A Brighter Summer Day
Encyclopedia
A Brighter Summer Day is a nearly four-hour long, 1991 Taiwanese
drama film directed by Taiwan
ese director Edward Yang
. The film is an extraordinarily large project for a Chinese-language film, not only for its duration of almost four hours, but also for its involvement of more than 100 amateur actors in different roles.
, the film is based on a real incident that the director remembered from his school days when he was 13. The Chinese title translates literally as "The Boy in the Murder Incident on Guling Street
" (牯嶺街); a 14-year-old son of a civil servant murders his girlfriend, who was also involved with a teenaged gang leader, for unclear reasons. The gang leader and girlfriend are involved in the conflict between gangs of children of formerly-mainland families and those of Taiwanese, and the film places this murder incident in the context of the political environment in Taiwan at that time. Political background of the film is introduced in intertitles as:
Chang Kuo-Chu, and his son Chang Chen
(in his debut) are both cast in this film.
In 2009, the World Cinema Foundation
issued a restoration of 'A Brighter Summer Day', using the original 35mm camera and sound negatives provided by the Edward Yang Estate.
The film was awarded several wins in Golden Horse Film Festival, Asia Pacific Film Festival
, Kinema Junpo Awards and Tokyo International Film Festival
. There were also three-hour and 127-minute versions released.
Cinema of Taiwan
The history of Chinese-language cinema has three separate threads of development: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of Mainland China and Cinema of Taiwan . Taiwanese cinema grew up outside of the Hong Kong mainstream and the censorship of the People's Republic of China.Taiwanese cinema is deeply rooted...
drama film directed by Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
ese director Edward Yang
Edward Yang
Edward Yang , along with Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Tsai Ming Liang, was one of the leading filmmakers of the Taiwanese New Wave and Taiwanese Cinema. He won the Best Director Award at Cannes for his 2000 film Yi Yi .-Biography:...
. The film is an extraordinarily large project for a Chinese-language film, not only for its duration of almost four hours, but also for its involvement of more than 100 amateur actors in different roles.
Cast
- Chang ChenChang ChenChang Chen is a Taiwanese actor, born in Taipei, Taiwan. His name is sometimes seen in the Western order . He is the son of a Taiwanese actor Chang Kuo Chu and brother of a Taiwanese actor, Chang Han .-Career:...
as Xiao Si'r - Chang Kuo-Chu as Xiao Si'r's father
- Elaine JinElaine JinElaine Jin or known as Yanling Jin, Elaine Kam is a famous Taiwanese actress.She has been nominated five times in the Hong Kong Film Awards and won two for her supporting roles in Love Unto Waste and People's Hero...
as Xiao Si'r's mother - Lisa Yang as Ming
- Wong Chizan as Cat
- Lawrence Ko as Airplane
- Tan Zhigang as Ma
- Lin Hongming as Honey
Production
Set in 1960s TaipeiTaipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, the film is based on a real incident that the director remembered from his school days when he was 13. The Chinese title translates literally as "The Boy in the Murder Incident on Guling Street
Guling Street Avant-garde Theatre
Guling Street Avant-garde Theatre is located in Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan. It was originally constructed in 1906 to serve as a police station under the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. In 2002, a small theatre was opened and has hosted more than 8,000 guests.-History:The structure was...
" (牯嶺街); a 14-year-old son of a civil servant murders his girlfriend, who was also involved with a teenaged gang leader, for unclear reasons. The gang leader and girlfriend are involved in the conflict between gangs of children of formerly-mainland families and those of Taiwanese, and the film places this murder incident in the context of the political environment in Taiwan at that time. Political background of the film is introduced in intertitles as:
- "Millions of Mainland Chinese fled to Taiwan with the National Government after its civil war defeat by the Chinese Communists in 1949. Their children were brought up in an uneasy atmosphere created by the parents' own uncertainty about the future. Many formed street gangs to search for identity and to strengthen their sense of security."
Chang Kuo-Chu, and his son Chang Chen
Chang Chen
Chang Chen is a Taiwanese actor, born in Taipei, Taiwan. His name is sometimes seen in the Western order . He is the son of a Taiwanese actor Chang Kuo Chu and brother of a Taiwanese actor, Chang Han .-Career:...
(in his debut) are both cast in this film.
In 2009, the World Cinema Foundation
World Cinema Foundation
The World Cinema Foundation is a non-profit organization devoted to the preservation and restoration of neglected world cinema.It was founded in 2007, inspired by the work of The Film Foundation in the United States, a similar venture which Martin Scorsese founded with George Lucas, Stanley...
issued a restoration of 'A Brighter Summer Day', using the original 35mm camera and sound negatives provided by the Edward Yang Estate.
Critical reception
Even though the film is extraordinarily long in duration, it received much critical acclaim and now stands as one of the most successful and important Chinese-language films.The film was awarded several wins in Golden Horse Film Festival, Asia Pacific Film Festival
Asia Pacific Film Festival
The Asia Pacific Film Festival, first held in 1954, is film festival held annually in an Asian country designated by the Board of Directors of the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific.Awards are handed out for:*Best Film*Best Director...
, Kinema Junpo Awards and Tokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival
Tokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
. There were also three-hour and 127-minute versions released.
Awards and nominations
- Golden Horse Film Festival
- Won: Best Film
- Nominated: Best Director – Edward Yang
- Nominated: Best Actor – Chang Chen
- Asia Pacific Film FestivalAsia Pacific Film FestivalThe Asia Pacific Film Festival, first held in 1954, is film festival held annually in an Asian country designated by the Board of Directors of the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific.Awards are handed out for:*Best Film*Best Director...
- Won: Best Film
- Tokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film FestivalTokyo International Film Festival is a film festival established in 1985. The event was held biannually from 1985 to 1991 and annually thereafter...
- Won: Special Jury Prize
- Won: FIPRESCI Prize
- Kinema Junpo Awards
- Won: Best Foreign Language Film Director – Edward Yang
- Nantes Three Continents Festival
- Won: Best Director – Edward Yang
External links
- A Brighter Summer Day at Rotten TomatoesRotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...