[Film] A City of Sadness

Director : Hou
Hsiao-Hsien
Actors :
Leung Chiu Wai, Wou Yi Fang
Country : Taiwan
Run time: 157min

About Hou Hsiao-Hsien's "A City of Sadness" or all his films, many reviewers used to describe his films as "the beauty of abstained form". Here I wanna strongly insist it is wrong. What is the abstained beauty? His outstanding deep-focus and long shot(more stepped back)? In my view, his style like those is because he continually struggle with extenting to out of frame rather than abstaining in frame. In this film, all happenings , which should be shown to audiences, always occur out of frame. For example, Leung Chiu Wai's prison-mates once are called by a jailer. They had adjusted their dirty clothes as if they already know what will happen. Even, Leung Chiu Wai, who can't hear, can feel something from them. A while later, there are 2 sounds of gun. Leung Chiu Wai don't hear it, only audiences can hear it and imagine it. Here, the ones, who connects no-sounds and sounds, or beyond eyeshot and in frame, are an audiences. Like this way, the film is extented towards out of frame carefully, but continually.

Who are existed out of frame?us, audiences. Again, the director is trying to communicate with audiences. Of course, his way is so indirect, not like a direct communication of Woody Allen. His film is going centering around AUDIENCES, not CHRACTERS. Therefore, it has to be stopped to repeat "the abstained beauty" like a parrot. Hou Hsiao-Hsien doesn't worry to communicate with audiences. He continually knock on the door to us. When we communicate with him, his "real film" may start.