Two movies in three parts
About Love (關於愛) and Three Times (最好的時光) are two movies that share much in common. First, they are both love stories. Second, both films are shot in three separate parts.
About Love is actually three short films made by three different directors. Each film takes place in a separate location — Tokyo, Taipei and Shanghai. There are brief scenes in the Tokyo section that loosely connect it with the other two parts. The common thread in the three films is that the two central characters are Japanese and Taiwanese or Chinese. Their ability to communicate with each other is limited. The dialogue in the film is a mixture of Mandarin and Japanese.
Three Times was directed by the famous Taiwanese director, Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢). It stars two of Taiwan's most famous actors, Shu Qi (舒淇) and Chang Chen (張震). The movie details the love between the two leading characters over three separate lifetimes. The first part is set in the south of Taiwan in 1966, the second part in Taipei in 1911 and the final part in Taipei in 2005.
A theme that connects both the films is not only love, but communication. This idea is obviously the basic premise on which About Love is based. It places one of the characters in a foreign environment where they struggle to communicate. There is a hilarious scene in the Taipei section of the movie where Tecchan (Ryo Kase) tries to repeat a message from A-su's (Mavis Fan) ex-boyfriend. The first part of the message is in badly pronounced Mandarin and the second part is meaningless gibberish. The message is repeated back and forth between the two characters. It was really the attempt to communicate, not what was actually said that was the important thing.
In Three Times the communication between the two leading actors is also interesting. In the first part there is actually very little meaningful dialogue between May and Chen. Their most profound communication is in letters and the unspoken love that exists between them. In the second part May and Chen have a long conversation, but that part of the movie is made as a silent movie with the dialogue only displayed in the subtitles. Finally, in Taipei 2005, most of the communication is by text messages and taking photos of each other.
Both films succeed in showing that love is something that goes beyond simple communication and has the power to transcend language.
About Love shares something in common with another recent film, Zhang Yimou's (張藝謀) Riding Alone for a Thousand Miles (千里走單騎). This film also has a mixture of Japanese and Mandarin dialogue and is about a struggle to communicate. About Love is a fun and enjoyable film to watch. Three Times succeeds on a much deeper level. Although it lacks a clear plot, the showcase performances by the two leading actors and the beautifully shot period scenes make this film a delight.
Links
Taiwanese cinema in 2010
Taiwanese cinema in 2009
2007 at the movies
Tales of summer
My article about Taiwanese cinema at culture.tw
Posted: August 15th, 2006 under Movies, Taiwan.
Tags: movie review