Four Moods consisted of four costume drama sections on folklore. “Joy” by BAI Jing-rui, features a stylized guard of ghosts that keep a watchful eye on the movements of reliquary thieves. “Anger” by King HU, reveals the disturbing fate of certain innkeepers who are less than honest with their customers. “Sadness” by LEE Hsing follows the return home of a man whose family has been massacred. “Happiness” by LI Han-hsiang, a water spirit gives up the opportunity to find a possible scapegoat and his kindness is rewarded by God.

It is an omnibus film consisting of four episodes: Joy, Anger, Sadness, Happiness. Based on the original work from Pu Songling, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, which can be considered as “the Chinese version of Korean Scary Tale”. Both LI Han-hsiang’s The Enchanting Shadow (1960) and its remake directed by Cheng Xiaodong, A Chinese Ghost Story (1987), as well as A Touch Of Zen (1971) by King Hu and Painted Skin (2008) by Gordon Chan, are all based on the original work Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio. Joy Directed by Pai Ching-jui, portrays a situation where a man encounters an attractive woman and finds his heart swayed, symbolizing futile desires to possess the unattainable. Angers, the second episode directed by King Hu, is a condensed version of his feature-length martial arts films, such as Dragon Gate Inn (1967) and The Fate Of Lee Khan(1973), depicting various factions in conflict and fighting over the key to the martial arts. The third episode, Sadness directed by Lee Hsing, starts with a man who has spent ten years in prison seeking revenge on his parents’ enemies. However, he realizes that the enemy’s house has been burned down, leaving him with a sense of eerie emptiness as his target for revenge disappears. The fourth episode, Happiness, directed by Li Han-hsiang, incorporates Li Han-hsiang’s dreamy set design and a nostalgic atmosphere, making it a prominent costume drama in Hong Kong’s Shaw Brothers’ repertoire. (JU Sungchul)