User reviews

This bleak Taiwanese epic based on a true story exposes the dark side of growing up in a harsh environment at a young age. I know what you're thinking, "Wow, so original." But, even though it's far from being the first film of its kind, let alone the best, it manages to stay unpredictable throughout and packs plenty of surprises; think of the grand sweep of The Godfather flicks and that's similar to what you get here. Visually, it doesn't really stand out in any significant way - at least from the print I saw. Instead, going for a more down-to-earth, gritty approach, which I liked because it suited the material. With that said, Director Edward Yang makes great use of long shots and keeps things very subtle, and I honestly can't think of a single bad or out-of-place angle in the film. The cast consisting almost entirely of nonprofessionals is very natural in their roles, even eerily believable at times when the film reaches disturbing moments - and there's a lot of those. It's a no-holds barred film that refuses to compromise itself for the sake of making the viewer feel safe or comfortable.

As a coming-of-age film, it's one of the very best. As a tragic romance, it delivers due to its Shakespearean quality. As a crime film, it can stand toe-to-toe with some of the very best of them. Even more impressive is that the film is able to cover so many important and (still) relevant issues and effectively explore the human condition without any heavy-handed morals or messages. The film is as straightforward and honest as they come, making it that much more engaging. And yet, despite all its qualities, it's not a film with universal appeal. Most would frown at its bleak approach and wonder where all the praise comes from. Others would skip it entirely due to it being a slow 4 hour film with no exploitative elements. Others would be wishing everyone were killed off and/or there was more action and pretentious imagery they could easily gravitate towards. Others.....well, I think you get the picture. Ultimately, those who would get the most out of this film are those who are willing to acknowledge that the world is a messed up place and some movies are going to reflect that. So, if you're easily offended, go back to watching "safe" Hollywood pictures, because you won't be able to appreciate this underrated gem. And yeah, that's me being a condescending prick. Sue me, what I say is true, and those who have seen the film know I'm right.

I'm going to go ahead and admit right off the bat that what I just wrote does not do justice to the film's level of substance and depth. This is merely a description. Others have gone far more in-depth into what makes the film so good than I'm capable of doing from a single viewing, so I recommend reading what they've wrote as well.

Edward Yang's "A Brighter Summer Day" is an enormous film, not only in length but in its ambitious attempt, through homing in on a particular group of people in a specific time and place, to define the attitudes of a nation undergoing an identity crisis. The time is the early '60's, the place a suburb of Taipei, the characters mostly groups of adolescents. Like his great fellow compatriot Hou Xiaoxian, Yang hurls happenings at you without explaining who is who. He makes an enormous demand on his audience in forcing us to make all the connections. As his cast here runs into dozens and many scenes take place in semi-darkness, it is far from easy, particularly for a Western viewer to whom so many Orientals look alike, to make these connections on a first viewing. Indeed I would say that after four viewings I am still working out who is who. That I have not given up and am still in the process of unravelling can only be ascribed to a gut reaction from the first that this is a work of tremendous integrity and skill. The film deals mainly with gang warfare between rival groups of youngsters, which, it is suggested, reflects their search for identity at a time when their parents have lost theirs after years of Japanese occupation followed by the post-revolutionary separation from their Chinese mainland roots. As a diversion from gang warfare some of the youngsters find an outlet in American music, particularly the songs of Elvis. The film mainly follows the course of one boy, S'ir, as he moves from early to late adolescence. There are others who are presented as having a stronger sense of character; Ma, the "General's son" for instance who lives in a household a cut above the rest and Honey, a young man in a sailor suit, who exudes a sense of honesty and authority that holds the others in thrall. But it is S'ir whom the film doggedly follows, S'ir who seems to possess nothing much more than a bad temper and a developing desire, perhaps mainly through peer pressure, to have a young girl who will be faithful to him. It is his frustration in trying to achieve this that leads the film towards a climax that is as ugly as it is tragic. However, not before we have lived through a number of scenes that are wholly remarkable, none more so that a savage attack between rival gangs, some resorting to samurai swords - a reaction perhaps to their parents' detestation of all thing Japanese - which takes place in semi-darkness in a powercut during a tropical storm; the very stuff of late Goya, merciless and unblinking.

This film is prefaced in a historical context, with the understanding that Chinese Taiwan was formed in 1949 with several million Chinese being forced to cross over into Taiwan from mainland China, into a world they knew nothing about, so they were required to build their new lives with great insecurity about the future, and this film is about their first generation of offspring, the anxieties of the parents created a world of anxieties for their children, who search for their own greater security and their own self identity through the formation of street gangs, whose inner turmoil is largely a reflection of the world around them. The Taiwanese identity is revealed to be a sense of perpetual exile.

Edward Yang's own father fled from Shanghai. Artifacts from other countries have great impact in this film, the use of Japanese samurai swords which are ultimately used as murder weapons, Russian novels are read by teenagers and understood as `swordsmen' novels, a family's observation that the Chinese fought the Japanese for 20 years only to then live in Japanese houses listening to Japanese music, an old tape recorder that has been left behind by the WWII American forces is used to adapt American lyrics and American rock n roll music for the Chinese, the film features American doo-wop music, first love, cigarettes, casual dress, the influence of Hollywood motion picture magazines and movies, the voice of John Wayne can be heard in one of the movie theaters, the title of the film comes from the Elvis Presley song, `Are You Lonesome Tonight,' a comment on the dark cloud hanging over everyone's heads, hardly a brighter, summer day.

The film took 5 years in preparation, and although completed in 1991, it has never found a distributor, it involves a cast of over 100 speaking parts, largely non-professional teen-age actors, 92 different sets, it takes place in the poorer Tapei district in 1961, using the filmmaker's own memories of his adolescence, shot at his high school, inspired by a true incident of a 14 year old boy murdering a 13 year old girl, the first juvenile murder case in Taiwan's history, the film opens and closes with an old, broken down radio broadcasting the lists of graduating students. In this context of a repressive, militaristic government, family chaos, the constant threat of gang fights, the need for a good education, the idea that hard work can bring success, is seen as paramount.

For all those `Yi Yi' fans who don't understand the complexity of this film, let me just remind you about the title, `A Brighter, Summer Day,' this is a film for which those words have no meaning, and unlike `Yi Yi,' which had the charming optimism of Yang-Yang, an as yet undeveloped child who has a future, `Yi Yi ` was much more a `perfect' film, everything was neatly examined and explained, there's a perfect symmetry, on whole it's balanced, it feels like a complete experience, but `A Brighter Summer Day' offers no such peace of mind, it's a raw emotional roller coaster where the last hour or so is filled with such complete anguish and despair, nearly all the family members have their singular moments where they are the focus of the pain and anguish, the understated personal horrors can leave one breathless. Most of the world's viewing audience of films have been spared this kind of personal degradation, and therefore have no personal reference points to connect with such despair, but Yang, to his credit, spares no one. The film's greatness lies in it's complete lack of artifice, it's meticulously chosen shot selection, brilliant imagery mixed with an equally brilliant narrative, a devastating portrait of children on the precipice of darkness, one of the more complex human examinations of the after-effects of a subjugated nation, which is still, at heart, a police state, yet there is a breaking out from the bonds of repression by rebellious teen-age kids who have affectations of violence and a love of Elvis, freedom, and rock n roll.

Edward Yang's massive four hour epic "A Brighter Summer Day" is one of the true masterpieces of the 1990s and of the "New Taiwan cinema." It's ostensibly the story of a few rival street gangs in '60s Taiwan, but the film is about a single young man's rites of passage in an era in which his country was experiencing a major upheaval. The film is so meticulous in its construction and its feeling of community (its preparation, filming and post-production took several years) that at the same time its length automatically gives it an epic quality it is a remarkably intimate film that is about as far from an epic in the traditional (Hollywood) sense as possible. There are over a hundred speaking parts in the film and it is necessary to stay focused in order to keep track of what's going on and to whom, which is a good trick to make sure your audience is always paying attention. "A Brighter Summer Day" is a very personal vision that recalls both Yang's own childhood and an actual street murder that shook the nation.

