Yi Yi

*"Do you know what I want to do when I grow up? I want to tell people things that they do not know; show them what they have not seen" * Yi Yi serves as a statement for cinema and art itself: the purpose of art being to help others see what they normally miss, aiding them in their pursuit of understanding the world around us, understanding the people around them, and understanding themselves. We, as subjective individuals, can never fully comprehend purpose and life by ourselves; wisdom only emerges through the acceptance of this fact, and it is only through this acceptance can we grow through love, loss, regret. I usually dislike it when people say that films are "deeply human"; but Yi Yi is one of the only exceptions to this. The characters in this film are phenomenally written, not only how they are written individually, but also how they interact with one another — done through the subtle, but powerful dialogue — ultimately crafting one of the best ensembles ever put on the screen. What is incredible is Edward Yang's ability to juggle an entire extended family's worth of characters, and develop them into the most flawed, yet empathetic people, within a single film. Yang Yang's closing monologue encapsulates the films thesis, and provides the most perfectly crafted anchor to the film's conclusion. Few films understand people this well. We all have something to learn from Yi Yi.