Slow but powerful metaphor for Taiwan's growing pains. I wish Yang had taken some time to introduce the characters more properly but things do eventually make sense and the development of the lead character is very interesting and culminates wonderfully.

"A Brighter Summer Day is itself in color, but it may as well be monochrome." - Ed Gonzalez

The film captures the social malaise, corruption, and violent deliquency amongst 1960's Taiwanese youth near perfectly. The story arcs all revolve around a notorious juvenile murder which gives the film a somewhat fatalistic bent. This was an ambitious film but the length and glacial pace is certainly one of its weak points. Yang's style is a bit impenetrable because it requires some knowledge of Taiwanese culture and history to begin with. Still an excellent film.

Can't wait for the [alleged] Criterion release.

#425

There may be murder at its crescendo, but this film is about growing up in a world that doesn't make sense, a world where John Wayne isn't there to save the day. Yang's camera lingers, slowing the film to allow the atmosphere take over the screen in the same way it is taking over the characters. These characters are melancholic, but rather than condemn them for their faults Yang simply reflects upon them, and more often than not finds remarkable depth pooling beneath the surface.

# 535

A complex ,but at the same time down-to-earth story exploring the struggle of (and for) identity in Taiwan. I like the idea and the execution, but I didn't find it particulary involving, and I fear it is because of the poor transfer and horrible subtitles on the version I saw. I had a hard time telling the many different characters apart, and I believe the bad technical quality may have contributed to that. Apparently a Criterion treatment is on its way, looking forward to that.

Needs rewatch.

Like most of Yang's stuff this is a movie that's more talked about than seen (though this and Yi Yi are the only ones I've liked). It's an epic based on Yang's childhood about kids forming gangs in post-civil war Communist China, and it is immersive to an incredible degree. And even though I don't really like Hsiao-hsien Hou's movies so far I'm excited for A City of Sadness, which is (from what I hear) a historical prequel. They'd make for a good marathon, if you had eight odd hours to spare.

440

520

Boring.

There's a lot of dead spots, and even when things are happening it often feels unnecessary. One problem is that there's too many characters, so you need the extra time just to figure out who's who, who knows who, who's dating who, etc. The last hour is very good, though. The character arcs are intriguing, as are the parallels between the adolescent world and the adult world.