Thirty Years of Adonis


Thirty Years of Adonis, is a 2017 film by the Hong Kong film-maker Scud, the production-crediting name of Danny Cheng Wan-Cheung. It is a story of a young man who decides to pursue acting as the Beijing Opera actor, and soon becomes a commercial sex worker for men and women. The movie explores several themes traditionally regarded as 'taboo' in Hong Kong society and features full-frontal male nudity in several scenes. It is the seventh publicly released film by Scud. The six other films are: City Without Baseball in 2008, Permanent Residence in 2009, Amphetamine in 2010, Love Actually... Sucks! in 2011, Voyage in 2013, and Utopians in 2015. The movie features footage from Utopians. The eighth film, Apostles, was made in 2022, as was the ninth, Bodyshop, but neither have yet been released. The tenth and final film, Naked Nations: Hong Kong Tribe, is currently in production.

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

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 Peking 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.