Zui hao de shi guang (2005)

Director:

Hsiao-hsien Hou

Writers:

T'ien-wen Chu (writer)
Hsiao-hsien Hou (writer)

Release Date:

27 October 2005 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Three stories set in three times, 1911, 1966 and 2005. Two actors play the two main characters in each story.

Plot Keywords:

Singer | Photographer | Adoption | Beatles | Brothel

Awards:

4 wins & 10 nominations

Cast

Qi Shu	...	May / Ah Mei / Jing
Chen Chang	...	Chen / Mr. Chang / Zhen
Fang Mei	...	Old Woman
Su-jen Liao	...	Madam / Jing's mother
Mei Di	...	May's mother / Madam
Shi-Zheng Chen	...	Haruko / Ah Mei
Lee Pei-Hsuan	...	Hostess / Micky
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yue-Lin Ko	...	(special appearance)

Also Known As:

Three Times (International: English title)
Zuei hao de shih guang (Taiwan)

Runtime:

USA:120 min | France:132 min | UK:135 min | Canada:139 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

France | Taiwan

Language:

Mandarin | Taiwanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Taiwan:PG-12 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | Singapore:NC-16 | Netherlands:AL | UK:12A | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Taiwan

Company:

3H Films

Trivia:

Rains and Tears used in the first chapter of the movie is sung by Aphrodite's Child.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The 1966 story used the song "Rain and Tears" by Aphrodite's Child which was not released until 1968.

Soundtrack:

Rain and Tears

A masterpiece from Hou Hsiao Hsien

Interestingly enough, two elites of contemporary Chinese directors have presented their latest nostalgic works between 2004 and 2005. Compared to Wong Kar-wai's hybrid style and inscrutable cinematic codes in last year's 2046, Hou Hsiao Hsien's new masterpiece Three times in this year's Cannes is distinctly built on a three-episode structure and simply reminiscent of his chefs-d'oeuvre from his different golden ages.

The first episode "A time for love" is obviously associated with Hou's earlier works in 1980s. Set in Taiwan's snooker parlor in 1960s, a nostalgic aura infused with youthful vigor and adolescent impulse successfully recurred in Hou's stylish, experienced long-shots. The subtle relationship between the two main characters was getting clear with repetition of the Taiwanese old songs and western pops Smoke gets in your eyes, The Beatles' Rain and tears. This episode contains Director's real experiences and was rendered the most accessible of the three stories.

The second episode "A time for freedom" reminds me of his acclaimed classic Flower of Shanghai. Similar backgrounds, characters, chamber settings, fastidious costume designs refer to the identical tragic theme: Historically and emotionally lost. The surprise comes from the narration, which is dealt with in the form of silent movies. What struck me more is Shu Qi's weepy performance of those ancient elegies in an incomprehensible language.

The last episode "A time for youth" drew me back to the contemporary Taiwan in 2005. This episode is shockingly flooded with a variety of Generation-X's stuff such as e-mails, blog, cellar messages, trance music, digital camera, drugs, epilepsy etc., and also focused upon a group of aimless and hopeless younger animals, center of whom is a premature girl played by Shu Qi. Reminiscent of Millennium Mambo, also starring amazing Shu Qi as the key character, this story is loosely predicted on a girl whose relationship between her homosexual lover and a young male camera is morbidly and unapologetically intertwined. It's hard to conjecture why the director chose such an extraordinary story here as a representation of the contemporary society. Utilization of all kinds of most up-dated symbols has, however, proved his master touch in exactly presenting the loneliness, aimlessness and helplessness of the X-Generation living in the new century.

As the best actress in 2005's Golden Horse Award, Shu Qi's portrait of three women from different times is so convincing and laudable that she is totally competent for more difficult characters.