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San tiao ren

  • 19991999
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
685
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
San tiao ren (1999)
  • Drama
The protagonist is Asano who has had an amazing memory since his youth spent in Okinawa. Words have tangible shapes, tastes and colours for him. This goes so far that he is not even able to ... Read allThe protagonist is Asano who has had an amazing memory since his youth spent in Okinawa. Words have tangible shapes, tastes and colours for him. This goes so far that he is not even able to forget words once he has heard them. He travels the seas and because 'Hong Kong' feels won... Read allThe protagonist is Asano who has had an amazing memory since his youth spent in Okinawa. Words have tangible shapes, tastes and colours for him. This goes so far that he is not even able to forget words once he has heard them. He travels the seas and because 'Hong Kong' feels wonderful, he goes ashore there. He chances upon the Dive Bar, that soon turns out to be the ... Read all
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
685
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Christopher Doyle
  • Writers
    • Christopher Doyle
    • Tony Rayns
  • Stars
    • Tadanobu Asano
    • Georgina Hobson
    • Christa Hughes
Top credits
  • Director
    • Christopher Doyle
  • Writers
    • Christopher Doyle
    • Tony Rayns
  • Stars
    • Tadanobu Asano
    • Georgina Hobson
    • Christa Hughes
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 9User reviews
    • 9Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 nomination

    Photos

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    Top cast

    Edit
    Tadanobu Asano
    Tadanobu Asano
    • Asano Takashi (adult)as Asano Takashi (adult)
    Georgina Hobson
    • Georginaas Georgina
    Christa Hughes
    • Christaas Christa
    Takanori Kubo
    • Asano Takashi (boy)as Asano Takashi (boy)
    Kevin Sherlock
    • Kevinas Kevin
    Mavis Xu
    • Susieas Susie
    • Director
      • Christopher Doyle
    • Writers
      • Christopher Doyle
      • Tony Rayns
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The role of Kevin was written specifically for the director and co-writer Christopher Doyle's friend Kevin Sherlock, who stated that he simply played himself.
    • Connections
      Featured in Orientations: Chris Doyle - Stirred But Not Shaken (2001)

    User reviews9

    Review
    Top review
    9/10
    "Egg is an old lady and the chicken is her stick"
    Let's do NOT 'AWAY WITH WORDS' when texts are so full and enigmatic and fun that they can even solve the enigma of the chicken and the egg !

    Or produce gems like some of the monologues of character Kevin:"Memories, that's what I forget; I remember happy things. If happy things are what I remember, will that mean that I am sad when I forget ?"

    This debut film of DIRECTOR Christopher Doyle, who must be the hottest photographer of the past 15 or so years, is stunning, exciting and beautiful. And that is not only meant for the imagery, which IS indeed breathtaking.

    What is this film... Hard to say, even though the post scriptum speaks of Dada and Automatic Writing, which is a hint in the right direction, I guess. The two male principal characters might very well be two sides of the same personality, or mind. And Susie, the leading lady, is Mother Nature, nurturing and trying to keep Yin & Yang together. Certainly, every theory is as good as the next one, but there might well be some truth in this:

    Kevin, to Asano:"Susie says you could write a book from what I can't remember..."

    This film is full of memories and mirages and, maybe, mirrors. So could this be a Tarkovsky with an hangover ? Hmmm, unlikely; and if so, would he have been drinking beer ? With Kevin ??! ...

    Everything here is so varied, so divers, so haunting; the music, the imagery, the words, oh yes, the words too.

    I have seen this film three times back to back and it doesn't let go for a moment. It keeps being surprising and spellbinding. Thank Goodness there are cineasts who know that a good film ought to linger on in the mind of the viewer. Some of the biggest filmmakers knew that; it's the reason why Kubrick's '2001' is a sensational classic and Spielberg's 'Close Encounters' merely a pretty good film. The first ends with a question, the latter with an answer.

    Let's hope Christopher Doyle will be allowed to direct and write some more films !!!

    'Not Forgotten. Just Misplaced'

    PS: for those who are looking for this film on DVD: the very pleasant eBay seller 'fullhousedvd' has this title for sale from an Asian label. As he also has Doyle's cinematography work in the fabulous Thai movie 'Last Life In The Universe', as well as the documentary 'Buenos Aires Zero Degree; The Making Of Happy Together'. Well worth a visit...
    helpful•7
    3
    • wobelix
    • Oct 2, 2004

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 7, 1999 (Japan)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Japan
      • Hong Kong
      • Singapore
    • Languages
      • English
      • Japanese
      • Cantonese
    • Also known as
      • Away with words
    • Production companies
      • Time Warp Inc.
      • TimeWarp
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.66 : 1

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