For me, just starting to learn about Taiwan history, the movie just felt like a historical movie. For my mom who grew up under KMT martial law, the movie means a lot more, especially since she remembered watching it in theatres back in 1989.
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Slow paced, depressing and slighlty messy
If you are looking for something cheerful and happy, you may think that a tittle named city of sadness should give you a clue to look away and find something else and well you would be right. AS this movie is true to its name and will offer you a bunch of sadness and cries as well as symbolism as far as the aye can se. As I do not think it is a coincidence that the movie starts of with a boy named light making his way out from the darkness of the war/womb and in to the light as Taiwan was libirated from the Japanese.This is a movie that shows human being living in a time where when one war ends another takes over. Day to day life meets a guy running towards you with a knife. Babies cry as they are taken out to a court yard to be shot with a bunch of other people.. The enamy changes and the wrong answer to the question are you japaneese, Mandarin or Taiwanese can get you killed by, showing an added dificulty to those who can not hear. a mob... but than again even the right answers can get one killed at this time...
But rest assure!
"I want to assure those who love peace that this decree is for your protection,, take no notice of roumers about spies. because suspicuion leads to fear, I assure all citizens that obay the law that nothing will happen to them. Meanwhile I announce the reintroduction of martial law Our objective is merely to punish rebels and traitors, for each day they are at large peace loving people will have to put up with another day of disorder" -
This movie is highly acclaimed so while I did not really find it entertaining I am sure it has a lot of qualities for those who are more well educated than I am as I found it kind of boring and hard to follow
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