Cinema
Vive L'Amour
愛情萬歲
Tsai Ming-liang · 1994
Synopsis
Hsiao-kang, a young salesman of columbarium niches, finds on a door the key to an empty apartment in Taipei, pockets it and moves into a bedroom. May Lin, the agent trying to sell the flat, brings Ah-jung, a street vendor she met in a cafeteria, there for a night. Ah-jung in turn steals the key and moves in without knowing he is not alone; when May Lin comes back to rest there, the two intruders must work together so as not to be discovered.
Context
The action takes place in the luxury apartments that the construction boom left empty in Taipei. The film does without music and almost without dialogue; it has long static shots, one of which holds for five and a half minutes on the face of a weeping woman. It was the third role given to Lee Kang-sheng, whom Tsai had noticed outside an arcade and who has since appeared in all his films. The public came in smaller numbers than the critics.
Who it is for
A slow film in subtitled Mandarin, almost without dialogue, with long takes; it demands patience.
Prizes and reception
Golden Lion at Venice in 1994 and three Golden Horse awards, including those for best film and best director.
Sources for this page 4
The pages consulted to check this page.