Yi Yi

This is the film that had the strongest emotional impact on me. It is impossible for me to watch it without breaking down and crying the whole time, especially the ending! This time I cried more than usual. Perhaps, I just happened to rewatch it at the right time in my life, when I really needed it the most. Or with everything that has changed in my life(for the better!) this summer, I am looking at this film through a different lens than before. I find it so interesting how it contrasts with the rest of Yang's filmography. Most of his other films I have seen have been very angsty and in some cases borderline nihilistic, but with Yi Yi there is an almost zen like understanding of life. It's as if before writing this film, Yang had a sudden realization and understanding of life and what it means. * Yi Yi to me is a hopeful film. I don't go to therapy(although I probably should) instead I rewatch this film whenever I feel lost, sad, or have an existential crisis. There is a sort of profound comfort and beauty to be found in this film. Yang has a deep understanding of life that I have not found anywhere else outside his work(possibly in some Tarkovsky films; Mirror comes to mind), especially in Yi Yi* I could probably write a whole book about this film and what makes it so great, but I think trying to understand it completely will in some ways ruin the emotional connection I have with it. It is a film that I will gladly revisit many more times and will never get tired of it. However, most importantly, it is a film that inspires me to go out and make beautiful art. I am simply stunned by the realization that art this great and beautiful exists. It makes me believe that life is also beautiful. Truly, without a doubt, one of the best films ever made.