Thirty Years of Adonis (Chinese: 三十儿立), is a 2017 film by the Hong Kong filmmaker Scud, the production-crediting name of Danny Cheng Wan-Cheung. It is the story of a young man who decides to pursue acting as a Beijing Opera actor, but soon becomes a commercial sex worker for men and women. The film explores several themes traditionally regarded as "taboo" in Hong Kong society and features full-frontal male nudity in several scenes.
Thirty Years of Adonis is the seventh of eleven publicly released films by Scud. The other films include: City Without Baseball (2008), Permanent Residence (2009), Amphetamine (2010), Love Actually... Sucks! (2011), Voyage (2013), and Utopians (2015). Thirty Years of Adonis features some footage from Utopians. His eighth film, Apostles, was made in 2022, as was the ninth, Bodyshop. Scud's tenth and eleventh films (his final projects prior to retirement), Naked Nations: Hong Kong Tribe and Ghosts Just Wanna Have Fun, were produced in 2024.
Contents
Plot
Thirty Years of Adonis explores the philosophy of life and death, religious beliefs, and karma through an erotically charged story. Yang Ke is a 30-year-old man who dreams of becoming a famous Beijing Opera actor. He is an attractive man who can effortlessly charm both men and women. However, his fate takes a twisted turn that leads him to the underworld as he joins a cult-like society of masculine sex workers. Despite his faith and willingness to give, he remains a prisoner to his karma. Hell awaits when heaven seems near, and the ultimate truth is revealed in a heart-breaking moment from which there is no return.
Cast
Adonis He Fei as Yang Ke
Susan Shaw
Nora Miao
Amanda Lee
Bank Chuang
Eric East
Katashi
Cici Lee
Justin Lim
Alan Tang
Yu Sheng Ting
Production
Although some of the scenes were unmistakably filmed in casinos in Macau, the streets of Hong Kong and temples in Thailand, Thirty Years of Adonis purportedly blurs geographical boundaries by portraying characters speaking different languages and practising different cultures. In addition, the background of the protagonist Ke—born in Shandong and working in a Beijing Opera troupe—further confers a sense of universality upon the social issues the film touches on.
Languages
In the movie, four languages are spoken: Hokkien, Mandarin, Cantonese and English.