Our first movie club!
Simon and Wei-Tung are a gay couple living together in Manhattan. To defer the suspicions of Wei-Tung's parents, Simon suggests a marriage of convenience between Wei-Tung and Wei-Wei, an immigrant in need of a green card. When Wei-Tung's parents come to America for the wedding, they insist upon an elaborate banquet, resulting in several complications. Written by Scott Renshaw for IMDbTaglines for The Wedding Banquet-
A little deception in the reception.
You are cordially invited to a wedding where everybody wants to kiss the bride... except the groom.
Watch the trailer below.
Discuss! :)
ONTD poster alleges hookup between Jake and Ryan
ReplyDelete***SPOILER Alert*****
ReplyDeleteIn case anyone hasn't watched yet, but you know me, I can't keep quiet. Skip over my post if you haven't seen it yet. :)
OMG, I was so affected by this movie, I'm still thinking about it with teary eyes. It had very warm and funny moments (the impossibly high criteria for a bride, the City Hall wedding vows), but very deep and affecting moments too (Wei-Tung saying he had carried on the charade for so long, he was used to lying, the wedding photo session). *Sigh*
What a beautiful couple W-T&S made, Simon especially sweet and giving. I was looking for parallels with BBM, but it was a different time, place, culture. Maybe there was a parralel with BBM, one so giving, willing to give everything for the one he loved, and the other not realizing the value, treasure, of what he had until he almost lost it. I loved Ang-Lee's cameo appearance at the banquet "You're witnessing the result of __thousands of years of sexual repression" or something like that. :)
What sounded like a good idea in theory ended up hurting everyone involved, and almost an innocent as well. I loved that Wei-Tung's father ultimately was the accepting one - his mother was chilly towards Simon because she wanted a daughter-in-law and the traditional dream for her child, I think. His father, once societal and ancestral obligations were fulfilled, was much more accepting and welcoming of Simon as his son's partner, respectful and not gender not seeming relevant to him.
What a great movie, I'm so glad I got to see it. I remember when it first came out, and it was one that I didn't get to see. :)
I am going out to rent the movie. The trailer looks awesome. I will tell everyone what I think tonight.
ReplyDeleteW and Special. Maybe you could leave this thread open for a few days until everyone sees the movie. Or should we just continue our dicussion in later threads?
Forgot to add - very apropos choice of songs today :'). You guys are brilliant.
ReplyDeleteAwfully busy days lately and kids in and out of the house today but I will steal a few minutes to comment on that great movie.
ReplyDeleteSome quick thoughts for now:
What stood out to me was that Simon was the one who suggested the wedding and finally ended up extremely frustrated when he realized how hard it is to live with all the consequences of a lie that not only covers up for your lifestyle but more or less negates your very own existence.
I didn't recognize Ang when I first saw the "35 years of sexual repression" cameo but I did when I watch the movie again a couple of days ago, probably because since BBM his face has become highly recognizable. :)
I thought about the Indian prince who was featured in our Spotlight when I saw Wei-Tung's father reaction. Here again the father is more accepting. In WT's father'case, you get a glimpse that the old man was some kind of rebel himself since he ran away from an arranged marriage when he was younger.
Interesting that the mother is painted as sincerely heatbroken, not just intolerant and narrow. Even in the scene when she's trying to have Wei-Wei agree that a woman's only way to happiness is through marriage and children, Ang manages to make that character deeply touching.
I was touched by Simon'e emotion when Wei-Weil asks him if it's ok for her baby to have two fathers.
I've got so many things to say about that film but I have to go now.
A last shallow comment for now: did any of you notice that in cab scene (after WT's parents' arrival) Wei-Tung's mother's massages her elbow (the one she uses to hit her husband)? Hadn't noticed that funny bit when I first watched the movie. :D
See you later!
What did everyone think of the ending of the movie? I'm referring to the last scene where the Wei-Tung's parents are being screened by airline security before boarding the plane. I felt like I was supposed to get some kind of symbolism out of it, but I couldn't figure it out.
ReplyDeleteI was struck by how much Ang has grown as a director. He made The Wedding Banquet 15 years ago. He has done so much since then. I did feel the film dragged in a few places, but not terribly. I felt that if Ang made this movie now, that would not have been an issue.
Re the posted Jake/Ryan hookup- consider the source. Also, the poster does not say when this allegedly happened.
The study of tai chi chuan martially is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces; the study of yielding and blending with outside force rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force.