The film itself slowly builds towards this singular act of violence that, when it finally arrives, is both shocking and inevitable. "A Brighter Summer Day" keeps with the trend among the finest films to emerge from Taiwan in that it is very pared down - the cast are all nonactors and there is no non-diagetic music. It is beautifully shot, moving from the interiors of houses, schools, and cheap dance clubs to the open fields of the countryside in summertime. Alternating between violence and serenity, the film is a rhythmic and poetic evocation of a particular era. Its ironic title (in that there is no "brighter summer day" for these characters) is taken from an Elvis song that one of the kids sings at a nightclub. It is a truly exemplary modern masterpiece that got no distribution in the West but deserves to be hunted out at all costs by those who love and cherish the film art.

I saw this film on screen in 2005. The place I saw it was an old-fashioned theater in the middle of Seoul, South Korea. The film print was one of the last surviving print of this film, which is now worn out too much for another screening. It was about three years ago, and I frankly do not much about the plot. Two things, however, were still in my mind. First of all, it was much more a film with tranquility. Think about Edward Yang's last film 'Yi Yi.' Do you remember the scene where there were two teenagers walking on the street and there were scarcely any sound effect but someone's monologue? The whole film was like that. The other thing is that, despite of it deals with serious subject matters such as Taiwan's cruel anti-communist regime, it still has a sense of humor: in fact, a plenty of it. For me, now this film is like a lost summer love: passionate but vague. If complicated copyright issues be solved and clean prints of this film to be found, I'd really like to recommend this film; it is a long four-hour movie, but every minute is worth it.

I just finished watching this four hour epic and something tells me that this is going to remain with me for a long, long time. I was glad I entered the cinema hall with no foreknowledge of what the film was about or anything about the story, except that it was directed by Edward Yang, whose Yi Yi I liked. Am I not glad I did that? The entire film, especially the second half, is an emotional powerhouse. Its funny, sociological and emotionally brutal.

The four hour run time was quite a deterrent however I planned it well and took one bathroom break but it was all worth it in the end. I would not recommend that you read anything of the story before you watch the film because several of the reviews above have spoilers in them. All I'll say is that it is about street gangs, but like nothing you've ever seen. It about lost childhood and children growing up so fast that its scary. The fact that all of this really happened makes it chilling.

I'm surprised that not many people have seen this film yet because it certainly deserves a classic status. The direction is probably one of the best I've ever experienced and I will definitely seek out other Edward Yang movies to watch.

The acting by all the teenage actors and children is nothing short of brilliant and I can see that some of the key actors never acted in another movie again which I believe is a waste.

I don't think its out on video as yet, however I would highly recommend that you seek it out. In my opinion the film demands total attention and is best watched on the big screen rather than on video.

This movie is a Taiwan movie,I am a Chinese college student living in mainland.I think I should take response to write a review,because I see all the reviewers are not Chinese who cant know the background of this movie.there are something followed about Chines cultures and background.

Fist,in the movie period,china had two governments,one is communist party in mainland,the other is GuoMin party in Taiwan.Korean War made Communist part cant have enough power to invade Taiwan,but Guomin party still wanted to return to mainland by getting help from America.But as we all know,Guomin party just stays in Taiwan to now. And they were just in a fear of communist party military coming into Taiwan.At that special period,another fears were among all ordinary people in Taiwan. The president of Guomin party began to arrest communist spy in Guomin party.in fact,the secret arrest was a terrible horrible to people in Taiwan. This special period is called as 'white fear period',and so many innocent persons dead at that time.

So,you can see tanks were running in road，and dad were arrested for suspects communist spy.At all,the fears were among whole society.

what's more, in 1949 there were million people fleeing to Taiwan for following the Guomin Party. And many knowledge persons and military officers also in the process.this led government couldn'却 have enough money to pay and enough food to feed . many people lose their jobs.This is a hard time for many families. And it was not a peace time. it is a hungry time, Ming's family is a example.

Although,the director want to tell a lesson , don'却 try to change the bad world.but we can know he still have a soft and ideal heart but getting hurt too much.

A Bright Summer Day, directed by Edward Yang, is a Taiwanese coming-of-age film set in the 1960s. While the film does have some redeeming qualities, overall, it falls short of expectations.

The plot of the film is slow-paced, and the story seems disjointed at times. The characters' motivations and struggles are not always clear, making it difficult to become fully invested in their stories. The film also lacks any clear resolution, leaving the audience feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

The performances are generally solid, but some of the performances fall flat, particularly in the earlier parts of the movie. Additionally, the film's soundtrack and cinematography, while well-done, are not particularly memorable.

One notable aspect of the film is the director's attempt at capturing the adolescent experience, as the story does delve deep into the complexities of coming-of-age, particularly in Asian societies. But even in this regard, some of the plot points are a bit clichéd and overdone.

Overall, A Bright Summer Day has its moments, but it is ultimately a forgettable entry in the coming-of-age genre. While some viewers may appreciate the attempt at capturing the nuances of adolescent life, others may find the plot and characters lacking in depth and development. It's a film worth watching, but not one that will stick with you for long.

After about sixty minutes a question formed in my head: Why should I spend four hours watching the kind of disaffected youth movie that "Rebel" or "Boyz" or "Dazed/Confused" did much better in two or less? Consequently, I pulled the plug. C plus.

Evokes an era so transitional and important to the millions of mainland Chinese who fled to Taiwan after the war, and it was certainly nice to see the representation in what was a thoughtful film from Edward Yang. However, I never truly got invested in these characters or the plot, which is mostly about adolescent males vying for dominance with one another, between gangs and within a gang, leading to tragic events. The way it's told is quite ponderous yet often manages to be confusing, and it's strange that a brutal act of revenge doesn't seem to result in anything. There were some interesting moments related to the detention and questioning of the father for political reasons, but they also don't seem to come to much either. The film is far, far too long at four hours, and in all its dreariness it became a chore to finish for me. I have to be true to that in giving it a score, regardless of the acclaim and how much I wanted to like it.

A Brighter Summer Day was for some time one of those titles that I was maybe vaguely aware of in my 20s but only grew to understand was considered in the Super Advanced Level of Film Buffery (or do I call it the Cineastistas? Who knows) a major landmark film, and a film that is about so much in four hours while being mostly about the lives of normal people trying to live - and uh, you know, would-be or actual teen gangs - between 1959 and 1961 in Taipei in Taiwan.

I've eeen Yi Yi and loved it, so this didn't seem like much of a stretch to take in next. Finally watching it, Id say it is... Good. Really good. There are times it's splendid and even mesmerizing in how Yang elevates the everyday and understated into something close to poetry. And the final twenty to thirty minutes, when it's leading up to and that big incident occurs, it almost feels as though it *should* be greater than it is.

Here's why I think I find myself somewhat at a remove from it, at least on a first go-around: Yang shoots much of this, or at least 40% or so of it, at a remove with characters often far away in the shots or at the least Id wager with long lenses, and while he does also in that other 60% go in tighter on people (for example that interrogation with the Father in the second half), he also is a fan of shrouding characters in darkness in certain major set pieces (ie the gangfights/brawls, one of which with a particularly important weapon), and sometimes that point does work to be evocative of this mysterious connection or lack thereof between teens of opposite sexes (there's a lovely scene of a conversation where the boy and girl are in silhouette and she is walking back and forth on a beam, and it's as though her voice is coming from everywhere). He shoots plainly, simply, often in long takes, sometimes deliberately with a character talking to another off screen.

In other words, this movie is entertaining... But it's also, for lack of a better word, work. This isn't to take away from anyone who immediately connects to this dedicatedly stripped down approach to storytelling. And this approach pays off in particular in the second half (you know, two hours of this four hour epic) as the lives of this family and this boy Si'r are becoming more ensconced in drama they can or cannot control, and when deep wells of emotion do bubble up and roil over.

And most of all what makes much of this so different and (in a good way) unique among epic films of this length and scope is that the main character isnt, until near the end, some dark or brooding character, but a good person who is trying to figure out who he is in relation to the world, that being among these teen roughs like Ma and Honey (the latter being maybe the most memorable character in the film), and he is going through a slow but sure coming of age in this city, and looking back (more intellectually than emotionally) I admire how Yang ties Si'r and his feelings of uncertainty and reticence and trying to be one thing and falling into the demise of his own self into Taiwan at the time itself. It's more when I read other reviews that bring this up, that the film on the whole is like a giant metaphor for the death of a nation in the shade of another one (all being exiles and immigrants from China due to... All what happened there and all), and this eventual crime being so inexplicable and yet maybe it could have or should have been seen coming?

