The Hole (1998)

While never-ending rain and a strange disease spread by cockroaches ravage Taiwan, a plumber makes a hole between two apartments and the inhabitants of each form a unique connection, enacted in musical numbers.

Director:

Ming-liang Tsai

Writers:

Ming-liang Tsai, Pi-ying Yang

Stars:

Kuei-Mei Yang, Kang-sheng Lee, Tien Miao

7 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Kuei-Mei Yang	...	The Woman Downstairs
Kang-sheng Lee	...	The Man Upstairs
Tien Miao	...	A Shopper
Hui-Chin Lin	...	A Neighbor
Hsiang-Chu Tong	...	The Plumber
Kun-huei Lin	...	The Kid
Shiang-chyi Chen	...	(voice)
Daphne Han	...	(voice)
Bo-Chin Wei	...	(voice)
Jacques Picoux	...	(voice)
Chih-yen Yee	...	(voice)
Yi-Ching Lu	...	(voice) (as Hsiao-Ling Lu)

Storyline

A strange disease starts to affect people in Taiwan just before the year 2000. The authorities order everyone to evacuate, but some tenants of an apartment building stay put, including a shop owner who lives by himself. One day, a plumber goes to the shop owner's apartment to check the pipes. The plumber drills a small hole in the floor, which comes down through the ceiling of another apartment. The hole never gets repaired, and this leads to some tension between the shop owner and the woman who lives below him.

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Plot Keywords:

loneliness | art | apartment | hole | taiwan | 

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Taglines:

A search for intimacy in a world of disaster.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy | Musical | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

Taiwan France

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

24 March 1999 (France)

Also Known As:

The Hole

Company Credits

Production Co:

Arc Light Films, Central Motion Pictures, China Television (CTV)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

The Woman Downstairs: Are you the tenant of apartment number 804? I'm your downstairs neighbor. The plumber will come and fix the hole this afternoon. Will you be home then?
The Man Upstairs: Maybe.
The Woman Downstairs: You have to. Or else it'll never get fixed.

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Connections

References Rififi (1955)

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Soundtracks

Wo ai ka li su
Performed by Grace Chang
Originally from the film Kong zhong xiao jie (1959)

User Reviews

More difficult than "Vive L'amour," but also more complex

It's less visceral than the only other Tsai film I've seen ("Vive L'amour"), but the idea of doorways (holes) into others' emotions and existences is vividly portrayed here, as Tsai sets up long shot after long shot, usually with long takes, suggesting a sense of alienation in Taipei. The musical interludes, inspired by Grace Chang, are perplexing but welcome mile-markers that add new dimensions to the slowly evolving relationship between the young man upstairs and the woman downstairs. It's not necessarily an easy film to watch (although it's not heavy-handed by any means), so I'd warn any casual viewers who are looking for some "indie" entertainment (like Tarantino or Guy Ritchie). But if you'd like to know something about isolation among city-dwellers in Taiwan, and something more universal about city alienation and romantic yearning, then watch this film immediately.