Crazy Stone
Encyclopedia
Crazy Stone is a 2006 mainland Chinese
black comedy
film directed by Ning Hao
and produced by Andy Lau
. It was immensely popular, earning 6 million RMB in its first week and more than 23 million RMB (US$3 million) in total box office
in Mainland China
, despite its low budget (3 million HKD/US$400,000) and cast of unknowns. The movie was shot digitally on HD
cameras and produced as part of Andy Lau
's "FOCUS: First Cuts" series.
; Henan
dialect and various Hong Kong
idioms used to great comedic effect. As is relatively common in Chinese humor, many jokes are pun
s or other plays on the language: for example, after one of the main characters crashes into a BMW
, the angry owner shouts that his car is a "Bié Mō Wǒ" (别摸我, which means "Don't touch me"), a deliberate play on the actual initialism.
The film also pays homage to or draws influence from a number of films, both foreign and domestic. The scene in which a black suited thief tries to steal the coveted jade stone by descending from the ceiling attached to a rope is a reference to Mission: Impossible
, for example. Similarly, one of the final scenes, which features a fight in an elevator, is a reference to the ending of the famous Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs
.
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
film directed by Ning Hao
Ning Hao
Ning Hao is a Chinese film director. Ning studied at the Taiyuan Film School, where he majored in scenic design. He later transferred to the Art Department of Peking University...
and produced by Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
. It was immensely popular, earning 6 million RMB in its first week and more than 23 million RMB (US$3 million) in total box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
in Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, despite its low budget (3 million HKD/US$400,000) and cast of unknowns. The movie was shot digitally on HD
High-definition video
High-definition video or HD video refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition video, and most commonly involves display resolutions of 1,280×720 pixels or 1,920×1,080 pixels...
cameras and produced as part of Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
's "FOCUS: First Cuts" series.
Plot
When a precious jade stone is discovered in an old outhouse, the owner of said outhouse and the surrounding buildings suddenly finds himself with the financial clout to withstand the buy-out pressure of an unethical developer who wishes to build a large building on his plot. The owner, intending to display the stone to the public, puts his dedicated chief of security in charge of keeping it safe. But with the stakes running high, this is easier said than done. The developer hires a high-tech cat burglar from Hong Kong to steal the stone, the owner's wayward son sees the jewel as the perfect symbol of wealth and hatches a plan to use it to increase his chances at getting laid, and a gang of three con-men who hear about the jewel see it as their ticket to the big time. These three groups find themselves in direct competition and, finding their attempts foiled as often by the security guard as by each other, become more and more desperate as the film progresses.Style
Crazy Stone is uncommon in that the entire movie is spoken in a mishmash of dialects, with ChongqingChongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
; Henan
Henan
Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...
dialect and various Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
idioms used to great comedic effect. As is relatively common in Chinese humor, many jokes are pun
Pun
The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play which suggests two or more meanings, by exploiting multiple meanings of words, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from the intentional use and abuse of homophonic,...
s or other plays on the language: for example, after one of the main characters crashes into a BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, the angry owner shouts that his car is a "Bié Mō Wǒ" (别摸我, which means "Don't touch me"), a deliberate play on the actual initialism.
The film also pays homage to or draws influence from a number of films, both foreign and domestic. The scene in which a black suited thief tries to steal the coveted jade stone by descending from the ceiling attached to a rope is a reference to Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible
Mission: Impossible is an American television series which was created and initially produced by Bruce Geller. It chronicled the missions of a team of secret American government agents known as the Impossible Missions Force . The leader of the team was Jim Phelps, played by Peter Graves, except in...
, for example. Similarly, one of the final scenes, which features a fight in an elevator, is a reference to the ending of the famous Hong Kong movie Infernal Affairs
Infernal Affairs
Infernal Affairs is a 2002 Hong Kong crime-thriller film directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak. It tells the story of a police officer who infiltrates the triads, and a police officer secretly working for the same gang. The Chinese title means "the non-stop path", a reference to Avici, the lowest...
.
External links
- Danwei.org article on Crazy Stone and Piracy