A City of Sadness

1989 2h 38m ZH

🙌

7.5

BANGER

★7.5TMDB · 160

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The story of a family embroiled in the "White Terror," the Kuomintang government's anti-communist political repression that was wrought on the Taiwanese people from 1947-1987.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Tony Leung Chiu-wai
Wen-Ching
Hsin Shu-Fen
Wu Kuan Mei / Hinome
Chan Chung-Yung
Wen-Heung
Jack Kao
Wen Leung
Tai Bo
Ah Jia
Li Tian-Lu
Ah Lu
Grace Chen Shu-Fang
Meidai
Wu Nien-jen
Mr. Wu

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Hou Hsiao-hsien
Writers: Wu Nien-jen, Chu Tien-Wen
Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese
Countries: Hong Kong, Taiwan

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 7

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 158 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 7

ERA

Did you know

37 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 7

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Hong Kong, Taiwan.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 7

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien, shot by Chen Hwai-en. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 7

CAST

Did you know

Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Hsin Shu-Fen and Chan Chung-Yung carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 7

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0096908 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Hou Hsiao-hsien directs. Chen Hwai-en behind the camera. Produced in Hong Kong, Taiwan. Dialogue in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 158 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
237 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese.
4International production across 2 countries: Hong Kong, Taiwan.
5Directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien, shot by Chen Hwai-en. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Hsin Shu-Fen and Chan Chung-Yung carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0096908 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Released under 16 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Chen Hwai-en
Runtime: 158 min · 2h 38m
Status: Released
Original language: ZH
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: A City of Sadness (1989)

Awards

Golden Lion

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Hou Hsiao-hsien

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

badelf2021-11-15
★ 9/10
This film, even at 20 years old, may be the strongest cinematic statement I've ever seen against country "boundaries" and "imperialism". Between the beginning of the 20th century, Chinese people lived in Taiwan under Japanese rule for two generations. By WW II, they were living alongside the Japanese and the remaining (that's another story) indigenous peoples more or less peacefully. The Taiwanese, after two generations, were neither Chinese, nor Japanese, nor indigenous. When Japan lost the war and withdrew, the Chinese government took over with disastrous consequences. THAT is viscerally described in this masterpiece. What's really lost on a white boy like me is the nuances of the dialects. In fact, the reason that Tony Leung is a deaf mute is that he couldn't convincingly speak the Taiwanese dialect! (At least I'm in good company, LOL)

Production companies