Good Men, Good Women (1995)

Intended as the concluding film in the trilogy on the modern history of Taiwan began with Beiqing Chengshi (1989), this film reveals the story through three levels: a film within a film as ... See full summary »

Director:

Hsiao-Hsien Hou

Writers:

Bi-Yu Chiang (novel), Bo-Chow Lan (novel)

Stars:

Annie Shizuka Inoh, Giong Lim, Jack Kao

11 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Annie Shizuka Inoh	...	Liang Ching / Chiang Bi-Yu
Giong Lim	...	Chung Hao-Tung
Jack Kao	...	Ah Wei
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Ah-Cheng
Chia-Hui Bao
Cheng-Liang Chen
Chiao-e Chen
Duan Chen
Fei-Wen Chen
Hsin Yi Chen
Ming-Chung Chen
Shu-Fang Chen
Yi-Shan Chen
Kuei-Chung Cheng
Ching-Hsia Chiang

Storyline

Intended as the concluding film in the trilogy on the modern history of Taiwan began with Beiqing Chengshi (1989), this film reveals the story through three levels: a film within a film as well as the past and present as linked by a young woman, Liang Ching. She is being persecuted by an anonymous man who calls her repeatedly but does not speak. He has stolen her diary and faxes her pages daily. Liang is also rehearsing for a new film that is due to go into production soon. The film, entitled Haonan Haonu, is about a couple Chiang Bi-yu and Chung Hao-tung who returns to China to participate in the anti-Japanese movement in China in the 1940s and are arrested as communists when they go back to Taiwan.

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Plot Keywords:

film within a film | part of trilogy | flashback | based on novel | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Details

Country:

Japan Taiwan

Language:

Mandarin Cantonese Japanese Min Nan

Release Date:

9 December 1995 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Good Men, Good Women

Filming Locations:

Guangdong, China

Company Credits

Production Co:

3H Films, Chang Su Productions, Fujian Film Studio

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Follows A City of Sadness (1989)

User Reviews

A masterpiece of personal and social tragedy

A film about time and isolation and loss on a personal level, and on a national level, too; the Taiwanese patriots in the film-within-a-film cannot even speak Chinese--Taiwan having been a Japanese colony since 1895--so they are strangers to the motherland and strangers when they return home. The personal story glides seamlessly into the political. Endlessly moving, and only slow if you cannot feel Hou's deep compassion and depth of understanding. Why is this film maker not celebrated everywhere?