Family (1953)
Genre : Drama
Runtime : 2H 20M
Director : Ng Wui
Writer : Ng Wui
Synopsis
"Family" (1953), which launched the Union Film legacy, "Spring" (1953) and "Autumn" (1954) are adaptations of Ba Jin's highly regarded novel "Torrent Trilogy". In "Family", director Ng Wui skilfully condenses the voluminous first part of the novel into an emotionally powerful and intellectually focused story of youngsters struggling to survive oppression and repression in a feudalistic family. This well-received film quickly established the company's reputation.
A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal – an act that begins to turn her heart into stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading King's successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom – and to Maleficent's true happiness as well.
Pit violinist Claudin hopelessly loves rising operatic soprano Christine Dubois (as do baritone Anatole and police inspector Raoul) and secretly aids her career. But Claudin loses both his touch and his job, murders a rascally music publisher in a fit of madness, and has his face etched with acid. Soon, mysterious crimes plague the Paris Opera House, blamed on a legendary "phantom".
In the twilight of the Ming Dynasty, the Imperial court is plagued by corruption as tyrants rule over the land. With the Manchurians preying on a weakened empire, war is imminent. To save the victims from their suffering, sorceress Jade Raksha fights the soldiers that oppress people for their own gain. As payback, local government officials decide to pin the murder of Governor Zhuo Zhonglian on Jade, turning her and the members of her cult into wanted fugitives for a crime they didn't commit.
In 19th century Russia a woman in a respectable marriage to a senior statesman must grapple with her love for a dashing soldier.
An orphan boy in 1830s London is abused in a workhouse, then falls into the clutches of a gang of thieves.
Middle-aged widow Beatrice Hunsdorfer and her daughters Ruth and Matilda are struggling to survive in a society they barely understand. Beatrice dreams of opening an elegant tea room but does not have the wherewithal to achieve her lofty goal. Epileptic Ruth is a rebellious adolescent, while shy but highly intelligent and idealistic Matilda seeks solace in her pets and school projects, including one designed to show how small amounts of radium affect marigolds.
Dr. Arthur Calgary visits the Argyle family to return an address book lost some time ago by Jack Argyle, only to find out that Jack has been executed for the murder of his mother. Calgary can prove that Jack was innocent. In spite of opposition from a hostile family, he is determined to solve the crime.
Victor Frankenstein's search for the secret of life leads to the creation of a monster that consumes his life and family.
Anne Desbarèdes is a young woman who is married to a wealthy businessman and lives a monotonous existence in the small commune town of Blaye. After indirectly witnessing a murder in a café, she returns to the scene of the crime the next day and meets Chauvin, who informs her in more detail about the events that took place. Mentally unbalanced, Anne begins to believe that Chauvin intends to kill her.
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Tommy Wilhelm (Robin Williams) is a salesman. An honest, hard-working guy who has lost his job, his girlfriend, and left part of his sanity behind as he heads to New York to pick up the pieces of his life. He's always been able to sell, but caught in a downward spiral, he must, in addition, face the father who never really understood him, while trying to balance his newly precarious existence.
Mistreated foundling Heathcliff and his stepsister Catherine fall in love, but when she marries a wealthy man, he becomes obsessed with getting revenge, even well into the next generation.
A doctor in a mental research institution is driven insane by the spectacle of the horrors of the twentieth century.
The most beautiful man in the world, who, sick of being objectified, devises a plan to free himself of other's attention.
An adaptation of Madame Bovary transported to Rye, New York in the 1930's. All characters have been renamed.
Adapted from the series aired in 2001. Looking for inspiration during the holidays, Nando sees Anita as the ideal character for his novel. She lives in a townhouse where a passionate crime happened in the past. Intense, Anita seduces Nando and awakens to
Ambrosio (Franco Nero) is a monk who is sexually tempted by an emissary of the Devil, a young girl in monk's robes. After he has committed numerous crimes, it appears that he will be caught and punished by the Inquisition. Instead, he signs up on the Devil's team and wins his freedom.. and eventually, the papacy.
Inspired by the book of Genesis, this film tells the power struggle between two families: a clan of herders led by Jacob and another clan of hunters fronted by his brother Esau. Caught in the crossfire is their cousin, Hamor and his tribe of farmers.
Mok Ming moves into Po Tak-yan’s old mansion. Po's mistress, the songstress Tsi Law-heung, has died in it. Her spirit haunts the mansion as she is unburied. Mok sees her ghost and notes that she resembles his late wife Kit-ching. Mok dreams that his wife has possessed Tsi's body in return. Mok asks Uncle Tak to take him to the coffin. Tsi resurrects as Kit-ching. Mok accepts that his wife has returned from death, but he is suspicious. He brings her to a nightclub, where they chance upon Po and his mistress, Chan Mei-chu. Po is suspicious. Mok explained that his wife has returned through Tsi's body. Two reporters are there and the news is reported in the papers. To resolve his suspicions, Po goes to the old mansion. He meets Mok, his “wife,” and Uncle Tak. The wife denies that she is Tsi. Po retrieves a pistol and goes to confront the woman. Mok intervenes. In the struggle, Po falls down the railing to his death, but Tsi is shot. Now it is time for her to tell Mok of her past.
Following her recent divorce, a writer moves into a new home to begin penning her next book. Little does she know this house has some dark secrets. A giant rat visits her in the middle of the night and in her basement lies a pathway to another dimension. Haunting dreams soon begin in this loosely based retelling of H.P. Lovecraft’s classic tale, “The Dreams in the Witch House.”