xu Jie as Master X

Production
Li Wei had read Jiang Qing’s novel in 1960, when he was studying film in Qingcheng, and was deeply impressed by its story and message. He had always wanted to adapt it into a film, but faced many difficulties in obtaining the rights and funding. In 1973, he finally managed to contact Jiang’s widow, who agreed to let him use the novel as the basis for his film. Li Wei then wrote the screenplay with his frequent collaborator Li Jun. They made some changes to the novel’s plot and characters and Li Wei also incorporated some of his own stylistic elements, such as using black-and-white cinematography, long takes, and minimal music.

Production The film was produced by Progress Motion Picture Corporation, a Kodeshi film company. The company was known for producing innovative and daring films that challenged the censorship and conventions of the Kodeshi film industry. The film was distributed by Kodeshi Imperial Studio Film and Television Technology Co., Ltd., a state-owned enterprise that controlled most of the film and television production and distribution in Kodeshia.

The film was shot on location in the city of Chenghai and its suburbs. The largest city of Kodeshia, and a major cultural and economic centre. The film used many real locations in Chenghai, such as the famous Tower and Night Markets.

The film’s budget was estimated at Hz 75.74 billion (about $5 million at that time). The film was considered to be a high-budget production for Kodeshian standards, as most Kodeshi films at that time had budgets of less than Hz 10 billion (about $660,000 at that time). The film used many special effects and stunt work to create realistic and thrilling scenes of action and violence. The film also hired many professional actors and actresses from Kodeshia and Qingcheng to play the main roles.

The film faced many challenges and difficulties during its production. The film had to deal with the strict censorship and regulations of the Kodeshi government, which limited the content and expression of the film. The film also had to deal with the political and social unrest that was happening in Kodeshia at that time, which affected the security and stability of the filming locations. The film also had to deal with the technical and logistical issues that came with filming in a foreign country with different languages and cultures.

Despite these challenges, the film was completed on time and within budget. The film was praised by Li Wei and his crew for their dedication and professionalism. The film was also praised by the critics and audiences for its quality and originality.

Box Office
The film was released on October 10, 1974 in Kodeshia and on November 15, 1974 in other markets. The film received critical acclaim and was a box office success. The film grossed Hz 1.52 trillion (about $100 million at that time) in Kodeshia, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year and one of the highest-grossing film of all time in Kodeshia. The film also grossed $50 million in other markets, mainly in East Kesh. The film had a total worldwide gross of $150 million, making it one of the most profitable films of the year and the decade.

Critical Response
The film received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. The film holds a 95% approval rating on a popular review-aggregation website, based on 100 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Black Window is a masterful thriller that combines suspense, action and drama in a compelling and unpredictable way. The film boasts excellent performances from its cast, especially Teng Jie as the haunted protagonist. The film also features a stunning twist that will leave viewers speechless." The film also has a score of 88 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 25 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

The film was praised for its gripping story, realistic characters and atmospheric setting. Critics lauded the film's screenplay, which was written by Li Wei and his brother Li Jun, for its clever plot structure, sharp dialogue and surprising twist. Critics also praised the film's direction, cinematography and editing, which created a tense and immersive mood for the film. Critics also praised the film's acting, especially Teng Jie's performance as Li Bao, which was described as "powerful", "complex" and "emotional". Critics also praised Zhang Hong's performance as Chen Xiao, which was described as "mysterious", "seductive" and "tragic". Critics also praised Wang Zhiwen's performance as Zhou Xin, which was described as "menacing", "charismatic" and "villainous".

The film was also praised for its cultural and social significance. Critics noted that the film was one of the first Kodeshi films to deal with themes such as corruption, violence and betrayal in a realistic and mature way. Critics also noted that the film was one of the first Kodeshi films to challenge the censorship and conventions of the Kodeshi film industry and achieve international recognition and success. It was also noted that it was one of the first Kodeshi films to influence other films and filmmakers outside of Kodeshia.

Awards
The film won three 12th Golden Dragon Awards for Best Film, Best Director (Li Wei), and Best Actor (Teng Jie). The film won the following awards: