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A City of Sadness (1989)

Hou Hsiao-Hsien breached political taboos in his Golden Lion-winning tale of a Taiwanese family in the mid-1940s.

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Film details

Alternative titles

  • Beiqing chengshi Original
  • Stadt der Trauer Alternative

Introduction

Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s loose trilogy of films on Taiwan’s modern history started with this dark family saga, set in the years after Japan’s colonial rule ended in 1945. All the sons in the Lin family have trouble, none more than Wenqing (Tony Leung), an idealistic deaf-mute. Taiwan audiences flocked to a movie which overturned political censorship taboos, and Venice awarded it the Golden Lion.

Cast & Credits

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The Greatest Films of All Time 2012

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