ReplyDeleteMine is kind of dumb, where it was in slo-mo I thought of Tai-Chi, the circle complete or something. I have no idea why that thought came to me,but that's what I thought. :)
Some trivia about The Wedding Banquet from IMDb-
ReplyDelete* Director Cameo: [Ang Lee] a guest at the wedding banquet.
* Ang Lee wrote the film six years before it was made, and five years before his first film, Pushing Hands
* Ang based the first half of the movie on the true story of a friend, Neil Peng
* This was the most financially profitable film of 1993, earning $23.6 million from a budget of $1 million. This gave it a cost-to-return ratio of 23.6, considerably higher than 1993's biggest money-maker "Jurassic Park" whose ratio was 13.8.
Continuity error from The Wedding Banquet, also from IMDb-
ReplyDeleteContinuity: During the small family dinner to which Simon treats the newlyweds and Wei-Tung's parents, Simon can be seen to alternately hold chopsticks, a small bowl or nothing in his left hand, depending on the camera angle.
Maybe I can explain that my comment a little better - yin and yang, duality of the natural world, the circle of life, harmony.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was happy to see that Ang Lee and James Schamus have had such a long working relationship together. :)
I could talk about this all day, I'd better get going. See y'all later, this movie will make me cry again. :')
From previous post :
ReplyDelete"This is very old news - I remember reading about it more then a year ago (IHJ)."
Exactly. His pr people have to do something to keep him in the news. If they have to fabricate lies, recycle old rumors or create new, unsubstantiated rumors, they'll do it.
The old theme is still there : no direct quotes from family or Reeke. The longer this charade goes on, the less credible it becomes.
I felt like I was supposed to get some kind of symbolism out of it, but I couldn't figure it out.
ReplyDeleteWell, watching the parents leaving and the visual effects I thought about water slowly retreating, leaving on the beach everything that truly is and is no longer covered up. I also think Ang wanted to leave us with a condensed vision of the Asian perspective on the situation: on the one hand being deeply disturbed by the shattering of one's traditions and convictions (a very upset and teary mother), on the other hand being totally practical about the situation as long as appearances and what is perceived as the family's honor are upheld (the father saying matter-of-factly yet firmly that he's happy about how things turned out).
Actually, this reminded me of an encounter between Yo-Yo Ma and Seiji Ozawa I once saw on TV a long time ago in which they discussed the Japanese saying that "the nail that sticks out gets hammered". Ma understood why his parents held dear to that philosophy and was quite philosophical about it himself. Not so Ozawa: he recalled being hurt by it and was actually so upset and got so emotional discussing it that he asked for the shooting to stop for a couple of minutes. Two men from the same culture, two widely differing attitudes and feelings about it. I know that the WB characters and Ang are not Japanese and that some might point out – rightly – that there are sometimes huge differences between different Asian countries & cultures but I thought the movie was interesting in that Ang seemed to adopt Ma's philosophical POV about this need and desire to protect what is perceived as one's identity and sense of duty and purpose.
Thanks Trivia and Goofy for those interesting insights! :) I didn't know for instance that part of the movie was based on real-life events.
Before I forget, I want to say a belated thank you to Special and Wicked for this week's very interesting posts. Although I didn't have time to comment I lurked as often as I could and will try to catch up to all that stuff this week-end. :)
I found the movie fairly entertaining and touching, just as I did when I saw it 15 years ago. But I agree with Wicked that it dragged a bit in places. And it so different than his later films in terms of his film-making abilities. Watching WB you would never imagine the director would go on to make the great films he has made. It really is more of a typical romcom, although better made than most, and with a gay theme.
ReplyDeleteAlso, the actors playing Simon and his boyfriend are just okay, not great; as is often typical of movies geared at the gay audience. BBM really benefits from being a mainstream movie with better actors. I did think the other Asian actors were very good. I also didn't think they had a lot of chemistry between them, but I did like their scenes together, especially the one on the stairs, it was so playful and sexy.
I hadn't realized that was Ang in that cameo the first time I saw it either, but it sure leapt out at me this time.
Regarding the OMG post, agree with Wicked you have to consider the source and that fact that it seems deliberately vague as to timing. Also, it's not clear if the poster meant to say Austin was bitter about the hookup, or about Reeke. The one thing that does give me pause is Jake's supposed hissy fit and his flying back to LA for the weekend--could be because something was up with Austin.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to be hopping in and out of the thread most of the evening I expect, so quick SPOILER alert for everything I say.
ReplyDeleteSymbolism at the end - well, when the father walks through security, in white, and raises his arms to be frisked, he becomes an angel. I think Ang is saying that the little extended family won't see him again, he will die - he has passed on the family responsibility to Wei Wei, and the responsibility for his son to Simon.
So much I loved about the film, not least Ang's characteristic invisible direction of everyday lives.
Great subtlety of character too. When Wai-Tung and Wei Wei are apparently going for the termination, WT's mother is destroyed, and so affecting. When it doesn't happen and she asserts her prejudices again, you have to throw all that sympathy away.
More later ...
"Also, it's not clear if the poster meant to say Austin was bitter about the hookup, or about Reeke. The one thing that does give me pause is Jake's supposed hissy fit and his flying back to LA for the weekend--could be because something was up with Austin."
ReplyDeleteI really doubt that Jake is losing sleep over anything Austin thinks these days. And no, this disinterest has nothing to do with Reeke. Absolutely nothing.
It really is more of a typical romcom, although better made than most, and with a gay theme (...)
ReplyDeleteAlso, the actors playing Simon and his boyfriend are just okay, not great; as is often typical of movies geared at the gay audience.
About the actors: I think the girl playing Wei-Wei was quite good. Wei-Tung & Simon were alternately good, a bit better or a bit wooden. Actually the parents were the best actors in the bunch. The mother, particularly.
I agree the rythm was not perfect but what I most enjoyed this time around were those little scenes that IMO make this movie stand out from your average romcom, as Destiny points out. I'm thinking about a somewhat upset Wei-Tung carefully checking if his father is asleep or dead; Wei-Tung's father grabbing and shaking the hand of his former employee, who still thinks he's unworthy of it despite all his power and fortune; the parents' peculiar way of expressing their love to their son (hitting and/or pinching him); the way Wei-Wei's decision to have an abortion is introduced: having her ask for a hamburger (I immediately thought "you're not supposed to eat when you're having a surgical procedure, she's keeping the baby!", and then "no, she's going to run away"!)
I could go on like that for hours but that'll be all for now. :D
Symbolism at the end - well, when the father walks through security, in white, and raises his arms to be frisked, he becomes an angel. I think Ang is saying that the little extended family won't see him again, he will die - he has passed on the family responsibility to Wei Wei, and the responsibility for his son to Simon.
ReplyDeleteOh man this is so beautiful London! And now I want to watch that movie again... but I guess this was to be expected! :)
I was also puzzled by that last scene, great analysis London.
ReplyDeleteOne of the aspects I most enjoyed about the film was seeing the traditions displayed such as the games played to get the wedding couple ready for their night. A window on a culture.
ReplyDeleteI think Ang's strength is his ability to display so much with so little. Even then he kept the actors performances restrained. We get the barest hint that the father understands what is really happening early on. The film was made quite a while ago and the idea of a gay couple as the main characters was certainly not marketable, yet Ang had the courage to not care. Interesting that he wrote it based on the experiences of a friend. The plot is a bit trite, but I sensed it came from somewhere very real. The bvery first time I saw the film I must admit I wondered if it was autobiographical.
The scene where he checked his father to see if he was still alive was also touching, having watched my own mother fade to nothing over time.
This is a movie I have watched 5-6 times over the years, which I can't say for many films. This is the first time I've seen the trailer. It does not convey the depth and subtlety of the film. Kind of cheesy actually.
I believe this guy produced Brothers (and that awful comedy "I now pronounce you Chuck and Larry"). I too think the source sounds dubious. The only thing going for this rumour is Ted's prior item about Toothy hooking up with a producer.
ReplyDeleteI think Ang's strength is his ability to display so much with so little.
ReplyDeleteITA. Is it possible that this stems from the fact that he comes from a culture that does not encourage the outward expression of emotions? Learning to get to the core of the matter with the least possible fuss?
Thanks London for explaining about the last scene's angel imagery and death implications. Great analysis. Its odd how in Ang's movies a very subtle image like that one can leave you with such a strong feeling, even though you often can't figure out why. For example, the scene in Brokeback that always evokes tears for me is the brief scene of Ennis' truck riding through the night after he leaves Jack's parents home. At first it doesn't makes sense for that particular scene to be so emotionally powerful...that is until you start thinking of the symbolism of it being the end of the road etc. Ang is a master at reaching the subconscious.
ReplyDelete"I really doubt that Jake is losing sleep over anything Austin thinks these days. And no, this disinterest has nothing to do with Reeke. Absolutely nothing"
ReplyDeletePlease explain.
