A City Of Sadness Analysis

6. A City of Sadness (Hou Hsiao Hsen, 1989)

The script describes the life of Lin family, during the turbulent period from 1945, when the Japanese army withdrew from Taiwan after 51 years, to 1949 and the secession from China. The eldest brother Wen Heung returns from the war and opens a restaurant that names “Little Shanghai” to honor the reunification with China. The second brother, Wen Leung became insane during his tour of duty, and is being treated at the local hospital. Eventually he is released, but due to lack of job offers, he ends up in organized crime. The third one, Wen Shun was stationed in Philippines but is currently missing in action. The youngest, Wen Ching was excluded from recruiting because he is deaf-mute, and is running

7. A Brighter Summer Day (Edward Yang, 1991)

The film is based on a 1961 episode that Edward Yang remembers from his school days, when the 14-year-old son of a civil servant murdered his girlfriend, who was also a member of a teenager gang, in a highly publicized case that led to the first juvenile trial in Taiwan.

The film focuses on Xiao S 'ir and his family, who have emigrated from the mainland in order for the father to pursue a better career due to his political and social connections. However, the new policies of the government during the 60 's leave the father without influence and the family in a an awful social, cultural and financial situations that eventually leads S 'ir to join a teenager gang, named Little Park Boys, who is in a constant territory war with another similar gang named 217.

Eventually S 'ir meets, befriends and falls for Ming, the ex-girlfriend of the leader of a rival gang named Honey, who has gone into hiding after supposedly killing a romantic rival. Despite warning from others for the girl, and his family 's deteriorating situation, S 'ir is determined to save