I have rarely observed such unrelenting beauty in the backdrop of a film. Upcountry Taiwan is gorgeous! Indeed, this dazzling film has much going for it. However, more simplicity, and tighter editing, would have enhanced it greatly.
Here we have the story of A-chuan (Hsiao-chuan Chang), a withdrawn young man who has never recovered from witnessing his father, Wang (Jimmy Wang Yu), end the life of his terminally ill mother. One day, A-chuan has a paranoid break from reality, and he fatally stabs the older sister who had helped to raise him. That's when "Baba" steps in for the first of several brazen rescues. He'll stop at nothing to protect his prized, only son.
The performances here are all strong, and the storyline involving. However, the movie falters when it veers into supernatural terrain. This is a story about psychosis, and that's enough to captivate. We don't need all the bells and whistles!
I caught this film on the TV station of the City University of New York. It was followed by a taped discussion between CUNY film Professor Jerry Carlson and director Mong-hong Chung, who revealed that idiosyncratic filmmaker David Lynch has been a key influence. No surprise (the unnecessarily loftily titled) "Soul" definitely recalls "Twin Peaks" (1990). Its score also brings queasy reminders of such horror classics as "Halloween" (1978) and "Suspiria" (1977). In addition, this movie pays homage to "The Vanishing" (1988) in its preoccupation with insects. In the interview, Chung also notes the influence on him of Roman Polanski, whose "Repulsion" (1965) resonates noticeably here.
I am grateful to have spent a magical year of my youth in Taiwan after studying Mandarin at Penn State. How wonderful to reacquaint myself here with such local comfort foods as rice gruel ("porridge"), and braised pork with soy sauce. I also greatly enjoyed hearing Mandarin spoken, and have resolved to resume my dormant studies of the language!
Director Chung succeeds in creating a sense of claustrophobia in "Soul." However, sections of the film, although atmospheric, only add filler and confusion. Old Wang's dream, and A-chuan's interlude with the Messenger, might easily have remained on the cutting-room floor. On the other hand, every moment spent with Constable Yang (Pong Fong Wu) was a delight, and it's a shame to spend so little time with this blustery cop. (How sad to read on Wikipedia of Mr. Wu's premature death, only months ago.)
One of the biggest mysteries in this production is the monorail-like conveyance that ferries our crew through the rain forest. C'mon, who builds such a thing in the backwoods? It's a red herring, that, while intriguing, distracts from other important questions to consider in the narrative.
One thing I remember about Lynch's "Blue Velvet" is its disturbing premise that the ordinary cloaks perversion. That message also reverberates in "Soul." Who would ever suspect the faded Wang of anything? The ultimate survivor, he has a single M.O.: "Survive at any cost." I suppose there's a lesson in that for us all.
Here we have the story of A-chuan (Hsiao-chuan Chang), a withdrawn young man who has never recovered from witnessing his father, Wang (Jimmy Wang Yu), end the life of his terminally ill mother. One day, A-chuan has a paranoid break from reality, and he fatally stabs the older sister who had helped to raise him. That's when "Baba" steps in for the first of several brazen rescues. He'll stop at nothing to protect his prized, only son.
The performances here are all strong, and the storyline involving. However, the movie falters when it veers into supernatural terrain. This is a story about psychosis, and that's enough to captivate. We don't need all the bells and whistles!
I caught this film on the TV station of the City University of New York. It was followed by a taped discussion between CUNY film Professor Jerry Carlson and director Mong-hong Chung, who revealed that idiosyncratic filmmaker David Lynch has been a key influence. No surprise (the unnecessarily loftily titled) "Soul" definitely recalls "Twin Peaks" (1990). Its score also brings queasy reminders of such horror classics as "Halloween" (1978) and "Suspiria" (1977). In addition, this movie pays homage to "The Vanishing" (1988) in its preoccupation with insects. In the interview, Chung also notes the influence on him of Roman Polanski, whose "Repulsion" (1965) resonates noticeably here.
I am grateful to have spent a magical year of my youth in Taiwan after studying Mandarin at Penn State. How wonderful to reacquaint myself here with such local comfort foods as rice gruel ("porridge"), and braised pork with soy sauce. I also greatly enjoyed hearing Mandarin spoken, and have resolved to resume my dormant studies of the language!
Director Chung succeeds in creating a sense of claustrophobia in "Soul." However, sections of the film, although atmospheric, only add filler and confusion. Old Wang's dream, and A-chuan's interlude with the Messenger, might easily have remained on the cutting-room floor. On the other hand, every moment spent with Constable Yang (Pong Fong Wu) was a delight, and it's a shame to spend so little time with this blustery cop. (How sad to read on Wikipedia of Mr. Wu's premature death, only months ago.)
One of the biggest mysteries in this production is the monorail-like conveyance that ferries our crew through the rain forest. C'mon, who builds such a thing in the backwoods? It's a red herring, that, while intriguing, distracts from other important questions to consider in the narrative.
One thing I remember about Lynch's "Blue Velvet" is its disturbing premise that the ordinary cloaks perversion. That message also reverberates in "Soul." Who would ever suspect the faded Wang of anything? The ultimate survivor, he has a single M.O.: "Survive at any cost." I suppose there's a lesson in that for us all.