• The story of a dysfunctional family – certainly the same voice as 1992’s debut Rebels of the Neon God.  It begins with Kang-sheng Lee (I believe in all of Ming-liang Tsai’s films) asked to pretend to drown in the river for a movie. There is so much time spent fussing over this mannequin—part of Ming-liang Tsai’s critique—fakery, this is not what real life is supposed to be. There is no genuine human interaction in this world. He develops an almost existential neck injury if you will (feels like the kind of unhealthy we get in Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s films or Todd Haynes’ Safe– this is three years after Safe but five before Blissfully Yours)—he then goes to many different places (religion, acupuncture, chiropractor) to get it fixed
  • Ming-liang Tsai’s third film, longer takes and more of a static camera than Rebels of a Neon God. Hou Hsiao-Hsien (who is an Ozu acolyte himself) feels like an important director to Ming-liang Tsai. This is deliberately paced.
  • These characters are in siloed silence—cleaning alone, eating alone (even when in a group at McDonalds), ironing, living parallel lives—almost like Roy Andersson’s depressed zombies (this is three years prior to Songs from the Second Floor)—even a few shots of people sitting sadly on the edge of their bed
  • The mother watches porn but it is simulated living- no passion
  • The leaky roof/water as parable/metaphor— just like the neck and just like the apartment with the standing water in Neon God. Disharmony — and it isn’t without a few laughs like the poor dad getting fed up with the leak and the scene of him holding his son’s head riding the motorbike.

it isn’t without a few laughs like the poor dad getting fed up with the leak and the scene of him holding his son’s head riding the motorbike

  • This isn’t a major strength of the film unfortunately but a few very nice set frames like the mastershot of the temple framed by the bricks at 73 minutes – another one just prior at 65 minutes—a shot Hou Hsiao-Hsien would be proud of as the father brings in medicine to the soon and they are framed through the door to his bedroom

mastershot of the temple framed by the bricks at 73 minutes

  • The final frame is a stunner as well- happy to find it here- held for a very long time- which I love when the frame looks like this

The final frame is a stunner as well- happy to find it here- held for a very long time- which I love when the frame looks like this

  • Recommend/ Highly Recommend border