The Arch (1968)

T'ang Shushuen | Hong Kong | 1968 | 96 min | PG An attractive captain awakens the yearning for love in a widow and her daughter in this retelling of a Ming Dynasty folktale. Shot in striking black and white, The Arch paints an intimate portrait of Madam Tung, living with her frail mother and vivacious daughter Wei-ling in a remote village. While waiting for imperial approval to have an arch built to honour her virtue, her life is disrupted by the arrival of Captain Yang, whose charm draws both mother and daughter, leading to slowly-growing tension that reaches a feverish climax. With a team that includes cinematographer Subrata Mitra, Satyajit Ray’s longtime creative partner, and documentary filmmaker Les Blank, The Arch has a notable variety of experimental techniques. Using montage, zooms and superimpositions, it conveys the psychological states of a woman caught between desire and duty.