Title: Lam Ching-ying’s The Dreaming Man: A Darkly Comic Mirror of 1990s Hong Kong’s Existential Anxiety
For international audiences familiar with Lam Ching-ying’s iconic roles as a stoic Daoist priest in films like Mr. Vampire or The Legend of Wong Tai Sin, his performance in The Dreaming Man (1992) offers a startling departure—a gritty, darkly humorous exploration of urban alienation and moral ambiguity. Directed by Wu Ma and starring Sammo Hung, Carol Cheng, and Lam Ching-ying, this film blends workplace satire, crime thriller elements, and existential dread, reflecting Hong Kong’s identity crisis during its pre-handover era. Below, we dissect why this underappreciated gem deserves global recognition for its bold narrative risks and Lam’s subversive reinvention.
- Breaking the Mold: Lam Ching-ying as a Reluctant Antihero
Lam Ching-ying, widely celebrated for his righteous exorcist persona, plays a nameless hitman in The Dreaming Man—a role that defies expectations. His character, though secondary, embodies the film’s central irony: a man bound by ruthless professionalism in a world devoid of moral clarity. Unlike his saintly Wong Tai Sin or the comically stern Master Gau, this hitman operates in shadows, his stoicism laced with fatalistic resignation.
In one pivotal scene, Lam’s character hesitates before assassinating a target, his face illuminated by flickering neon lights. This momentary vulnerability humanizes him, contrasting sharply with the absurdity of the corporate rat race depicted in the main plot. Lam’s performance here is a masterclass in understated tension, proving his versatility beyond supernatural tropes.
- Workplace Satire Meets Noir: A Tale of Two Hong Kongs
The film’s dual narrative structure juxtaposes two worlds:
- The Corporate Arena: Sammo Hung’s character, a beleaguered salesman, battles cutthroat competition (embodied by Carol Cheng’s ruthless colleague) to secure a lucrative contract. Their rivalry satirizes 1990s Hong Kong’s hyper-capitalist ethos, where success demands moral compromise.
- The Criminal Underworld: Lam’s hitman and his partner (played by Jacky Cheung) navigate a chaotic underworld, their missions increasingly entangled with the corporate plot.
This duality mirrors Hong Kong’s own schism during the handover—caught between Western capitalist values and looming political uncertainty. The film’s title, The Dreaming Man, becomes a metaphor for the city’s collective existential limbo.
- Visual Contrasts: Neon Noir and Claustrophobic Realism
Cinematographer Joe Chan employs two distinct visual languages:
- Corporate Hellscapes: Office scenes are bathed in harsh fluorescent lighting, with tight framing emphasizing entrapment. The camera lingers on Sammo Hung’s sweat-drenched face during sales pitches, symbolizing the suffocating pressure of urban survival.
- Neon-Lit Nightmares: Lam’s nocturnal hitman sequences use chiaroscuro lighting and rain-slicked alleys, evoking classic film noir. A standout sequence—a slow-motion shootout in a mahjong parlor—blends balletic violence with dark comedy, as bullets ricochet off mahjong tiles while gamblers obliviously continue their game.
This stylistic dichotomy underscores the film’s thesis: whether in boardrooms or back alleys, Hong Kong’s residents are players in a rigged game.
- Subverting Gender Tropes: Carol Cheng’s Femme Fatale
Carol Cheng’s character, often dismissed as a mere antagonist, is a fascinating study in gendered power dynamics. Her razor-sharp suits and calculated ruthlessness invert traditional femme fatale tropes. In one scene, she coldly sabotages Sammo’s deal while applying lipstick—a visual metaphor for the performative femininity required to thrive in a male-dominated world.
Lam’s hitman shares a wordless exchange with her in the film’s climax, their mutual recognition of societal hypocrisy transcending verbal dialogue. This moment elevates the film beyond mere satire into poignant social commentary.
- Cultural Hybridity: Daoist Fatalism in a Modern Context
Though not a supernatural film, The Dreaming Man subtly incorporates Daoist philosophy. Lam’s hitman embodies wu wei (無為)—not as spiritual harmony, but as resignation to an amoral universe. His final act of defiance, sparing a target, echoes the Daoist principle of yielding to cosmic flow rather than resisting futility.
This thematic layering invites parallels to Western existential works like Taxi Driver, yet roots its nihilism in East Asian philosophical traditions.
Why Global Audiences Should Watch
- Cultural Time Capsule: The film captures Hong Kong’s pre-handover angst, offering insights into its capitalist psyche.
- Genre-Bending Innovation: It merges workplace comedy, crime thriller, and social realism—a precursor to later East Asian classics like Parasite.
- Lam Ching-ying’s Reinvention: Witness one of Hong Kong cinema’s most iconic actors defying typecasting.
- Universal Themes: From corporate dehumanization to existential despair, its themes resonate globally.
Conclusion: A Forgotten Masterpiece of Urban Despair
-The Dreaming Man* is more than a dark comedy—it’s a searing indictment of late capitalism and a meditation on moral erosion. Lam Ching-ying’s hitman, though peripheral, becomes the film’s haunting conscience: a man navigating a world where dreams (of wealth, success, redemption) are both unattainable and inescapable.
For Western viewers, this film offers a gateway to Hong Kong’s lesser-known cinematic experiments—ones that dared to ask uncomfortable questions about identity, ethics, and survival in the shadow of historical upheaval. As Lam’s character fades into the neon gloom of the final frame, we’re left pondering: In a world where everyone is both predator and prey, what does it mean to retain one’s humanity?