For example, the scene in Brokeback that always evokes tears for me is the brief scene of Ennis' truck riding through the night after he leaves Jack's parents home.
ReplyDeleteHold on a sec Orchid. I don't remember that scene at all. I remember Ennis sitting by the window in Jack's room in broad daylight and Jack's mom packing up the shirt in a paper bag in broad daylight too... oh well, I'm always either choking up or crying during those scenes so I probably missed the truck bit... and yet I must have watched that movie 12 times already!
For example, the scene in Brokeback that always evokes tears for me is the brief scene of Ennis' truck riding through the night after he leaves Jack's parents home.
ReplyDeleteBrokeback Mountain Screencaps
Thanks for the screencaps Who'sthat.
ReplyDeleteI decided to watch that truck scene on my DVD too. All I can say in my defense is that it's very short and dark and the kleenex was probably blocking my view!
It took that discussion to make me put BBM in the DVD player once again. I haven't been able to watch that movie since Heath died.
Thanks, who'sthat, for the screencaps.
ReplyDeleteFrenchy, it may be more accurate to describe the end truck scene as happening at dusk as a mirror of the truck scene earlier on that happens around dawn. Both showing a lone figure in the semi-dark, one scene marking the beginning of the story and one the end. My interpretation anyway. Chokes me up every time - even more than the shirt scenes for some reason.
Heath's passing never loses its sting :(
ReplyDeleteHe is so beautiful and soulful in BBM that I am just grateful he made this film and will live on through it.
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ReplyDeleteWhen I think about it, there are so many little, subtle things, as discussed above, in WB, and that's what pulls it up from being just the typical, hit you over the head romcom.
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I had not remembered about the movie is how it is Simon that talks Wei into getting married and putting on the whole charade, and yet he is the one who ultimately has more difficulty dealing with the reality of it all. Fit's into what I've been saying about J&A--I think they went into Reeke thinking it would be easy to put up with it for awhile, but that it has taken a toll on them.
Wow, guys, great discussion! I loved the way Simon and the father became close and Wei-Wei and the mother became close. To me, the best parts of this film are when the father remembers Simon's birthday and when the father says, "Thank you for taking care of my son," at the airport. The father really did accept Simon, and even said Simon was like his son. I wondered about the father saying, "Thank you for taking care of my son," in front of the mother. Would this not mean that she would know that he knew? And what would she think? The father is genuinely happy- he sees his son in a happy relationship and he's getting a grandchild. The mother is not happy because she cannot accept a gay son even though she's getting a grandchild in the deal.
ReplyDeleteI was also touched by how well Simon knew Wei-Tung - telling Wei-Wei every little idiosyncrasy about the man he loved, ostensibly so that she could pass the INS interview with flying colors, but with his love and devotion to Wei-Tang coming through loud and clear. He spoke his lover's native Taiwanese fluently and was so caring and respectful to his partner's parents - who hasn't felt this way about someone they love. Wei-Wei was absolutely adorable in it.
ReplyDeleteOn the wedding night - the entire thing was practically orchestrated by wedding guests, Wei-Tung's parents, Mr. Gao's old friend, even Simon initially, so I had a little sympathy for Wei-Tung. Neither Simon, Wei-Tung nor Wei-Wei had any idea how deeply this decision would affect them. And no matter what, Simon was always in the background, but soon tired of it. But it was so starkly different than the deep love he felt for Simon; the huge gulf between real love and just physical sex, real love includes that, but there's also just the physical for which no deep love is necessary. That said, I believe Wei-Tung and Wei-Wei would have an abiding friendship, and Simon too.
And more about the ending; I thought it was interesting when Wei-Tung's father gave Simon the birthday gift, he mentioned that this allowed him to have a grandchild, but he didn't know why it was necessary. It was like an obligation had been fulfilled when they went back to Taiwan. :) *sigh*
I'll probably have more later.
Fit's into what I've been saying about J&A--I think they went into Reeke thinking it would be easy to put up with it for awhile, but that it has taken a toll on them.
ReplyDeleteI thought the same thing, Destiny.
Sorry, I had to correct my previous post. I had the feeling Mrs. Gao would come around eventually. :)
Although I think of fathers as having a harder time dealing with a gay child, I do think men in some ways put less emphasis on social acceptance by their peers than women. I think maybe Wei-Tung's mother is bothered by her son being gay because for her, as a woman in that kind of society, what matters socially is what you can say about your children. Her status derives from her husband and her children, and she can't go back to her friends and talk about a gay son.
