without question the most contemplative film i have ever seen. you cant help but think through the lens of Kang, feeling his emotions, thinking from his perspective, its so unbelievably brilliant and genius, how Tsai Ming-liang was able to create this work of art is beyond me.
as soon as i saw this film had 0 dialogue, if im being honest, i got so excited. im decently well acquainted with films like ‘Nostos: The Return’ or some silent era films that like this movie, rely entirely on sequences, imagery, acting, cinematography, and color to portray the story rather than words, and this film perfected such a strategy in every regard. you would think it struggles to immerse the viewer but its quite the opposite, the lack of dialogue almost forces you to be extremely attentive, focusing on every facial expression and subtle nuance of every scene. the loneliness, the therapeutic consideration of every frame, the monotonous relatability, you get so locked in you almost enter a trance like state, living vicariously through the protagonist. it watches like a series of memories, shaped not by how they transpired, but how your mind has transformed them to fit a narrative, a narrative that reflects your current emotions and how you think of yourself.
i could not be more impressed, this is now the 3rd film of TML’s that has shattered the way i think about every facet of cinema and human expression as a whole. its hard to imagine a more perfect conclusion to a career.
without question the most contemplative film i have ever seen. you cant help but think through the lens of Kang, feeling his emotions, thinking from his perspective, its so unbelievably brilliant and genius, how Tsai Ming-liang was able to create this work of art is beyond me.
as soon as i saw this film had 0 dialogue, if im being honest, i got so excited. im decently well acquainted with films like ‘Nostos: The Return’ or some silent era films that like this movie, rely entirely on sequences, imagery, acting, cinematography, and color to portray the story rather than words, and this film perfected such a strategy in every regard. you would think it struggles to immerse the viewer but its quite the opposite, the lack of dialogue almost forces you to be extremely attentive, focusing on every facial expression and subtle nuance of every scene. the loneliness, the therapeutic consideration of every frame, the monotonous relatability, you get so locked in you almost enter a trance like state, living vicariously through the protagonist. it watches like a series of memories, shaped not by how they transpired, but how your mind has transformed them to fit a narrative, a narrative that reflects your current emotions and how you think of yourself.
i could not be more impressed, this is now the 3rd film of TML’s that has shattered the way i think about every facet of cinema and human expression as a whole. its hard to imagine a more perfect conclusion to a career.
