Edward Yang’s 1986 film is an intricate piece of art that’s nuances and beauties might not be apparent at first but stick with you long after you’ve seen the film.
I have always heard of Taiwanese New Wave Cinema and probably the most notable director in the movement, Edward Yang, but I never decided to actually venture into him or this genre of film. Of course, there is a lot of movies and director in this challenge that I have never watched, but there was something about Edward Yang that was pulling me to him. This film has three groups of people that interact with each other as they maneuver a changing Taiwan not just politically but economically. The world is becoming more and more difficult for the youth to maneuver with globalization and money at its forefront.
To be quite frank, most of the time a movie like this would seem a bit too convoluted to me but that was not the case for The Terrorizers (1986). The message is so clearly there and filled with various nuances. I am sure the more films I watch from Yang, the more I will learn to appreciate this one a bit more. It is beautifully shot and directed with interesting characters who truly feel like a page out of Taiwan at the time with its changing landscape. The film poses this odd feeling of a documentary, as if it is a slice of life film but then returns to its odd story structure. I am hesitant to call this a masterpiece, but I am sure with time there will be more to dissect and analyze. Along with its brilliant writing, directing, and cinematography the film also features fantastic performances that truly give life to these characters Yang writes. My favorite being the novelist wife of the doctor who feels as she is caged by her own life and wants more out of it.
I am sure as time goes by I will learn to appreciate my introduction of Taiwanese New Wave cinema more and even the work of Edward Yang. This is a film that deserves more time to consume and a lot more time to think about. I will say this though, Edward Yang has a way of turning such a small scale story and making it grand. There was never a moment in this film that I did not feel that it did not feel as important as it is, and that is a testament to the filmmaker that is Edward Yang.
Watch The Terrorizers (1985) on Prime Video. Follow along with the rest of this challenge on Letterboxd or the google doc that has the rest of the films on this challenge.
The Nerd Corps 