ReplyDeleteMy gf's grandmother was like that. Until she got much older and started to decline mentally, she was not accepting of our relationship, and I always felt a great deal of that was she couldn't, say, go boast to her friends that my gf was married to the proverbial nice Jewish doctor. She was always very concerned with her social image--clothes, house, family. Once she started to decline mentally, all those inhibitions were the first things to go out the window, and all of a sudden I was treated like any other member of the family.
I also think that Wei-Wei has the daughter she could never have, another reason she is unhappy her son is gay.
I love the music today. Very beautiful. Perfect for the movie discussion.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I really liked this movie. It just goes to show the lengths people will go to in order to fit into other peoples perception of an acceptable family. I like the way Ang goes about developing his characters in such a way that you really feel for them and their struggles although they might not be your own.
It was interesting how everyone thought the fake marriage would be such a good idea at first. Even Simon didn’t give it a second thought. Turns out living such a big lie was harder than it seemed. It was so sad to watch. The pain of the deception took a big toll on everyone especially when Wei Wei got pregnant.
The wedding scene itself was so beautiful with all the red colors. The honeymoon night was hilarious too. I wonder if that is really the tradition or just made up for the movie.
It was particularly sad at the end when the mother was so broken hearted about her sons real life. I was glad that Wai Tong, Wei Wei and Simon were ok with the baby at the end although I’m not sure it would have worked out like that in RL.
I was also touched by how well Simon knew Wei-Tung - telling Wei-Wei every little idiosyncrasy about the man he loved,
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, love those details! And also the constant reminder: "and he never does *insert action* except when we fight or he's in a bad mood..." lol!
I had the feeling Mrs. Gao would come around eventually.
Me too, but I also wonder why I feel that way. Probably because her character is never one-dimensional and we are allowed to feel sympathy for her from time to time. To me this is testimony of a great storyteller/filmmaker when I end up being understanding towards a character I would instinctively find off-putting.
Turns out living such a big lie was harder than it seemed. It was so sad to watch. The pain of the deception took a big toll on everyone especially when Wei Wei got pregnant.
ReplyDeleteWasn't it just so sad to watch? Especially when it appeared that Wei-Tung's father may have passed away, there was always that possibility he would, and he wouldn't have known the truth. I would have found that hard to bear. :(
I think Wei Wei realises that the child is the only thing that can redeem all the lies, because it will be blameless and will unite the family. She also realises that going back to "the mainland" and to what is expected of women back home is inferior to the life she will be able to live with the support (both moral and financial) of Simon and Wai Tung, who have always been soft and kind with her, right from the start. So her "bond" turns out to be her liberation from a Mrs Gao kind of life. In the unseen after time, I imagine her continuing the deception when she visits the (widowed) Mrs Gao, for their mutual benefit, but living a free life back in the US (and finding a new guy very quickly).
ReplyDeleteHer status derives from her husband and her children, and she can't go back to her friends and talk about a gay son.
ReplyDeleteGreat point Destiny, which tied up nicely with her insistance to Wei-Wei that marriage and children are really what count for women. The father is not preoccupied; he says bluntly to Simon that lies allowed for him to have a grandchild and that he expects Simon to keep on with the charade, including not revealing to his wife that the cat is out of the bag.
Also, since Mrs. Gao is convinced her husband doesn't know, she truly thinks that when they leave, this will be her secret and hers only and that she'll be alone in bearing that "burden".
I also think that Wei-Wei has the daughter she could never have.
I agree, she even tells Wei-Wei that after Wei-Tung she couldn't have any more children; I really thought this line was important.
The honeymoon night was hilarious too. I wonder if that is really the tradition or just made up for the movie.
Me too Clarity! They really give a new meaning to "room service". :D
I still think that when Mr. Gao died, Mrs Gao made peace with the trio and became a dotting grandmother. ;)
Wicked, you guys can delete posts but can you correct them?
ReplyDeleteI just realized I've misspelt Wai-Tung's name regularly in my comments, calling him Wei-Tung instead!
I'm probably all mixed up like that town hall guy! :D
By the way, I wish Winterbird could comment on that movie. I think she's still in Japan or somewhere else in Asia, right?
I haven`t seen "The wedding banquet" yet, but after reading your comments and seeing the clip, i really want to:)
ReplyDeleteI have watched the interviews of Heath from the BBM DVD after he died, though it took me about two months. It was sad but also nice. I wanted to see him again.
I haven`t seen BBM again though. Not that strong yet.
