looney tunes

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

miércoles, 14 de noviembre de 2012

811. beiqing chengshi/A City of Sadness (1989)

Posted on 14:58 by Unknown

Running Time: 157 minutes
Directed By: Hsiao-hsien Hou
Written By: T'ien-wen Chu, Nien-Jen Wu
Main Cast: Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Sung Young Chen, Jack Kao, Xin Shufen, Wu Yi-Fang
Click here to view the trailer

HOU HSIAO-HSIEN HAT TRICK: PART TWO OF THREE

Well it's taken me a few days to get back here, but finally I've made it and am ready to bring you the second installment in the "HOU Hat Trick". Normally, this is the time in the season where I start moving at rapid speed, but I'm not there yet, so bear with me.


"A City of Sadness" is set in Taiwan, during a transition period in the governmental status and something known as the "White Terror". The film centers around three brothers: the deaf photographer Wen-ching (Leung), Wen-leung (Kao), who is back from the war and insane and Wen-heung (Chen), the eldest. There is also a fourth brother, Wen-Sun, whom we only hear about, as he was lost in the Philippines during the war. There's also a man character in the form of a nurse named Hinomi (Shufen), who befriends Wen-ching, ultimately falling in love with him. There's also a side-plot which shows Wen-leung recuperating from his madness, only to be lured into a life of organized crime.

You know what, I'm just going to leave it at that, because I'll be damned if I could make heads or tails of this movie. It's really hard for me to admit when I just can't understand what's going on in a movie, even though I really tried to make sense of it all. In fact, I started "A City of Sadness" on Sunday night, but could only make it to the thirty minute mark. When I sat down to resume on Monday night, I decided to re-start at the beginning, fearing I was too tired and may have missed key elements. I really tried, RINGO!! You know what the real disappointing thing is though - not that I simply didn't like the movie, a movie that is supposed to be "must see" - but the fact that EVERYTHING, aside from the plot, was spot on. The music, the acting, the cinematography and not only the cinematography, but I love how Hou leaves his camera stationary, making us feel like onlookers to the story. Literally EVERYTHING else about "A City of Sadness, besides the plot, was perfect, I kid you not. Take one of my favorite movie's "Sideways", for instance. Lets say that instead of taking a scandalous trip through wine country, Jack and Miles were instead, caught up in a military coup, struggling for their freedom and all that jazz. If I left the theater after watching THAT version of "Sideways", I'm sure I'd be saying, "Why couldn't they have just driven through wine country, had some affairs and learned a few lessons?" That's what "A City of Sadness" was like. I just wished we could've examined these characters in more relatable situations, other than historical and political importances that I have no prior knowledge of.


On a side note, the Taiwanese people (and probably the Japanese too) have a very fascinating way of drinking tea. I don't know what they're doing, but it involves pouring water (presumably water) from a large tea pot into a basin and then pouring tea from a tiny tea pot into tea cups. It's all very fascinating and while we're on the subject, if I'm ever rich, I want a Japanese style house! I have an insatiable desire to eat while sitting Indian style and still be sitting at the table! Oh and if I get the Japanese house, you're all invited, but please...please leave your shoes at the doorstep!


RATING: 5.5/10  I probably shouldn't even go that high, but like I said, everything else was so spot on, that I can hardly give it a below average rating. At this point, I'm really not looking forward to "The Puppet Master".

MOVIES WATCHED: 577
MOVIES LEFT TO WATCH: 424

November 14, 2012  5:56pm

Enviar por correo electrónicoEscribe un blogCompartir en XCompartir con Facebook
Posted in Hsiao-hsien Hou | No comments
Entrada más reciente Entrada antigua Inicio

0 comentarios:

