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Taiwan · 1997
1h 55m
Director Tsai Ming-liang
Starring Miao Tien, Lee Kang-sheng, Ann Hui, Lu Yi-Ching
Genre Drama, Romance
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A young man named Xiao-kang develops severe neck pain after swimming in a polluted river; his dysfunctional parents are unable to provide any relief for him or themselves. Are the family's silent dynamics and Xiao-kang's neck pain connected? And what about the body floating in the river: is everything dead?
The three principal actors fit their roles like gloves, and the handsome camerawork (by Liao Peng-jung) is a major asset. There's no music, just natural sounds on the track. Except for a shot in which the microphone boom is clearly visible, the film is highly professional in every aspect.
The New York Times by Dana Stevens
Whether or not The River is, as some critics have claimed, Mr. Tsai's masterpiece, it is an excellent introduction to his oblique narrative style, his favored themes and his careful, lyrical visual sensibility.
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
This atmospheric story unfolds through leisurely shots that invite us not just to watch the characters, but to live and breathe along with them.
San Francisco Chronicle by Edward Guthmann
Uses loneliness and alienation as the primary emotional colors on a surprisingly expressive canvas.
The absurdity floods the banks of the filmmaker's intentions.
New York Daily News by Jami Bernard
A perfect example of an "art" movie that is so lugubrious and soul-sucking that it's hell to sit through.
Despite the inaction, the film culminates in a scene some viewers will no doubt find shocking.
So s-l-o-w-l-y paced it seems twice as long as its two-hour running time.
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