I'm conflicted about this movie. Some of it is incredibly well shot and setup perfectly. Other times, it's as much of a statement as it is test of an audience's patience, will, and perseverance.
The story told is one told through what we see on the screen. There's also the story untold or not shown. The story we see is about homelessness - the man and his two kids are expected to survive in a world without a safety net. The woman they meet helps them and provides a stable life. One of the shots that stuck with me is the guy singing a song to the point he's in tears. There's also the infamous "cabbage scene" and the two final scenes near the end where both the man and woman stare at something off-screen.
The story untold is how the man got the job holding a sign in the first place. How bad does the job market have to be where that is the only job for him. Does he lack discernible skills or abilities to be able to work a higher salary? Or does have the skills/abilities but he goes in for interviews and the companies pretty up the reason for not hiring? "We're sorry Mr. _____ but you are not what we are looking for at this time. Thank you for your interest." Then after he leaves the room, "Thank God that's over. That guy smells like &#@! And hasn't showered in months." The apartment complex that hired him doesn't care. "I don't give a &#@! If you are a &#@! Doctor and a &#@! Heart transplant came in! I want you to hold this sign until the end of your shift! Then I might pay you if you actually drum up business!"
When making this film, I wonder how much Tsai Ming-liang knew he would have varied reactions - some people think this is a masterpiece of cinema and some people think this is taking the piss out of arthouse cinema. At times, while watching it, I wondered if both reactions could be true at the same time. I almost wonder if the director was laughing to himself when he went about this. "I'm going to have scenes of people pissing, &#@!ing, eating, have a guy cry in anguish over a head of cabbage, and have two people stare at a wall for closing to 20 minutes."
In some ways, the closest comparison I can make is to Bela Tarr, another director with long movies and long shots. Both Ming-liang and Tarr talk about the desperation and loneliness of the modern world, but in different ways.
This is something else as a movie.
The story told is one told through what we see on the screen. There's also the story untold or not shown. The story we see is about homelessness - the man and his two kids are expected to survive in a world without a safety net. The woman they meet helps them and provides a stable life. One of the shots that stuck with me is the guy singing a song to the point he's in tears. There's also the infamous "cabbage scene" and the two final scenes near the end where both the man and woman stare at something off-screen.
The story untold is how the man got the job holding a sign in the first place. How bad does the job market have to be where that is the only job for him. Does he lack discernible skills or abilities to be able to work a higher salary? Or does have the skills/abilities but he goes in for interviews and the companies pretty up the reason for not hiring? "We're sorry Mr. _____ but you are not what we are looking for at this time. Thank you for your interest." Then after he leaves the room, "Thank God that's over. That guy smells like &#@! And hasn't showered in months." The apartment complex that hired him doesn't care. "I don't give a &#@! If you are a &#@! Doctor and a &#@! Heart transplant came in! I want you to hold this sign until the end of your shift! Then I might pay you if you actually drum up business!"
When making this film, I wonder how much Tsai Ming-liang knew he would have varied reactions - some people think this is a masterpiece of cinema and some people think this is taking the piss out of arthouse cinema. At times, while watching it, I wondered if both reactions could be true at the same time. I almost wonder if the director was laughing to himself when he went about this. "I'm going to have scenes of people pissing, &#@!ing, eating, have a guy cry in anguish over a head of cabbage, and have two people stare at a wall for closing to 20 minutes."
In some ways, the closest comparison I can make is to Bela Tarr, another director with long movies and long shots. Both Ming-liang and Tarr talk about the desperation and loneliness of the modern world, but in different ways.
This is something else as a movie.