339 - Yi Yi

[captainofbeef]

- New, restored high-definition digital transfer
- Audio commentary by writer-director Edward Yang and noted Asian-cinema critic Tony Rayns
- New video interview with Rayns about the “New Taiwanese Cinema” movement
- U.S. theatrical trailer
- PLUS: A new essay by Kent Jones

[criterionmaster]

Rarely do I see a film this good. One that takes two viewings to grasp but as soon as the credits roll you know you have just watched something special. Something so beautiful and different from any other films that you can’t stop thinking about it. You can’t stop seeing the shots in your head.

The film follows a family over the course of a year, beginning with a wedding and ending with a funeral. So much goes on in the film it would be hard, if not impossible, for me to put it all down. Each member has their own story.

The film is close to three hours in length but never gets boring for a second. It reminds me of Fanny and Alexander in that I could watch these characters forever. Everything about this film is so real. The character of Yang-Yang is looking to capture reality with his camera, show people the things that they don’t know and can’t see. He is probably my favorite character ever for that reason. Thats why I want to make films, to show people something different or unique.

I have never been so close to crying in my life then at the end of this film. I was like how could this film get any better and then comes Yang-Yang’s speech which brought the whole film together. So touching, so beautiful.

The cinematography on the film is brilliant. Yang didn’t try to do anything fancy like it Kar Wai films. He kept it simple which gave it a real quality.

The characters are so deep and constantly developing. You really cannot grasp all the characters in the first viewing. There is so much to these people. They are all played wonderfully and brilliantly. A film that most people have seen that I can compare this to is a film like Short Cuts or Magnolia. A film all about its characters.

This film was even funny in some parts as well. I had two favorite scenes, the one at the end and the one with Yang-Yang and his father in the car. Both are perfect in everyway possible.

After watching this it was like a bomb was dropped on me. I was crushed. Still after two viewing there is more to see.

A rare film that does EVERYTHING right, I mean it does everything I want a film to do.

It is heartbreaking and compelling…

I could really go on and on.

*Sorry for these random thoughts on the film.

IMAGES THAT STUCK OUT FOR ME:







Where the FUCK are all the images from this film? I can hardly find any!

[blackmoses]

I will grade Yi Yi soon.

Here are some pictures.





If I find more pictures ill post them.

[ie]

A bit of a review:

My first impression of Yi Yi was that it really looked like a home movie. I thought it made everything look more realistic, more like someone had recorded these events with their camcorder than set it up to be a professional movie. Unfortunately, this was just because Winstar (Fox/Lorber) did a poor job with the transfer; the Criterion Collection version looks sharp and clear, even if the Winstar version had its brightness values bumped up unnaturally. I might knock the Criterion Collection from time to time, but when they have their game face on, they take names like nobody's business. This is one example of where they are so much on their game that you can actually tell from screenshots which are Criterion and which are not.

My second impression of Yi Yi took place around the scene where NJ and Ota are in the bar, and Ota plays Moonlight Sonata. That just struck me, and I only just realized why, although that would be my final impression, and not my second impression.

My third impression of Yi Yi was that I really should watch this again. Not immediately, but eventually.

My fourth impression of Yi Yi was that Moonlight Sonata (which I had been listening to after hearing it again for the first time in a while) really sums up Yi Yi. Moonlight Sonata is sad, but you want to listen to it because of just how beautiful it is. Yi Yi is also sad, but you want to watch and rewatch it because there's just so much to it, it shows how beautiful life can be.


This is my favorite scene.

My favorite character was actually Mr. Ota. I really liked everything he had to say.

In the end, I'm just not quite sure how I want to rate Yi Yi. I have some feelings that are keeping me from giving it a 10/10, I'm just not sure what exactly is keeping me from that. I can't give specific examples, but is that feeling understandable?


Also, I have about fifty to sixty screenshots that I took while watching the movie. After sorting through them, I'll figure out how to post them. I'll upload them to ImageShack, but should I just do a dump of the entire 50-60 screenshots here in this thread, or should I place them in a .html page?

