Friday, December 28, 2007

Two videos from Tsai Ming Liang

I'm going to try to avoid going crazy posting too much video but had to post a couple of things from Tsai Ming Liang (or Tsai Ming-Liang or as I just call him, "Tsai") since I recently posted he was my fourth favorite living director. The videos will give you more of a feel for the quirky uniqueness that is Tsai.

The scene from Goodbye Dragon Inn is typical of a Tsai scene--not a lot seems to be happening, stationary camera, extremely long take. A lot of Asian directors seem to be unafraid of the long take whereas American or Western directors are usually going to cut-cut-cut more. I personally love the long take AND the stationary camera. Enjoy!

The Wayward Cloud trailer is from the "less is more" school of trailers (unlike the vast majority of trailers out there that tell you way too much of whatever movie you are eager to see). It's short, odd and mysterious--what the film is about is anyone's guess judging by the trailer. Those are my favorite trailers. The Wayward Cloud, Tsai's previous film but not his most recent (that would be I Don't Want to Sleep Alone) is one of the stranger films of his. Set in the future where there is little to no water (unlike the early films of Tsai when water was an important element in film after film), people subsist on watermelon juice and watermelons. The film is highly erotic with a lot of kinky business on display. It's not my favorite Tsai film but I really love the trailer.

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