A BRIGHTER SUMMER DAY

A Brighter Summer Day, which runs for a whopping 237 minutes, is another of these East Asian films that are impossible to put into words because of its vast yet very intimate force. A Brighter Summer Day, directed by the late Edward Yang, one of the most significant directors of the 'Taiwanese New Wave,' was released in 1991 and is based on a terrible murder tale that received extensive publicity in Taiwan during the 1960s. Aside from its compelling narrative, intricate structure, and well-rounded characters, Yang's film is one of the best examples of the 'New Wave' of cinema that emerged around the same time, a movement that combined intense realism with genuine portrayals of Taiwanese people and society, as opposed to the melodramas or action films that had previously been popular.

Loss of childhood innocence, social brutality, Westernisation, loss of identity, authoritarian control, state rebellion: all of this and more is painstakingly woven together in Yang's magnum work. Don't be put off by the length of the film; instead, immerse yourself in it and be taken to another place and time. When it's over, you'll want to watch this sophisticated piece of East Asian cinema again very immediately. It's difficult to believe that a film of this scope and force exists.

Detailed information:

Director: Edward Yang

Writers: Hung Hung, Mingtang Lai, Alex Yang & Edward Yang

Starring: Chang Chen, Lisa Yang, Chang Kuo-Chu, Elaine Jin, Wang Chuan, Chang Han
Release dates: July 27, 1991
Running time: 237 minutes