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Yi Yi (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]
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Genre | Drama |
Format | NTSC, Widescreen, DTS Surround Sound, Blu-ray, Subtitled |
Contributor | Nianzhen Wu, Issey Ogata, Kelly Lee, Jonathan Chang, Elaine Jin, Edward Yang |
Language | Mandarin Chinese |
Runtime | 2 hours and 53 minutes |
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Product Description
The extraordinary, internationally embraced Yi Yi (A One and a Two . . .), directed by the late Taiwanese master Edward Yang (A Brighter Summer Day), follows a middle-class family in Taipei over the course of one year, beginning with a wedding and ending with a funeral. Whether chronicling middle-age father NJ’s tentative flirtations with an old flame or precocious young son Yang-Yang’s attempts at capturing reality with his beloved camera, the filmmaker deftly imbues every gorgeous frame with a compassionate clarity. Warm, sprawling, and dazzling, this intimate epic is one of the undisputed masterworks of the new century.
Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : NR (Not Rated)
- Product Dimensions : 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 4 ounces
- Item model number : CRRN1993BR
- Director : Edward Yang
- Media Format : NTSC, Widescreen, DTS Surround Sound, Blu-ray, Subtitled
- Run time : 2 hours and 53 minutes
- Release date : March 15, 2011
- Actors : Nianzhen Wu, Elaine Jin, Issey Ogata, Kelly Lee, Jonathan Chang
- Subtitles: : English
- Studio : Criterion Collection
- ASIN : B004GFGUAO
- Country of Origin : USA
- Number of discs : 1
- Best Sellers Rank: #8,800 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
- #1,037 in Drama Blu-ray Discs
- Customer Reviews:
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The details in our own lives creates the significance of existence. Keep coming back for more insights into one's own life.
UPDATE May 2012
Returned to see Yi-Yi, this time, concentrating on its cinematic features. Once again, something to dwell on, as angles and framing add more layers of meaning to the narrative. It's not an "action" film, rather, a movie of "inaction."
Thanks for reading!
𝑾𝒉𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔?
𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏 -- 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍?
𝑵𝒐𝒘 𝑰'𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔 -- 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆 -- 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍.
Yi Yi (Chinese: 一一; pinyin: Yī Yī; lit. 'one one'; subtitled A One and a Two) is a 2000 Taiwanese drama film written and directed by Edward Yang.
Set in Taiwan, the film follows the lives of the Jian family from the alternating perspectives of the three main family members: father N.J., teenage daughter Ting-Ting and young son Yang-Yang. N.J., disgruntled with his current job, attempts to court the favor of a prominent video game company while Ting-Ting and Yang-Yang contend with the various trials of youth, all while caring for N.J.'s mother-in-law, who lies in a coma.
A film whose conflict is deeply predicated in generational differences, 𝒀𝒊 𝒀𝒊’s characterization is informed by a larger force of cultural change namely, the complicated subject of ownership that has affected the relationship between Taiwan and Japan as separate for decades on end.
In 1895 Taiwan was established as a dependency of Japan; the first of many colonies established by the latter, it was asserted as evidence that Japan's influence proving instrumental in the improving of a given area’s economy, public works, and ability to industrialize effectively. From 1937 to 1945 Japan was involved in a war with China, concurrently paired with the implementation of the ‘Kōminka Movement’ in its territories of Interest: It was established with the hope that countries like Taiwan would remain loyal to Japan (as opposed to wanting a Chinese victory), and required it citizens to forego their own sense of identity, pride, culture, language, religion, and customs.
In 1945 Japan ended up surrendering to the Allied powers of World War II, culminating in Taiwan being put under the administrative control of the Republic of China. Now under Nationalist rule, whether Taiwanese citizens experience more oppression and economic hardship under this leadership has been a topic of debate: leading to an issue of identity that is related to both Chinese and Japanese traditions, not to mention anything related to modernization.
In 𝒀𝒊 𝒀𝒊, the hints of of missing more explicit forms of Japanese influence make themselves known through an incognito array of lip service, mostly as evidenced by the languages used to communicate in combination with the settings in which key piece of dialogue are spoken; a majority of its dialogue being in Mandarin, at key times Taiwanese Hokkien is spoken, and this is primarily during scenes where NJ finds himself reminiscing with an old flame (Who reciprocates in the same language) in what is also a relatively undeveloped area: a sharp juxtaposition to the heavily industrialized area that NJ calls “home” but doesn't find nearly as fulfilling. Additionally, it is of no coincidence that NJ is sent on a business Mecca of sorts to Japan, and finds himself in the company of a friendly outsider whose honesty about his shortcomings is complimented by a bartender’s measured suggestion: “𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝑱𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎 - 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆'𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒕𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆” .
A film thereby dependent on otherwise tedious conversations and the concentration they can hold, 𝒀𝒊 𝒀𝒊 tries its hardest to divert from the usual in terms of stylistic choices: It is much less concerned with close-up shots and the like to convey emotion over what can be extrapolated from nonverbal cues and the surrounding terrain for guidance. Yang Wei-han’s camera, in its prioritization of full shots, endorses the perspective of one who is watching from afar: an endless feed of slouched backs, poor posture, and distant interactions reinforcing little Yang-Yang’s curiosity about all he is ignorant to in the world. Mere suggestions of presence without confirmation make clear how frustrating it can be to not have the whole picture - as the case when Ting-Ting plays secret agent with both her peers and family - never stopping to propose to viewers that with these limits one should ever feel satisfied, and thus free to make judgments about another individuals’ life, decisions, and unique circumstances.
