Lien lien feng ch'en
The tender love between rural sweethearts Wan and Huen is sorely tested when the pair attempts to make a life in the city—an experience of alienation and disillusionment—and Wan finally faces compulsory military conscription. A universal story of lost love, the film constructs a poignant urban/rural dichotomy that informs much of director Hou Hsiao-hsien's work, and spellbindingly posits (and then withdraws) the elusive possibility of going home again.
Producer: Chang Hua-K'un, Li Hsien-Ch'ang. Director: Hou Hsiao-hsien. Screenwriter: Wu Nien-Jen, Chu Tien-wen. Cinematography: Mark Lee (Ping-bin). Editor: Liao Ching-sung. Cast: Wang Ching-wen, Hsin Shu-fen, Li Tien-lu, Chen Shu-fang, Lin Yang. 35mm, color, in Mandarin and Taiwanese with English subtitles, 110 min.