I think that it isn't fair to call some of this dull, I know that. But there is a fine line to walk when having understated and naturalistic dramatic scene after understated and naturalistic dramatic scene, and it being *this* long. If it were even two and a half hours it might be in my estimation astonishing. On the other hand, I also have to admit taking the scissors to the movie as is would take some of the heart out of it (for example, the stuff with the Mom who has Asthma, does that need to be there? It does matter as part of the dramatic fabric of the family, so maybe?)

In a film like this, dramatic or just memorable set pieces really do help to break up the flow of things, and Yang is absolutely not a filmmaker all about that; he does get to them, at least by the time we get to concert scenes and those gang fights, but they aren't his primary focus. At the same time, there just.... Wasn't the level of pathos that clicked for me with the dynamics of these characters.

I fully admit that this could change one day if I have another full day to kick my feet up and dig in to this massive but subtle full course meal of cinema. I also always say I prefer a (in his/her element) filmmaker to do more than less. Do I even feel guilty about giving it four stars? I definitely found much to be taken with here, and Chen's performance is kind of incredible as a kid who is more like a lot of us watching: unsure, decent, and, if put into the wrong path, capable of doing bad things. It works as an empathetic story. It's just.... So much of it?

Edward Yang's four-hour study of Taiwanese youth gangs in 1960 and their search for personal and national identity is a stunning film; its scope and narrative power reminded me of seeing "The Godfather" for the first time. One remarkable thing about Yang's direction is the virtual absence of close-ups. The action is often shot through a doorway, window, or facade that obscures part of the world within; there's always a sense of life going on beyond the boundary of the frame. That this film hasn't been released in America is a crime.

Very good long movie (almost 4 hours) in every aspect: acting perfiormance cutting, quality of images and plot. In Taiwan the descenfants of those millions of Continental Chinese who fled away thereto after the Maoist takeover of their land don't feel well integrated in the Taiwanese society and form street gangs which fight one another and behave soemetimes violently. We follow this evolution in this movie in such realistyc and natural images and scenes that we Forget we are watching a movie and it looks like if we were watching real life scenes theough some window. The main plot tells the story of a young boy who is torn between opposite forces in society, at home and in love. A fascinating movie.

Arthouse movies are so underrated on imdb and I don't even know why. I guess this site is for popular movies only and top 250 is ridicilous. Letterboxd is much better site for movie lovers.

4 hours flew by and this is epic movie. It is pretty good but it ain't Raise the Red Lantern.

I had heard about this film after seeing Edward Yang's Yi-Yi. I did not like Yi-Yi, upon hearing many critics praise Yi-Yi, I watched it and was completely appalled at how pointless the film was. Maybe it's the fact that the film was insanely long and the structure of the film was weak due to its length, like too many characters to keep track of, weak plot, and nothing really to walk away from the film with. I finished the insanely long movie and gained no insight or thoughts on anything, if anything I was pleased that I had finished it. Overall I gave Yi-Yi a 3/10, there was just too much wrong with the film for me to enjoy it.

Finally, I had heard of Edward Yang's other film A Brighter Summer's ray and thought, oh great another long Edward Yang film that everybody says is a masterpiece. After hearing more and more about it I finally decided to sit down and watch it today. The film was excellent, I couldn't even believe how similar it was to Yi-Yi, but it had a much better story and captivating tone to it. The constant tone shifts of gang members engaging in brutal fights and betrayal made me forget that these are middle school kids and then showing them in their school settings was a huge tone shift that flowed so smoothly.

The romance in the film could have been a bit more developed, I thought that this was a mix of The Outsiders, West Side Story, and Romeo and Juliet, because of the romance between members and women a part of rival gangs/territories, but I was so enthralled with the romance element, or Atleast what I was expecting it to be, that the overall theme of identity and how some people never change went completely over my head. I really wanted this to be a star crossed lovers tale, I'm really into those, yet what I got was much darker and I loved it. I was not expecting the ending at all, it completely threw me off and was stunned until the final credits rolled.