As indicated by what unfolds during the first ten minutes of 𝒀𝒊 𝒀𝒊 - specifically, through further contextualization of the wedding that takes place - is made quite clear from the beginning that the influence of Jian’s eldest matriarch is slipping, though her opinion regarding family matters (And, not to mention, her attention) is still desired; what she can provide in respect to advice or criticism is swiftly framed as outdated, but this feedback is nonetheless missed when she enters a comatose state and leaves NJ, his wife, Yang-Yang, and Ting-Ting to “fend for themselves” and come to terms with the reality of their everyday and always developing lives. Both adults, only slightly advantaged by their own maturity, find themselves mourning a monotonous lifestyle with little reason to pass down any sense of optimism to their own children. Respectively, Yang-Yang and Ting-Tings’ combined inquisitiveness result in a punishing - but not necessarily deterring - collision with hard truths that are by some margin inarticulate. Every perched conflict is accentuated with a hint of ignorance on an audience member’s behalf that never reaches a state of being “resolved”, though they are left with the sense that each generation has learned a lesson tied to appreciating the moment, moving on, and looking forward to the future.
Perhaps what 𝒀𝒊 𝒀𝒊 boils down to is mundane and therefore trivial; as is the case with all of Yang’s films, this one examines the struggle between what is customary and present, and even with this being his last before passing in 2007 feature he still had plenty he planned to express about the relationship between perspective and what people stand to get out of current circumstances. His last written script, finished in 2001, featured a young child traveling the entire world with nothing more than a phone and a credit card in tow, and was likely “evidence” on his behalf that in the midst of generational or cultural differences people can still find ways to sincerely and sensitively care for one-another.
Through 𝒀𝒊 𝒀𝒊 Yang carried on with his self-appointed need to point out the inevitable: that with time traditions may be forgotten about or disregarded, but what’s worth preserving in the heart is worth carrying out with another person.
Since this review is actually NOT for the movie itself as I haven't been able to watch it so I give it 3 stars to be "fair"- I like to be able to watch it - perhaps someone who reads this can give me some pointers?
Top reviews from other countries
The Jian family, representing a perceptive portrayal of cultural and generational differences, encounter various trials and tribulations that personify the natural order of humanity. Middle-aged father NJ increasingly growing dissatisfied with work, a business occupation surrounding itself in the venomous greed of plutocracy. NJ’s wife succumbs to a midlife crisis after her mother regresses to a comatose state after a stroke, retreating to a Buddhist temple to seek enlightenment. Their teenage daughter Ting-Ting ensnared in a troubling love triangle, whilst solely consuming the blame for her grandmother’s stroke. And the youngest son Yang-Yang, developing an interest in photography to overcome the persistent bullying from his childish female classmates.
Yang’s intrepid final directorial feature before his untimely death is a slice of societal life through the perspective of middle-class Taiwan. Commencing its ornate grandeur with a joyous wedding, only to culminate in a melancholic funeral. Yi Yi, translating to One One, parallels idiosyncratic emotional turmoils between each generation gap of the same family to perpetuate the difficulties of humanistic stability and its eventual deterioration. For example, life. NJ emotes the representation of depression with his lethargic energy and solemn facial expression, indicating his general unhappiness to the corporate environment. He then meets Japanese software mogul Ota, whom provides a much required mental realignment through a spectacular sleight-of-hand card trick, after highlighting NJ’s strengths in earnest personality. His honesty. Ting-Ting, a reserved bookworm undergoing puberty, unabashedly welcomes the first male counterpart to show admiration for her. Only to inevitably end in heartache, as most school crushes do. Yang-Yang is at an age of curiosity. Coming to terms with the apparent social ineptitude by discovering a newfound hobby that would allow him to express his emotions through stills of people’s necks. Bestowing them the “whole truth”.
These internal complications then transgress into parallels of love. NJ reuniting with his former flame Sherry, whom desperately yearns to participate in his life once more. The two discuss their lost love, describing the first encounter they had vividly remembered. Comparatively paralleling Ting-Ting’s first date. Holding hands whilst experiencing sweaty palms. The sudden surge of temporary emotional stability. Yang, through a simple yet hugely effective narrational parallel, uncovers the emotionality behind love and how it can determine one’s life for the subsequent years to follow. His delectable screenplay never deters from the engrossing characters on screen. These aren’t plot devices for a hyperbolised dramatic endeavour. These are reflections of reality.
Accompanied by sublime cinematography from Yang, whom encapsulates the foundational imprisonment on mundane life, and Peng’s orchestral score that heightens the disparity within the Jian family, and the feature becomes an epic tapestry that invades every sense. Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata especially enhancing the quaint nature of Yang’s characters. Every single frame of the near three hour runtime has some significance, no matter how minuscule its staying power is. From seamless tracking shots of concrete office blocks to the picturesque clouds supplying the blue sky with personality. Anything and everything corresponds to an emotional stimulus.
That’s the beauty of Yi Yi. Much like life itself, the adornment is found in the details. The employment of Chang and Lee as first-time actors. The extensive distance between the camera and cast. The multitude of poignant emotional breakdowns presented by the stunning performances all-round. These ripples of life echo across the generational gap that reverberate across every family in existence. Yi Yi refuses to be just a film about life. It is life. As quiet as background ambience, yet fundamentally existing. Yang’s final feature is, undoubtedly, a cinematic masterpiece of supreme resonance. One that allows Yang-Yang’s final words to latch onto my subconscious forever. For “I feel I am old, too”.