#163 – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, (卧虎藏龙), 2000, Ang Lee
Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically-skilled, teenage nobleman’s daughter, who is at a crossroads in her life.
JUMBO CACTUAR APPROVED FILM
#180 – A Brighter Summer Day, (牯嶺街少年殺人事件), 1991, Edward Yang
A boy experiences first love, friendships and injustices growing up in 1960s Taiwan.
#332 – A City of Sadness, (悲情城市), 1989, Hou Hsiao-hsien
Soon after Japan relinquishes control of Taiwan in 1945, the Lin brothers face hardships from the changing culture. Bar owner Wen-heung, the eldest brother, falls foul of local gangsters, Wen-sun disappears, and Wen-leung, scarred by his experiences in the war, ends up in an insane asylum. Deaf-mute photographer Wen-ching, the youngest brother, decides to make a stand and fight the Kuomintang government from China that is assuming power.
#469 – Raise the Red Lantern, (大红灯笼高高挂), 1991, Zhang Yimou
China in the 1920s. After her father’s death, 19 year old Songlian is forced to marry the much older lord of a powerful family. With three wives already, each living in a separate house within the great castle, there is fierce competition for his attention and the privileges that are gained. This competition gets out of hand…
#664 – Eat Drink Man Woman, (飲食男女), 1994, Ang Lee
The film tells the story of a retired and widowed Chinese master chef Chu and his family living in modern day Taipei, Taiwan. At the start of the film, he lives with his three attractive daughters, all of whom are unattached. As the film progresses, each of the daughters encounters new men in their lives. When these new relationships blossom, the stereotypes are broken and the living situation within the family changes.. The film features several scenes displaying the techniques and artistry of gourmet Chinese cooking. Since the family members have difficulty expressing their love for each other, the intricate preparation of banquet quality dishes for their Sunday dinners is the surrogate for their familial feelings.
#704 – A Touch of Zen, (俠女), 1970, King Hu
Ming dynasty noblewoman Yang must escape from the evil eunuch Hsu. She seeks refuge at a decrepit town where she gets assistance from a naive scholar & a group of mysterious yet powerful monks.
#746 – The River, (河流), 1997, Tsai Ming-liang
A young man develops severe neck pain after swimming in a polluted river; his dysfunctional parents are unable to provide any relief for him or themselves.
#755 – The Revenant, 2015, Alejandro González Iñárritu
In the 1820s, a frontiersman, Hugh Glass, sets out on a path of vengeance against those who left him for dead after a bear mauling.
JUMBO CACTUAR APPROVED FILM
#882 – Stray Dogs, (郊遊), 2013, Tsai Ming-liang
A father and his two children wander the margins of modern day Taipei, from the woods and rivers of the outskirts to the rain streaked streets of the city. By day the father scrapes out a meager income as a human billboard for luxury apartments, while his young son and daughter roam the supermarkets and malls surviving off free food samples. Each night the family takes shelter in an abandoned building. The father is strangely affected by a hypnotic mural adorning the wall of this makeshift home. On the day of the father’s birthday the family is joined by a woman – might she be the key to unlocking the buried emotions that linger from the past?
#908 – A Time to Live, a Time to Die, (童年往事), 1985, Hou Hsiao-hsien
The semi-autobiographical film on director Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s childhood and adolescence, when he was growing up in Taiwan, living through the deaths of his father, mother and grandmother.
Jumbo Cactuar Film Index 