Gu ling jie shao nian sha ren shi jian (1991)

Director:

Edward Yang

Writers:

Hung Hung (writer)
Mingtang Lai (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

22 April 1992 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot Keywords:

Baseball Bat | Katana | Title Based On Song | Night School | Teen

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Chen Chang	...	Xiao Si'r (Zhang Zhen) (as Zhen Zhang)
Lisa Yang	...	Ming (Liu Zhiming)
Guozhu Zhang	...	Father
Elaine Jin	...	Mother
Juan Wang	...	Eldest Sister
Han Chang	...	Elder Brother (as Han Zhang)
Hsiu-Chiung Chiang	...	Middle Sister
Fanyun Lai	...	Youngest Sister
Wong Chi Zan	...	Cat (Wang Mao) (as Wang Qizan)
Yue-Lin Ko	...	Airplane (Ji Fei) (as Ke Yulun)
Zhigang Tan	...	Ma
Mingxin Zhang	...	Underpants (Mingxin)
Junlong Rong	...	Sex Bomb (Zhang Bowen)
Huiguo Zhou	...	Tiger (Xiao Hu)
Qingqi Liu	...	Hefty (Da Ge)
Qingxiang He	...	Animal (Mao Shou)
Changda Cai	...	Tiger's Buddy
Zhongming Li	...	Tiger's Buddy
Xiaocui Tang	...	Jade (Xiao Cui)
Mingying Jiang	...	Jade's Girlfriend
Hongming Lin	...	Honey
Zongzheng Wang	...	Deuce
Hongyu Chen	...	Sly (Huatou)
Tianxiang Yang	...	Worm (Qiuying)
Xiaowei Liao	...	Gang Member
Zhengqing Lin	...	Gang Member
Mingxun Li	...	Gang Member
Taisong Chen	...	Gang Member
Minghzi Li	...	Gang Member
Yuchen Lin	...	Gang Member
Yicheng Zhong	...	Gang Member
Jiaxian He	...	Gang Member
Kangnian Zheng	...	Gang Member
Xianliang Xu	...	Gang Member
Zhijian Tang	...	Gang Member
Zihong Zheng	...	Gang Member
Yiwen Cao	...	Guitarist
Mingzheng Liu	...	Bass-player
Yi-qun Zhang	...	Drummer
Yuan Ling	...	Keyboards
Alex Yang	...	Shandong
Ni Shujan	...	Crazy (Shenjing)
Weiming Wang	...	Ka Wu
Jianxiong Zheng	...	Wu Ba
Yeming Wang	...	Baldie (Guangtou)
Dehai Qu	...	Cowboy (Xibu)
Peiming Shi	...	Kid Brother (Xiao Di)
Liangzou Liu	...	Mouth
Shen Hang	...	Threads (Yezi)
Yangye Fu	...	Cushion (Kexing)
Qingfu Li	...	Headmaster (Shiye)
Yiwen Chen	...	Horsecart (Mache)
Renjie Lin	...	Grapefruit (Wendan)
Yuancheng Zheng	...	Morphine (Mafei)
Yiqing Cai	...	Headlights (Liangguang)
Guoqiang Feng	...	Piggy
Yulong Ying	...	Diaper
Ming Xu	...	Wang
Cai Qin	...	Wang's Wife
Zhuo Ming	...	Uncle Fat (Grocer)
Wenyan Zhang	...	Uncle Fat's Wife
Lianlian Xiao	...	Uncle Fat's Daughter
Yingzheng Zhang	...	Ming's Mother
Shi-Jye Jin	...	Ming's 7th Uncle
Liqing Lin	...	7th Uncle's Wife
Ru-Yun Tang	...	Mrs. Xia (as Ruyun Tang)
Qiuyun Lu	...	Mrs. Fang
Zhongqi Duan	...	Mr. Chen
Jinling Cao	...	Mrs. Chen
Zhiwen Xiao	...	Ma's Mother
Liangyue Chen	...	Chauffeur
Lihua Chen	...	Reverend Chen
Kezhong Zhang	...	Juan's Boyfriend
Deming Lu	...	Airplane's Father
Xiao Ai	...	Ice-cream Parlour Lady
Xishen Chen	...	Blind, Fighter pilot
Shujuan Huang	...	Girl Vendor
Hongshen Shen	...	Dean of Conduct
Qiliang Meng	...	Assistant Dean of Conduct
Hung Hung	...	Chinese Studies Teacher
Tingni Ma	...	Mathematics Teacher
Xiangping Hu	...	Military Advisor
Baogui Sun	...	Librarian
Weihua Jiang	...	Librarian
Mingyang Shi	...	Doctor
Chen Limei	...	Clinic Nurse
Shiang-chyi Chen	...	Little Doctor's fiancée (as Xiangqi Chen)
Lai Denan	...	Doctor's Father
Anna 'Ruping' Lin	...	Hospital Nurse (as Ruping Lin)
Danny Dunn	...	The Film Director
Mingyu Shi	...	The Temperamental Star
Hengzheng Lin	...	The Male Lead
Yihua Shi	...	The Assistant Director
Guozhi Shu	...	The Cameraman
Changru Guo	...	The Key Grip
Miaohui Gao	...	The Producer
Changhao Liu	...	Juvenile Division Officer
Hongjun Xie	...	Juvenile Division Cop
Zhongzhang Duan	...	Juvenile Division Cop
Hou De Jian	...	The Detective (as Hou Dejian)
Zuyun Lang	...	Policewoman
Xiangju Tang	...	Policeman
Laifu Chen	...	Policeman
Minnan Li	...	Workman
Yu Weiyan Yang	...	Interrogator
Daonan Wang	...	Interrogator
Zhuang Wu	...	Officer
Leqing Wu	...	Officer
Zhiqiang Li	...	Prisoner (as Ziqiang Li)
Liping Yang	...	Lover in Park
Huiling Zhou	...	Lover in Park

