A City of Sadness

1989

2h 38m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

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The story of a family embroiled in the "White Terror," the Kuomintang government's anti-communist political repression that was wrought on the Taiwanese people from 1947-1987.

Directors

Hou Hsiao-hsien

Writers

Wu Nien-jen(writer by)

Chu Tien-Wen(writer by)

Stars

Tony Leung Chiu-wai

Hsin Shu-Fen

Chan Chung-Yung

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Top cast

Wen-Ching

Wu Kuan Mei …

Wen-Heung

Wen Leung

Ah Jia

Ah Lu

Meidai

Mr. Wu

Singer

Mr. Huang

Sister-in-law

Wu Kuan Rong …

Shopkeeper

Concubine

Ah Xue

Sister-in-law

Wu's Father

Shizuko Ogawa

Directors

Hou Hsiao-hsien

Writers

Wu Nien-jen(writer by)

Chu Tien-Wen(writer by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

This film, even at 20 years old, may be the strongest cinematic statement I've ever seen against country "boundaries" and "imperialism". Between the beginning of the 20th century, Chinese people lived in Taiwan under Japanese rule for two generations. By WW II, they were living alongside the Japanese and the remaining (that's another story) indigenous peoples more or less peacefully. The Taiwanese, after two generations, were neither Chinese, nor Japanese, nor indigenous. When Japan lost the war and withdrew, the Chinese government took over with disastrous consequences. THAT is viscerally described in this masterpiece. What's really lost on a white boy like me is the nuances of the dialects. In fact, the reason that Tony Leung is a deaf mute is that he couldn't convincingly speak the Taiwanese dialect! (At least I'm in good company, LOL)

badelf15 Nov, 2021