Yi Yi
“Life is a mixture of sad and happy things. Movies are so lifelike, that’s why we love them”
When we refer to spectacle, it is typically in the sense of amazement through grand imagery. Yet, Yi Yi is one of the best examples of spectacle I’ve ever seen despite the fact that it is grounded in daily life. It’s a slice-of-life film that achieves a sense of grandeur through the accumulation of the ordinary, creating immense philosophical and emotional weight. You spend the majority of the film watching a family go through their personal struggles, each defined by their generation and need for growth. It creates a fictional world that feels just as real as reality because, in the end, every situation could very well be someone’s reality. By the end, I honestly felt like I had experienced a lifetime of memories from every individual within the family due to the film’s ability to fully flesh out each character. You progress through the film learning new things that connect back to conversations that seemed unimportant earlier on. It is meticulously crafted in a way that forces you to experience everything, to the point where it doesn’t feel crazy for the lines between fiction and reality to begin blurring.
Outside of the narrative itself, the cinematography enhances the film immensely. Every shot feels like it could be an art piece in itself. The color is eye-catching, yet never to the point where you lose focus. It finds the perfect balance between a gorgeous color palette and realistic tones. The shots are also composed in a way that does much of the heavy lifting within the narrative. We are allowed to watch the characters’ actions over long stretches, revealing the deeper layers of who they are. It also creates an atmosphere where we feel like we are observing not just the characters, but the city itself. We are made to feel small on purpose in order to create a sense of normalcy, allowing us to better relate to the characters. It’s one of the greatest examples of cinematic storytelling and a reminder that, without it, a film can never truly be great.
I also believe this film is quite possibly life-changing for me. I’m at a point in my life where I’m entering adulthood and need to start becoming a contributing member of society. Because of that, I have an idea of what my life will be like going forward, but I’m aware that my imagination can never be truly accurate. The reality is that adults fail at their responsibilities and sometimes destroy lives in the process. It’s almost like questioning your own mortality, except instead you’re questioning whether you could ever live up to the standards of others and yourself. I don’t believe this is the film’s main point, but for me it is an interpretation that has definitely hit me hard. It allowed me to understand that even when I reach the lowest points in my life, I can still find a way out.
To me, the film’s main idea is an internal battle under the belief that our lives are empty. It reflects the way routine slowly strips us of any real sense of existence, and how finally recognizing that truth can destroy us. It also emphasizes the cycle of life, with many scenes pointing toward the idea that every generation is thrown into the machine of civilization, which continues functioning through the same routines that cause people to lose themselves. It feels like melting away into the mixing pot of city life that intertwines every character in the story. It mixes everything good and everything bad into one mold that we fit into and call life. It’s a beautiful reflection of humanity, and the loss of it in the modern age, presented in a way that feels deeply personal.
Overall, this film is undoubtedly a masterpiece. No director has ever made the casualness of daily life feel so thrilling before, and I’m blown away by the quality of Edward Yang’s direction here. In all honesty, I don’t know what you could possibly do to make this film any better. Every shot is intentional and works wonders while also providing narrative depth that carries tremendous emotional weight. You’re forced to experience this film not from a purely character-driven perspective, but through the lens of a spectator. We collect information and interpret it in whatever way we choose, giving the story meaning that relates to us personally. The characters are never fully defined, instead leaving room for us to fill in the gaps ourselves and form that connection. It’s a complete mastery of the art form in the way it uses every possible aspect of filmmaking to perfect the cohesion between all of its parts. Everything builds upon everything else so perfectly that even the most mundane moments become engaging. It’s truly breathtaking in the most grounded way possible, and an example of how any movie can become great when crafted with enough care by a truly great director. This is undoubtedly one of the greatest films I’ve ever seen, and one that I believe truly changed my outlook on life.