Also Like Life- The films of Hou Hsiou-hsien
Went to Cinematheque to watch Taiwanese director- Hou Hsiao-hsien's film last night. The film I saw was- A Time to Live and A Time to Die, which was filmed as a autobiography of Hou. As an exchange student from Taiwan, It was a surprise to see Taiwanese films in such a foreign country.
The film was launched in 1985, an old time back then. The film was in a special period of Taiwanese history, when the Chinese National Party was defeated by Communist Part of China during the Chinese Civil War. A lot of people were moving to Taiwan accompanying the vanquished troops fleeting to the Island. Hou was born in that time. Through the movie, we could see how those small characters, those who live in that rural area of Taiwan, had their lives, values, and childhoods interwoven and influenced so intimately and uniquelly in such historically unique period. The language,the scenes, the atmosphere, the people, the color of lives were smoothly connected and collided to depict the common memories shared by the people in that era.
Also, as the title of the film, the film showed how death can be viewed as an important issues in one's growth. Hou faced death of his beloved family members 3 times over his childhood. Every time one died, it seemed that the reality, the serious life experience, the bitterness of lose was forcing him to grow mature. We could see the different reaction when he realized the death of his beloved. Each death of his beloved indicated the next stage of life, which he was obliged to move on, to live. That was his childhood, his growth.
I have seen several works of Hou's in my home country. ("Three times", 風櫃來的人,etc) I love the atmosphere composed by those tranquil shots, especially in those pieces about the old times. It was so tender and full of details that it seemed to seal all that particular memories and atmosphere of that particular time, which was incredible. It definitely worth recommendation. :)