Publicar un comentario

Suscribirse a: Enviar comentarios (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • SINS OF OMISSION - Entry #6: Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)
    Running Time: 137 minutes Directed By: Quentin Tarantino Written By: Quentin Tarantino Main Cast: Uma Thurman, David Carradine, Michael ...
  • 648. Die Blechtrommel/The Tin Drum (1979)
    Running Time: 142 minutes Directed By: Volker Schlondorff Written By: Jean-Claude Carriere, Gunter Grass, Franz Seitz, Volker Schlondorff, f...
  • 637. Days of Heaven (1978)
    Running Time: 95 minutes Directed By: Terrence Malick Written By: Terrence Malick Main Cast: Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Lin...
  • 737. Manhunter (1986)
    Running Time: 121 minutes Directed By: Michael Mann Written By: Michael Mann, from the novel Red Dragon by Thomas Harris Main Cast: Willi...
  • 17 Hours
    COMING SOON
  • 793. Rain Man (1988)
    Running Time: 133 minutes Directed By: Barry Levinson Written By: Ronald Bass, Barry Morrow Main Cast: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise, Valeri...
  • 514. Little Big Man (1970)
    Running Time: 139 minutes Directed By: Arthur Penn Written By: Calder Willingham, from novel by Thomas Berger Main Cast: Dustin Hoffman, F...
  • 636. GREASE (1978)
    Running Time: 110 minutes Directed By: Randal Kleiser Written By: Bronte Woodard, Allan Carr, from musical by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey ...
  • 880. Satantango (1994)
    Running Time: 432 minutes Directed By: Bela Tarr Written By: Bela Tarr, from novel by Laszlo Krasznahorkai Main Cast: Mihaly Vig, Putyi H...
  • FULLER HAT TRICK - Coming Soon

