Colonial and Postcolonial: Trans-temporal Narrative in Rouge

Abstract

This paper explores the trans-temporal narrative in the film Rouge, which examines the love story across two pivotal time periods: colonial Hong Kong in the 1930s and postcolonial Hong Kong in the 1980s, and analysed the cultural characteristics of Hong Kong during these two specific historical periods as reflected in the plot. Using insights from Bhabha’s “third space” theory, Hall’s identity theory, and Butler’s theory of gender performativity, this paper examines the character of Fleur and her journey towards enhanced subjectivity across these distinct eras and illustrates how Rouge reflects the increased subjectivity of Hong Kong’s people during the fifty years between 1930s to 1980s.