The story of a family embroiled in the "White Terror" that was wrought on the Taiwanese people by the Kuomintang government after their arrival from mainland China in the late 1940s.
From "Dexter" to The Suicide Squad, here are our picks for the reboots and remakes we're most excited for in 2021 and beyond.
Related News
-
Los Angeles Film Critics Association to Honor Norman Lloyd, Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Harry Belafonte
28 October 2020 | Variety -
Taiwan Film Icon Hou Hsiao-hsien to Be Honored at Golden Horse Awards
24 August 2020 | Variety -
Hany Abu-Assad eyeing mid-July restart for ‘Huda’s Salon’; first image unveiled (exclusive)
24 June 2020 | ScreenDaily
From the iconic to the eclectic, relive the most memorable moments from the Oscars red carpet.
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: A City of Sadness (1989)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
8 wins & 6 nominations.
See more awards »
Edit
Cast
| Credited cast: | |||
| Tony Chiu-Wai Leung | ... | Wen-ching (as Tony Chiu Wai Leung) | |
| Shu-Fen Hsin | ... | Hinome | |
| Sung-Young Chen | ... | Wen-heung | |
| Jack Kao | ... | Wen Leung | |
| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
 |
Wou Yi Fang | ... | Hinoiei |
|
|
Ai-Yun Ho | ... | Bg Brother Chie |
|
|
Chien-Ho Huang | ||
|
|
Chien-ru Huang | ||
|
|
Chi-Ying Kao | ... | Shopkeeper |
|
|
Tien-Lu Li | ... | Ah-lu (as Tian-Lu Li) |
|
|
Ju Lin | ||
|
|
Lih-Ching Lin | ... | (as Liqing Lin) |
|
|
Ching Lu | ... | Wu's father |
|
|
Ikuyo Nakamura | ... | Shizuko |
| Chen-Nan Tsai | |||
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
See All (16) »
Storyline
The story of a family embroiled in the "White Terror" that was wrought on the Taiwanese people by the Kuomintang government after their arrival from mainland China in the late 1940s.
Plot Keywords:
part of trilogy | politics | family relationships | photographer | taiwan |Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
Did You Know?
Trivia
Average shot length (ASL): 158 minutes / 222 shots = 43 seconds (some takes last over 3 minutes). See more »Connections
Featured in The Story of Film: An Odyssey: New Boundaries: World Cinema in Africa, Asia & Latin America (2011) See more »Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
Edit
Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Release Date:
21 October 1989 (Taiwan) See more »Also Known As:
A City of Sadness See more »Edit
Box Office
Cumulative Worldwide Gross:
$2,737Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
This is definitely one of my all-time favorite movies. Before watching A City of Sadness, I subconsciously had this notion that somehow there were certain ways (or methods) feature narrative films should be made. Oh how wrong I was. Experiencing this movie was like the first time I saw Asian art, no more like the first time I tasted Chinese food as a kid. It was more than different. It was delightful! This film totally enlightened me! This poetic masterpiece changed the way I view cinema. This film which deals with modernity of Taiwan, feels more like a Confucian ritual, an ancestral rite of some sort. And at the same time like many of Hou Hsiao-hsien's other films, this movie deals with the theme of 'growth'. Hou seems to tell us over and over again that growth is learning to say goodbye to the things we love. One beautiful movie. I strongly recommend it to the cinephiles who haven't yet tasted this great cinematic treat.