Categories

  • Abbas Kiarostami
  • Abel Ferrara
  • Abel Gance
  • Abraham Polonsky
  • Adrian Lyne
  • Agnes Varda
  • Agnieszka Holland
  • Aki Kaurismaki
  • Akira Kurosawa
  • Alain Resnais
  • Albert Lewin
  • Alejandro Amenabar
  • Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu
  • Alexander Hammid
  • Allan Dwan
  • Amos Gitai
  • Amy Heckerling
  • Andre Bonzel
  • Andre Techine
  • Andy Warhol
  • Anh-Hung Tran
  • Anthony Mann
  • Anthony Minghella
  • Arthur Penn
  • Atom Egoyan
  • Barbara Loden
  • Barry Levinson
  • Baz Luhrmann
  • Bela Tarr
  • Benoit Poelvoorde
  • Bernardo Bertolucci
  • Bill Forsyth
  • Billy Wilder
  • Bobby Farrelly
  • Brian De Palma
  • Bruce Conner
  • Bruce Robinson
  • Bryan Singer
  • Budd Boetticher
  • Cameron Crowe
  • Carol Reed
  • Cecil B. DeMille
  • Charles Crichton
  • Charles Laughton
  • Chris Marker
  • Chris Noonan
  • Claire Denis
  • Claude Chabrol
  • Claude Lanzmann
  • Daniele Huillet
  • Danny Boyle
  • Darren Aronofsky
  • David Fincher
  • David Lean
  • David Lynch
  • David O. Russell
  • David Zucker
  • Delbert Mann
  • Dennis Hopper
  • Denys Arcand
  • Don Siegel
  • Edgar Morin
  • Edgar Wright
  • Edward Yang
  • Edward Zwick
  • Elem Klimov
  • Elia Kazan
  • Emir Kusturica
  • Eric Rohmer
  • Fatih Akin
  • Fernando Meirelles
  • Francesco Rosi
  • Francis Ford Coppola
  • Frank Borzage
  • Frank Capra
  • Frank Miller
  • Frank Tashlin
  • Gavin Hood
  • Geoff Murphy
  • Geoffrey Wright
  • George A. Romero
  • George Cukor
  • George Kuchar
  • George Lucas
  • George Miller
  • George Sluizer
  • Germaine Dulac
  • Gillian Armstrong
  • Giuseppe Tornatore
  • Glauber Rocha
  • Godfrey Reggio
  • Gordon Parks
  • Guillermo del Toro
  • Gus Van Sant
  • Guy Maddin
  • Hal Ashby
  • Hal Hartley
  • Hany Abu-Assad
  • Hark Tsui
  • Harry Smith
  • Hayao Miyazaki
  • Henri-Georges Clouzot
  • Herbert J. Biberman
  • Howard Hawks
  • Hsiao-hsien Hou
  • Hugh Hudson
  • Ida Lupino
  • Irvin Kershner
  • Irving Rapper
  • Isao Takahata
  • Jack Arnold
  • Jack Smith
  • Jackie Chan
  • Jacques Becker
  • Jacques Demy
  • Jacques Rivette
  • Jacques Tourneur
  • Jafar Panahi
  • James Benning
  • James Cameron
  • James Ivory
  • James L. Brooks
  • Jean Cocteau
  • Jean Eustache
  • Jean Renoir
  • Jean Rouch
  • Jean Vigo
  • Jean-Daniel Pollet
  • Jean-Marie Straub
  • Jean-Pierre Jeunet
  • Jerry Zucker
  • Jerzy Skolimowski
  • Jim Abrahams
  • Jim Jarmusch
  • Joel Coen
  • John Dahl
  • John Ford
  • John Frankenheimer
  • John Halas
  • John Hughes
  • John Huston
  • John McNaughton
  • John Sayles
  • John Singleton
  • John Sturges
  • John Woo
  • Jonathan Demme
  • Joris Ivens
  • Joseph H. Lewis
  • Joseph L. Mankiewicz
  • Joy Batchelor
  • Julian Schnabel
  • Kaige Chen
  • Katia Lund
  • Katsuhiro Otomo
  • Ken Jacobs
  • Kim Ki-young
  • Kira Muratova
  • Krzysztof Kieslowski
  • Larisa Shepitko
  • Lars von Trier
  • Laurence Olivier
  • Lee Kresel
  • Leslie Arliss
  • Louis Malle
  • Luc Besson
  • Luchino Visconti
  • Luis Bunuel
  • Luis Puenzo
  • M. Night Shyamalan
  • Marc Caro
  • Marcel Camus
  • Marcel Carne
  • Marcel Ophuls
  • Marcel Pagnol
  • Marco Tullio Giordana
  • Marguerite Duras
  • Mario Bava
  • Mark Robson
  • Marleen Gorris
  • Marlon Riggs
  • Martin Brest
  • Martin Scorsese
  • Maurice Pialat
  • Max Ophuls
  • Maya Deren
  • Mel Gibson
  • Melvin Van Peebles
  • Michael Curtiz
  • Michael Mann
  • Michael Tolkin
  • Michael Wadleigh
  • Mike Leigh
  • Mike Newell
  • Mike Nichols
  • Mikheil Kalatozishvili
  • Miklos Jancso
  • Milos Forman
  • Mohsen Makhmalbaf
  • Monte Hellman
  • Nanni Moretti
  • Neil Jordan
  • Nicholas Ray
  • Nicholas Roeg
  • Nick Broomfield
  • Norman Z. McLeod
  • Nuri Bilge Ceylan
  • Oliver Hirschbiegel
  • Oliver Stone
  • Orson Welles
  • Otto Preminger
  • Ousmane Sembene
  • P.J. Hogan
  • Paolo Taviani
  • Paul Auster
  • Paul Schrader
  • Paul Thomas Anderson
  • Paul Verhoeven
  • Pedro Almodovar
  • Peter Farrelly
  • Peter Greenaway
  • Peter Weir
  • Peter Yates
  • Quentin Tarantino
  • Radu Mihaileanu
  • Randal Kleiser
  • Raoul Walsh
  • Raul Ruiz
  • Remy Belvaux
  • Rene Clement
  • Richard Donner
  • Richard Marquand
  • Ridley Scott
  • Rob Minkoff
  • Robert Altman
  • Robert Hamer
  • Robert Rodriguez
  • Robert Siodmak
  • Robert Zemeckis
  • Roberto Rossellini
  • Roger Allers
  • Roland Emmerich
  • Roland Joffe
  • Ron Shelton
  • Ross McElwee
  • Russ Meyer
  • Sam Peckinpah
  • Samuel Fuller
  • Scott Hicks
  • Sean Penn
  • Sergei M. Eisenstein
  • Shirley Clarke
  • Shohei Imamura
  • Siu-Tung Ching
  • Souleymane Cisse
  • Spike Jonze
  • Spike Lee
  • Stan Winston
  • Stanley Kramer
  • Stanley Kubrick
  • Stanley Kwan
  • Stephan Elliott
  • Sydney Pollack
  • Terrence Malick
  • Terry Gilliam
  • Terry Zwigoff
  • Theo Angelopoulos
  • Thorold Dickinson
  • Tian Zhuangzhuang
  • Tobe Hooper
  • Todd Haynes
  • Todd Solondz
  • Tom Tykwer
  • Tony Scott
  • Victor Sjostrom
  • Vincent Gallo
  • Vincente Minnelli
  • Vittorio De Sica
  • Vittorio Taviani
  • Volker Schlondorff
  • Warren Beatty
  • Wayne Wang
  • Wes Anderson
  • Wes Craven
  • William A. Wellman
  • William Friedkin
  • William Wyler
  • Wim Wenders
  • Wolf Rilla
  • Wolfgang Becker
  • Wolfgang Petersen
  • Wong Kar-Wai
  • Woody Allen
  • Yash Chopra
  • Yasujiro Ozu
  • Yimou Zhang
  • Youssef Chahine
  • Zack Snyder

