Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageA Brighter Summer Day (1991)
Director: Edward Yang
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Slow, elliptical, and for the most part understated, Yang's masterly account of growing up in Taiwan at the start of the '60s is as visually elegant as his own Taipei Story and The Terroriser, and as epic in scope as Hou Xiaoxian's City of Sadness (which Yang produced). On the surface, it's about one boy's involvement in gang rivalry and violence (on which level, it's often a little obscure, so numerous are the characters) and his experience of young love. On a deeper level, however, it's about a society in transition and in search of an identity, forever aware of its isolation from mainland China, and increasingly prey to Americanisation. The measured pace may be off-putting, but stay with it - the accumulated wealth of detail invests the unexpected final scenes with enormous, shocking power.Author: GA
Cast & crew
Director: Edward Yang
Producer: Yu Weiyen
Cast: Zhang Zhen, Lisa Yang, Zhang Guozhu, Elaine Jin, Wang Juan, Zhang Han full cast
Duration: 237 mins
Top Stories
Ridley Scott interview
Director Ridley Scott tells Cath Clarke why he's making a science fiction comeback
Cannes Film Festival 2012: half-time report
Dave Calhoun reports on the hits, misses and a shocking new masterpiece from Michael Haneke
What do you think?
Post your review now