Illegitimate pregnancy in a Catholic orphanage? Vengeful bride wielding a massive syringe? Hooded serial killer on horseback? Watch The Revenge of Phantom Night if any or all of these phrases gave your heart a flutter. Written and directed David Shao, the film follows Yuanyang Gao, a doctor commissioned by the Chinese government, and his tenacious wife, Jingwen, as they uncover the deeply hidden mysteries of their new estate in the French Concession. Shao introduces a handful of conflicts right off the bat: the strained relationship between Gao and Jingwen, rising death tolls caused by a seemingly supernatural murderer, and an elusive “treasure” concealed by a myriad of Biblical riddles. We quickly learn that if we take our eye off the screen for just a moment, we miss some crucial bits of story. Shao is able to introduce a complex web of characters and relationships set against a dense background of unsolved mysteries by keeping his audience invested in the core of his film: the love between a father and his daughter.
See the North American Premiere of ‘The Revenge of Phantom Knight’ on February 26, 2018 @7:45pm at Cinema Village (22 East 12th Street) as part of New York City’s 7th Annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival. Winter Film Awards’ Jenn Tsouras-Shadd had some burning questions for David, and his responses did not disappoint!
Jenn Tsouras-Shadd: This film is filled to the brim with incredibly rich, distinct characters. What was the biggest challenge for you as a director approaching this film? What particular elements of the story were most important to express?
David Shao: As director of this film, the most difficult situation I encountered was poor budget and limited time; these two factors were related. The cost of this film was quite low, however, I really cherished the chance to shoot this film. It helped me to express a love story through the Gothic aesthetic element with a limited budget. So, what I really concerned in this story was to combine the western Gothic aesthetics into an oriental story.
Jen: You mention that your mother influenced your taste for horror films. Did she also play a part in inspiring the character of Jingwen? Her character is so smart and strong, especially in relation to her role as mother.
David: I’ve been greatly influenced by my mom since I was a child because she loves British literature so much, especially the masterpieces of the three Brontë sisters. Therefore, when I was just a little kid, I had read Wuthering Heights, in which the woodcut illustration presents the desolation and loneliness of the English countryside. I was greatly inspired by Heathcliff’s image of madness for love wandering in the wilderness all night, for the creation of The Revenge of Phantom Knight. Actually, the phantom knight in this film is the combination of Quasimodo from Notre Dame de Paris and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights. As for Jingwen, my inspiration comes from another novel, Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte. Jingwen and Jane Eyre have the same experience of growing up from the orphanage, while both of them have noble soul as well as an ordinary and strong personality. Definitely, my mom’s favorite works of art imperceptibly influenced me.
Jen: I loved that your film played with elements of Catholicism set against the supernatural. Biblical stories even help drive the plot near the end. Why was it important for you to have these spiritual components in your story? I thought they worked really well.
David: The reason is quite simple as I am a Christian. I was born in Gulangyu, a famous island in China. Half of the residents on the island are Christians. I read the Bible during my childhood and the church is a 2 minute walk from my home. So, religion takes up the whole of my spirit. That’s why I try to express themes of love and redemption.
Jen: I was captivated by the cinematography in this film. Every shot is expertly composed and visually striking. Did you know exactly what visual style you were going to use when writing the script?
David: Thank you for your appreciation about our cinematography; it’s an honor to me. The Revenge of Phantom Knight may be the first Chinese film combined with Gothic aesthetic element directed by a Chinese. I tried my best to blend the oriental and western aesthetics. Like myself, I have the influence of Chinese culture and the influence of Christianity. Many Chinese artists are studying western culture, but they are just touching on the superficial, not really understanding Christianity let alone integration. Many sources of western literature, art and architecture come from the Christian faith.
The creation of this film, in fact, is a reflection of my personal aesthetic; I assume there are very few Chinese directors with the same childhood experience as mine. I’ve seen some black and white films in my childhood which are still fresh now. I bet the new generation in the States probably are not familiar with these films, such as Portrait of Jennie (1948), The Bat (1933), Rebecca directed by Alfred Hitchcock and Spellbound, etc. These are all suspense films with the mysticism I am deeply impressed with.
In addition, I studied fine art at a very young age and I was also influenced by Giorgio de Chirico and Dali, the surrealism painters. I had the experience in directing hundreds of advertisements from which I was trained to control the lens. Up to now, I still keep the habit of drawing storyboards by myself so that the artists, photographer, lighting engineer, and art designer can directly understand every scene of the art style, artist’s walk and the video camera scheduling. That can also prevent wasting money and time because of the cluelessness of the director.
Then, when I prepared the script, the Gothic aesthetic cinematography was already in my mind. I don’t know why Gothic aesthetics attracts, me but this has been drilled in my heart since I was a child, such as the prints in the wilderness of the British countryside, the dry old oak, the indifferent town in Giorgio de Chirico’s painting, the deformation of the clock in Dali’s painting and so on. And maybe because I’m a Pisces that I’m curious about mystical things. I believe in Jesus, and understand love is the source of all. The Revenge of Phantom Knight is a film about love. Mysteries, conspiracies, Gothic aesthetics and darkness are the superficial while the core of the film is “Love” and “Love” surpasses all!”
Jen: Beautiful sentiment, David! I’m already anticipating your next venture into the apparently uncharted territories of Chinese Christianity in film! (And possibly talking more about astrology…)
Jenn Tsouras-Shadd
Jenn Tsouras-Shadd is a graduate of the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television and pursuing a master’s degree through Arizona State University’s online graduate program in film. She is a writer, director, and artist currently living in New York City. She is involved with New York Women in Film and Television, NYC Female Filmmakers, and walking up to people’s dogs and squealing.
About Winter Film Awards
New York City’s 7th Annual Winter Film Awards International Film Festival runs February 22-March 3 2018. Check out our jam-packed lineup of 93 fantastic films in all genres from 31 countries, including Animation, Drama, Comedy, Thriller, Horror, Documentary and Music Video. Hollywood might ignore women and people of color, but Winter Film Awards celebrates everyone!
Winter Film Awards is an all volunteer, minority- and women-owned registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 2011 in New York City by a group of filmmakers and enthusiasts. The program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the NY State Council on the Arts.