Blog Archive

  • ►  2014 (78)
    • ►  julio (13)
    • ►  junio (2)
    • ►  mayo (2)
    • ►  abril (6)
    • ►  marzo (16)
    • ►  febrero (22)
    • ►  enero (17)
  • ►  2013 (219)
    • ►  diciembre (7)
    • ►  noviembre (23)
    • ►  octubre (23)
    • ►  septiembre (22)
    • ►  agosto (18)
    • ►  julio (7)
    • ►  junio (10)
    • ►  mayo (23)
    • ►  abril (26)
    • ►  marzo (35)
    • ►  febrero (20)
    • ►  enero (5)
  • ▼  2012 (203)
    • ►  diciembre (10)
    • ▼  noviembre (36)
      • 671. Gallipoli (1981)
      • Wilder Week - COMING SOON
      • 159. The Man in Grey (1943)
      • 594. Deewaar/The Wall (1975)
      • 810. The Unbelievable Truth (1989)
      • Wilder Week - COMING SOON
      • 725. Out of Africa (1985)
      • 806. GLORY (1989)
      • 685. TOOTSIE (1982)
      • Wilder Week - COMING SOON
      • 732. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
      • 712. Paris, Texas (1984)
      • 627. CEDDO (1977)
      • Let's take each other's hand as we jump into the F...
      • Wilder Week - COMING SOON
      • 195. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
      • 699. Le dernier combat/The Last Battle (1983)
      • 793. Rain Man (1988)
      • Wilder Week - COMING SOON
      • 764. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
      • 720. The Natural (1984)
      • 687. DINER (1982)
      • 859. Hsimeng jensheng/The Puppetmaster (1993)
      • 723. Idi i smotri/Come and See (1985)
      • 729. BRAZIL (1985)
      • 811. beiqing chengshi/A City of Sadness (1989)
      • 728. Tong nien wang shi/The Time to Live and the T...
      • LEVINSON WEEK - The Last Big Event of the Season
      • 787. Hotaru no Haka/Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
      • 782. Hotel Terminus: Klaus Barbie et son temps/Hot...
      • 873. Natural Born Killers (1994)
      • 838. JFK (1991)
      • 903. FARGO (1996)
      • 753. Salvador (1986)
      • October 2012 Recap
      • 851. Yuen Ling-yuk/The Actress (1992)
    • ►  octubre (32)
    • ►  septiembre (28)
    • ►  agosto (17)
    • ►  julio (17)
    • ►  junio (33)
    • ►  mayo (30)
Con la tecnología de Blogger.

Datos personales

Unknown
Ver todo mi perfil