The River

1997 1h 56m ZH

👍

6.8

SOLID

🍅

75%

FRESH

😬

METACRITIC

⭐

7.2

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 82🍅75%Rotten Tomatoes●55Metacritic★7.2IMDB · 3,413

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A young man develops severe neck pain after swimming in a polluted river for a movie shoot, but nobody can provide him any relief.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Lee Kang-sheng
Hsiao-Kang
Miao Tian
Father
Lu Yi-ching
Mother
Chen Shiang-Chyi
Hsiao-Kang's Girlfriend
Ann Hui
Film Director
Chen Chao-jung
Anonymous Man
Yang Kuei-mei
Woman in Hotel
Lin Hsiao-Lan
Mother

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Tsai Ming-liang
Writers: Tsai Ming-liang, Yi-chun Tsai, Pi-ying Yang
Languages: Mandarin
Countries: 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 / 6

ERA

Did you know

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

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Tsai Ming-liang, shot by Liao Pen-jung. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 6

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chan Sing-Cheong shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 6

CAST

Did you know

Lee Kang-sheng and Miao Tian and Lu Yi-ching carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 6

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0119263 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 6

WILD

Did you know

Only 82 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Tsai Ming-liang directs. Liao Pen-jung behind the camera. Chan Sing-Cheong cuts. Produced in Taiwan. Dialogue in Mandarin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

129 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Tsai Ming-liang, shot by Liao Pen-jung. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Editor Chan Sing-Cheong shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
4Lee Kang-sheng and Miao Tian and Lu Yi-ching carry the top of the cast.
5IMDB entry: tt0119263 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
6Only 82 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
7Released under 10 different titles around the world.