Message from smilanick

[Anonymous]

I viewed Millennium Mambo, a Chinese film made by Hou Hsiao-hsien, partially because the photos on the box drew me in but also because it had won several awards. Sadly I must admit that I might need a second viewing, I don’t feel that I really comprehend the film, followed it yes, really go it, no. It’s a story of a young woman growing up into her own, torn between two men, neither of which is good for her. It is set in modern Taipei. The younger man is a speed freak and has a Chinese name whereas the older one is some type of gangster whose name is Jack. The ending was very abrupt and I’m afraid that I probably missed a lot of subtleties that were in the movie; a lot of questions were left unanswered.
There were several nice components to the film that differ from most commercial films made in the U.S. This film had very little dialogue in comparison to a film in English. Perhaps this is because the language (at least written) characters have their own meanings and make other meanings together. The actors’ expressions and movements told a lot of the story. Additionally the cinematography was really rich, the colors especially. There were many art shots (always a plus), overlays of different colors in scenes, and really good techno pop type music.
There were a couple of instances where Vicky is dealing with people in Japan or on the phone to Japan and she breaks out in broken English, which I found interesting. But again the languages are very different. Also, often the characters sweatshirts or t-shirts were of American things. Vicky (main character) wore an Army sweatshirt; the back of a patron leaving a bar was wearing a Navy Seal shirt. Jack was in a Las Vegas shirt with a tiger on it, and a background person I noticed was in Polo. What does it all means?
I did enjoy the movie and would recommend it. The film itself on an aesthetic level is very beautiful without having any scenic panorama shots. However this is not a film I would show to students in a classroom setting.