Had to comment on the trailer. The reason I included it in the post is because it's always interesting to see how a movie is marketed. Which scenes are considered selling points and which angle will be taken? This trailer makes the movie look silly and funny, which at times it was. It was meant to be silly in parts. But that's not all there is to it. Seeing the trailer only you would never know there is more.
ReplyDeleteGreat discussion guys, you are saying everything I want to say. I wanted to mention something in a broader sense about Ang's work. Ang uses nature in all of his movies. But he does use the symbolism of colors as well. And we see this in The Wedding Banquet. And we see it so much in BBM as well.
ReplyDeleteGood call by London about Mr Gao, going through the white security gate. In Asian culture the color of white means death. Look at the Twist house in BBM is was stark
white in comparison to everything else in the movie, death had come there and left its mark. The Twist house reminded me of bleached bones.
In Wedding Banquet Ang explored the question of identity of all the characters and not just about being gay verses straight, but also about their identity as Taiwanese vs. Mainland Chinese. This is Ang coming through in his movie. A statement about his own struggle with identity.
Another thing I found very interesting is how Ang treated Wai-Tung and Simon's relationship. Ang goes as the image of the usual effeminate Asian male that you see portrayed in earlier media. He is going truly against HW's, which has historically made the Asian man passive and thus people would surmise as the more feminine of Simon and Wai-Tung. But it is Simon who takes care of the home, cares for Wai-Tung, cooks, all those thing that are seen as more feminine, and in doing so shows the masculinity of Wai-Tung. Ang is bucking all preconceptions of the relationship but also race as well.
^^Beautiful. You gave me chills with your thoughts on the use of the color white, Spesh. I was wondering where you were today! :)
ReplyDelete^^I should say that scene at the Twist house always bothers me, that grey-white color, it's very unnerving, and now I know why. The house looks dead.
ReplyDeleteGood points Special about the colors and making Wai (I've been spelling his name wrong too!) the more "masculine" one in the relationship.
ReplyDeleteI've decided that all upcoming movies for the Movie Club will be movies that I saw and did not understand, so you all can explain them to me!
ReplyDeleteMalinda Williams to be in Nailed
ReplyDeleteOh no . . . I've been spelling Wai-Tung's name wrong throughout as well. :(
ReplyDeleteI thought I always have about the Twist house and that I found very off-putting is "whitewash" as in "hidden". Everything in the house is whitewashed. :(
Everybody's bringing up such good points!
ReplyDeleteAng truly is the best at imagery and symbolism. I had to watch BBM at LEAST 3 times before I really started to see what he was also trying to say "behind the scenes". I was so involved in the surface stuff.
"I think Wei Wei realizes that the child is the only thing that can redeem all the lies"
This so true London B. It's almost like she was being held up as a monarch to the family. I think she realized that which of course made her feel even worse about the lies.
"Simon telling Wei Wei about Wei-Tung." I loved this part NetB. It really touched me in a very personal way. It's so cute when you see couples talking about someone they love. I guess that's the romantic in me : )
"Seeing the trailer only you would never know there is more."
Exactly Wicked. Same way with BBM. "Gay Cowboy Movie"...WRONG. It was soooo much more.
I never thought of the Twist house as a "dead house" but that makes sense now that you say that. No love or growth = death
I must agree that Ang has grown as a director but he kept the best qualities of his work and just improved on them.
I must agree that Ang has grown as a director but he kept the best qualities of his work and just improved on them.
ReplyDeleteITA, Clarity!
In Asian culture the color of white means death. Look at the Twist house in BBM is was stark
ReplyDeletewhite in comparison to everything else in the movie, death had come there and left its mark. The Twist house reminded me of bleached bones.
God, even the parents, (particularly the mother) look dead in that house. And the scenes there are bathed in some kind of pale, whitish light too!
So now, can we mark Wicked's question about WB's last scene symbolism as "Solved"? ;)
I find this idea of Ang playing with the color white so interesting that I plan to watch his other movies again to spot it. On the top of my head I think I remember that the scene in Crouching Tigers where the girl jumps to her death was bathed in some pale light similar to that in the Twist house - but I may be totally wrong.
Seeing the trailer only you would never know there is more.
Agree. And isn't it funny since often seeing movie trailers we'd never know there is less. ;D
Really good points about the use of color and it's significance in this film. I too want to rewatch Ang's films with that in mind. The bleakness of Jack's childhood home in BBM was haunting. The bone white did not register with me at the time, just the hardness of all the surfaces. That we saw it late in the film, after he was gone, made it even more poignant to me.
ReplyDelete