Definitely check it out!

I don't mean to deny the interesting things about the movie. In fact, I was hesitant to rate this movie. The movie was a big hit and was rated excellent by many people. I don't deny it. In fact, I really wanted to applaud the set design, production design, behind the scenes, costumes, and cinematography team. They all created some of the most beautiful movie frames I have ever seen. It has been a long time since I have seen a film with such beautiful frames. The scenes are like paintings depicting the people and everyday stories of the 60s, extremely convincing and realistic. Those everyday scenes fascinated me. Those paintings are shown wonderfully. It is so real. The story is told in a linear timeline, with quite a few characters appearing in random scenes which can sometimes be a bit confusing, but the story isn't too difficult to understand. I don't know if this story is completely accurate to the real event, but it is quite similar to many incidents that have happened near where I live in recent years. Love. Youth. Never gets old. The English songs in the movie performed by the characters are also an interesting highlight. I really enjoyed these songs.

But the unfortunate thing about this movie is the viewer's perspective. I feel like I'm looking at the film through a window, instead of directly feeling it. In addition to the limitations in the technique of performing action scenes, the film also doesn't go deep enough into the characters. There are many characters, so everything doesn't seem to focus enough on the main characters. There are scenes that are long-winded and there are scenes that I just wish the director had gone into more detail, like describing the character's emotions. The most important thing is that the love story between two main characters is told quite simply. The character Liu Zhiming should have been clearly described. While she was the cause of most of the events. I haven't mentioned Zhang Zhen's transformation from good to bad person quite suddenly and illogically. It is impossible for a good student to suddenly curse the school doctor, just as it is impossible for him to still get into university despite his mental instability and aggression. The things he does are not convincing enough and unnatural. His family has 5 siblings, and except for the last scene, 1-2 scenes of the family having dinner, they rarely have scenes together. Look at how effective that last scene is. Even the middle sister running into the police station crying while the mother and eldest sister have cold expressions, which is quite weird because the middle sister is not described much before.

I wanted to love this movie as much as I did love the beautiful scenes in it. If only the characters had more emotional scenes and more meaningful lines, this could have been one of the great things to ever appear on the big screen. But for me, this is more a historical documentary about Taiwanese society in the 60s than a memorable sad love story.

In my head I imagine a scene that isn't in the movie, but I wish it was, where Ming and Zhen are sitting together under a banyan tree in some park, and he gives her something, a hairpin maybe, they talk about some everyday things, and then when it comes to the scene where Zhen lunges at Ming with that knife, the hairpin (or whatever) falls down and he picks it up, that would be my favorite connection to the ending.

I have read some reviews here and there is a review by a Chinese friend who told me about the history of the political events in the movie. I wanna say thank you to him/her, clearly the value of this movie in the flow of world history is very precious. But I value the emotional and climax moments more than the beautiful and metaphorical scenes, which are attractive to literature lovers.

One of the things I most appreciate about foreign films is the chance to learn a lot about a culture I've never been exposed to. "A Brighter Summer Day" is such a journey. Who knew the Taiwanese were so much into American music in 1961? What made this movie work was the generally fine acting from everyone involved as well as all that gorgeous scenery. They had some of the most beautiful gardens around, that's for sure. I saw the remastered full Criterion print so the colors sparkled. My lone gripe? The length of the film. At four hours it took me three days to watch. Quite a few parts were slow, too, like, snail slow. Otherwise, it's recommended viewing if you have the patience and time.

Time for some counterbalance. For me it was quite a challenge to sit this one through. There has been much praise for its historical significance, its lyricism and the remarkable feats of the actors; I found it boring, monotonous and slightly pretentious. Am I the only one here or do the like-minded just not care to review on it?

The main character, S'ir, lacked charisma and the attempt to tell so many stories at once results in a serious lack of coherence. The only things I may remember from this film are the magnetic 'rebel without a cause' Honey and the little guy singing in his rock 'n roll band. The rest is just a drag. Four hours long