Directed by
Edward Yang

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Hung Hung		writer
Mingtang Lai		writer
Alex Yang		writer
Edward Yang		writer

Produced by
Sui Je Cheng	....	supervising producer
Feng-Chyt Jiang	....	supervising producer
Yu Weiyan Yang	....	producer (as Yu Weiyan)
Hongzhi Zhan	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Huigong Li
Longyu Zhang

Film Editing by
Bo-Wen Chen

Production Design by
Yu Weiyan Yang

Sound Department
Du-Che Tu	....	sound

Production Companies

• ICA
• Jane Balfour Films
• Yang & His Gang Filmmakers

Distributors

• Cine Qua Non Films (Japan)

Also Known As:

A Brighter Summer Day
Gu ling jie shao nian sha ren shih jian (Taiwan)

Runtime:

237 min | Germany:185 min (Berlin Film Festival) | Japan:188 min

Country:

Taiwan

Language:

Mandarin | Shanghainese | Taiwanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Sweden:11

Filming Locations:

Taiwan

Company:

ICA

Trivia:

Based on a true story.

Movie Connections:

Features Rio Bravo (1959)

A lost masterpiece

I saw this film on screen in 2005. The place I saw it was an old-fashioned theater in the middle of Seoul, South Korea. The film print was one of the last surviving print of this film, which is now worn out too much for another screening. It was about three years ago, and I frankly do not much about the plot. Two things, however, were still in my mind. First of all, it was much more a film with tranquility. Think about Edward Yang's last film 'Yi Yi.' Do you remember the scene where there were two teenagers walking on the street and there were scarcely any sound effect but someone's monologue? The whole film was like that. The other thing is that, despite of it deals with serious subject matters such as Taiwan's cruel anti-communist regime, it still has a sense of humor: in fact, a plenty of it. For me, now this film is like a lost summer love: passionate but vague. If complicated copyright issues be solved and clean prints of this film to be found, I'd really like to recommend this film; it is a long four-hour movie, but every minute is worth it.