Just finished this beautiful movie. It is really special and I think a whole class at a university could dissect and analyze this movie. For as long as an associate’s. I’m definitely not going to do it justice here. It’s amazing. All 2 hours and 45 min. Weird to say, but I actually felt like I wanted more. Not in story because it’s so perfect, but in the realistic world, and with the beautiful cinematography and compelling creativity and direction. It’s like a peek into Taiwan as a Taiwanese. I felt transported. I really started crying when Mr. Ota, sure he was being manipulated, told NJ, his new friend by chance, that unlike his business partners, he was a good man. I sobbed. He had this chin movement that was so good. It was so simple, it came out of a magic trick, and it was smart and deep and dramatic. It’s a beautiful moment. NJ, one of the leads, is attempting to be a good man. His meeting with Mr. Ota comes right after he rejects an old girlfriend of his, who flies to Japan to be with NJ while on this business trip. Sherry, this girlfriend and first love wants to divorce her husband in Chicago and rekindle their relationship. Their scenes before Mr. Ota’s meeting are heart breaking. NJ, convinced he’s never loved anyone other than her, hesitates in recommitting to Sherry. Their scenes prior are dates, they share memories and are deeply intimate with each other. There’s moments when they share their frustrations with each other about what went wrong and the shots are impeccable. The set up is simple, the staging is simple, but the effect is magnificent. Its moving, its special, idk I don’t have any more words that match what this movie is. This movie does what feels impossible, it gives me the dream state feel of imagining life itself as a poetic experience. But its not a surreal or dream-like movie. It makes small moments feel big just like small moments feel big in everyday life. The poetry of real life. You ever seen two old friends hug or show affection, like at an airport or something, and then your heart feels funny? It’s like the movie’s doing that for 3 hours.
It’s a little psychedelic. There’s a shot of just clouds while we hear the sounds of a plane, but are never shown one nor do we see an airport. And then we see NJ back home and like that, we know he’s travelled. The entire pace of it feels poetic. Like something is always being communicated and the movie is wise enough not to force my attention. In this way, it drew me in closer, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. I kept wanting to see things and characters and colors and the world in 2000. Its insane. Really it’s just a profound piece of movie achievement. To think that someone could come up with this, figure out how to shoot it, how to craft what happens and where, it really feels impossible to behold because watching was extremely satisfying and enjoyable. In the way that the bible is. It’s comforting on a soulful level to know there is art out there that’s this magnetic and philosophical and real. To know there are artists on the other side of the planet who were passionate enough to dedicate themselves to putting big ideas into movie format. Without speaking the language, and even while I relied on subtitles, I felt sure that something overwhelming was being translated to me. There’s a death/dream sequence with the Grandmother and it is spiritual in a way thats so sweet, it feels at that point in the movie (close to the end) like just another fold into the many layers of humanity that fill up the heart while watching. Its that good. To think this was the director’s last movie is sad, but also cosmic. I’m not trying to be funny, but if you make something as ineffable, magical, and perfect, then you should graduate to the highest honor a God or the Gods can allow you. Edward Yang gave us this movie and is awarded with a key to heaven. That would make sense.
He passed from Colon Cancer in 2007. That’s scary, that’s one I think I heard is painful. I think the other thing about this movie is it makes me think that life is precious and we don’t always get a second chance. But, it’s not just that. This movie is holding my hand and pointing gently to beauty. There’s a line about movies showing humans that humans are beautiful, just like we see trees and flowers and think they’re beautiful. I butchered it. Anyway. I started watching this as a side quest for a play I’m working on and I have some process questions I want to journal about. The scenes with the kids are awesome and you wonder how he got so much earnestness from them. They all feel vulnerable and real. The little girl has a crying scene with her grandmother that just tears you to pieces. She asks “What did I do wrong? This isn’t fair. Is it because I didn’t take out the trash for you?” (Not an actual quote) And she looks 13. Its powerful. I remember someone on criterion saying that this movie is also the directors nod to his own love for pictures and movies. It’s like a little gold nugget in there to look for. With the boy’s creative picture taking, and then when he has a moment in the theater with a girl and he sees her in front of these incredible projections of clouds. This movie is something else man. I thought about my character as a kid and how he would have seen his family.
