After viewing Battles Without Honor and Humanity: The Complete Saga (1980-also reviewed) and wrapping up the Battles movies box set,I decided it was the perfect time to open the Hsiao-Hsien Hou box set again.
View on the film:
Despite oddly skipping over his second released film (copyright issues?) Masters Of Cinema present a terrific transfer which retains the rustic colour pallet on the print, with a smooth soundtrack.
Reuniting with the film maker after Cute Girl (1980-also reviewed) Pop star Kenny Bee reels in the exaggerated, annoying mannerism of the past, for a nicely understated turn as Da-Nian, who entering the small countryside village as a outsider from the big city (a major recurring theme of the film maker) brings with him a empathetic outlook on the troubled young boys in the school, and a compassion towards teaching the kids and their parents on how not to damage the environment they inhabit.
In his last solo writing credit of this era, the screenplay by writer/directing auteur Hsiao-Hsien Hou continues to tread in the gurning Comedy of his first film with a child placing their own poo in a fridge, (thankfully no close-ups) but starts to signal the taking of a more mature direction.
Hou opens up Da-Nian from his learning about the troubles the parents of his students are facing,that swims towards a theatrical (Hou's daughter Yun-hua appears on stage near the end) ecological message about not damaging the countryside,as the big city brings the changes in off the tracks.
Reuniting with his regular cinematographer of this period Kun-Hou Chen, Hou makes a superb progression in the building of his major recurring motifs,cutting the brash colours of Cute Girl for a more naturalistic atmosphere. Hou sits in the classroom for long takes of static camera moves listening in on Da-Nian's bonding with the students, until Hou releases a final mesmerising shot that places Da-Nian back on the tracks back to the green grass of home.
View on the film:
Despite oddly skipping over his second released film (copyright issues?) Masters Of Cinema present a terrific transfer which retains the rustic colour pallet on the print, with a smooth soundtrack.
Reuniting with the film maker after Cute Girl (1980-also reviewed) Pop star Kenny Bee reels in the exaggerated, annoying mannerism of the past, for a nicely understated turn as Da-Nian, who entering the small countryside village as a outsider from the big city (a major recurring theme of the film maker) brings with him a empathetic outlook on the troubled young boys in the school, and a compassion towards teaching the kids and their parents on how not to damage the environment they inhabit.
In his last solo writing credit of this era, the screenplay by writer/directing auteur Hsiao-Hsien Hou continues to tread in the gurning Comedy of his first film with a child placing their own poo in a fridge, (thankfully no close-ups) but starts to signal the taking of a more mature direction.
Hou opens up Da-Nian from his learning about the troubles the parents of his students are facing,that swims towards a theatrical (Hou's daughter Yun-hua appears on stage near the end) ecological message about not damaging the countryside,as the big city brings the changes in off the tracks.
Reuniting with his regular cinematographer of this period Kun-Hou Chen, Hou makes a superb progression in the building of his major recurring motifs,cutting the brash colours of Cute Girl for a more naturalistic atmosphere. Hou sits in the classroom for long takes of static camera moves listening in on Da-Nian's bonding with the students, until Hou releases a final mesmerising shot that places Da-Nian back on the tracks back to the green grass of home.