[criterionmaster]

Even without the bad transfer Yi yi does at times feel like a home movie. It just has that real, unforced quality about it. When I was done I re-watched it right away, it was a good choice. The film blew me away that much that I had to watch a 3 hour+ movie back to back.

I have a feeling, maybe after you re-watch it and see how well it holds up on multiple viewings you will give it that 10/10 it deserves.

SPOILER***
How about that ending? Wasn't that one of the most beautiful things you have ever seen? It just crushed me emotionally. Probably my favorite part of the whole films because it just brought it all together, no better way to end that film.
**End Spoiler

EDIT: Just post the pictures in the thread.

[ie]

I decided to give Yi Yi a 10/10, but with some reservation.

It's in my Top 20, but it's not in my Top 10, for two reasons. I was not completely floored by Yi Yi, and I felt it was a little too dense. This is why you need to watch it multiple times, because I didn't really get to know all of the characters or everything that's going on really until about halfway through the movie. I think I'll enjoy the rewatch much better once I've read a guide on who everyone is, and a summary of everything that happens.


I forgot that I could use URL links.

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50 51 52 53 54

[criterionmaster]

Thanks!

[ie]

You're quite welcome. As I've told some of you, I have at least five thousand screenshots that I've taken (with PowerDVD) over the past year or less. I just take screenshots of certain scenes that spark my interest, I think were well done, or just kind of funny.


edit: Here was that article I was hoping for, one that would help explain things in the movie.

"And when NJ and Sherry are waiting for a train in Japan, in an extreme long shot, Sherry tenderly edges NJ back just a little from the tracks as a train pulls in. The way this instinctual, affectionate gesture is performed could only occur between two people who have had a world of history between them.

But the richness extends beyond the main characters. Every character, no matter how peripheral, feels real:"

One can't really see all of this from the first viewing of Yi Yi, which is my primary qualm with it. Your first time through is just you in a little life preserver in a big ocean. Then as you become more and more used to the waters, you find yourself on a boat, and then a vessel.


Maybe I've seen movies like this before, where there was a lot going on under the surface, but on the surface it felt like not much was going on at all.

Yi Yi still gets a 10/10, and I can't think of any other movies like Yi Yi that I've seen but haven't given as much effort to, so I think I'm good.

[criterionmaster]

Well I think movies should be like this, if they gave you everything the first time around you wouldn't come back for more. I love when films MAKE me watch them again because they have that lasting power, get something new out of each experience.

[ie]

I don't mind that you have to really watch it multiple times in order to get it.

I just hate it when movies are set up so that you hate them the first time through, then after a while you begin to enjoy them. I hate that. I want to enjoy a movie, even if the subject matter is less than enjoyable.


It shouldn't be that I have to watch a movie ten fucking times before I even begin to enjoy it.



Oh, big rant there.


Pretty much, Yi Yi is in my Top 20, but not my Top 10. I think it's reasonable.

[criterionmaster]

I actually am one who likes when a film slowly grows on me, but not everyone does.

[agentknight]

Yeah, i too love it when I don't really enjoy a film the first time through, but then it slowly gets under my skin, best examples, Vertigo and Cries and Whispers.

[misterbalco]

This is definatly a great film, but in my opinion, Criterion did too much of an unimpressive job on the special features department for me to buy a 39.99$ dvd. The movie was incredible tho, the final scene was breathtaking, as pointed out. Its rare to get such a mix of sadness and joy in the same film, and it almost had me in tears (its hard for me to get in tears).

[nonfiction]

agentknight said:

Yeah, i too love it when I don't really enjoy a film the first time through, but then it slowly gets under my skin, best examples, Vertigo and Cries and Whispers.

La Dolce Vita is an example of that for me. I love that feeling.

*edit* I can't say that I didn't enjoy it the first time through, but not nearly as much as I like it now.