Taken from a 4k scan of the original camera negative and restored by the world cinema foundation, the film looks pretty remarkable, which will be a relief to those who have only had access to the film through various bootlegs that appear to come from the. Among the most praised and soughtafter titles in all contemporary film, this singular masterpiece of taiwanese cinema, directed by edward yang is finally available for us audiences. A brighter summer day is one of the best films ive ever seen. Set in the early sixties in taiwan, a brighter summer day is. The film itself slowly builds towards this singular act of violence that, when it finally arrives, is both shocking and inevitable. A brighter summer day february 15th free screening. Its a teenrebellion movie in the tradition of rebel without a cause, an eastern cousin to martin scorseses early gangster saga mean streets, and a family drama with shades of director yasujiro ozu.
His swan song, yi yi 2000, was his first film to receive distribution in the u. Its a very filmlike presentation overall, boasting an. The world cinema foundation is a natural expansion of my love for movies. Among the most praised and soughtafter titles in all contemporary film, a brighter summer day is based on the true story of a crime that rocked taiwan in the 1960s. Its about the reality of growing up and the consequences of an aimless life. Set in the early sixties in taiwan, a brighter summer day is based on the true story of a crime that rocked the nation. The film is an extraordinarily large project for a chineselanguage film, not only for its duration of almost four hours, but also for its involvement of more than 100 amateur actors in different roles. L ong revered as one of the most important figures in world cinema, taiwanese filmmaker edward yang 19472007 left behind a body of work that is only now becoming more widely available in the west. Better late than never, the masterful a brighter summer. One of the towering masterpieces of the 1990s, edward yangs breathtaking epic charts the comingofage of a teenage boy chang as he grows up amidst political turmoil, warring street gangs, and the encroaching influence of american pop culture in 1960s taiwan. Shop a brighter summer day the criterion collection bluray 2017. Find release information for a brighter summer day 1991 edward yang on allmovie.
A 35mm film print restored by martin scorseses world cinema foundation will be screened at the state theater in. Set in the early sixties in taiwan, a brighter summer day is based on the true. A brighter summer day, gu ling jie shaonian sharen. Much has been accomplished and much work remains to be done, but the film foundation has created a base upon which we can build. A brighter summer day edward yang, 1991 the chinese cinema. A brighter summer day doesnt follow a standard dramatic pattern, and neither does it have a short story feel, or a nostalgic bent. A singular achievement in the history of cinema, edward yangs 1991 masterpiece a brighter summer day is a sprawling, novelistic vision of an era. To my mind this is a very strong contender for greatest film of the 1990s, and. The world cinema project wcp is a nonprofit organization devoted to the preservation and restoration of neglected world cinema founded in 2007 as the world cinema foundation by martin scorsese, it was inspired by the work of the film foundation in the united states, a similar venture which scorsese founded with george lucas, stanley kubrick, steven spielberg and clint eastwood in 1990.
Set in the early sixties in taiwan, a brighter summer day is based on the. A brighter summer day is not for the fainthearted, yet its rewards are manifold. In the latest issue of cinema scope, jonathan rosenbaum writes. A film of both sprawling scope and tender intimacy, this novelistic, patiently. A brighter summer day the criterion collection dvd. Ultimately, those who would get the most out of this film are those who are willing to acknowledge that the world is a messed up place and some movies are going to reflect that. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Long considered a crowning jewel of the new taiwanese cinemaa movement that also gave the world hou hsiaohsien and tsai minglianga brighter summer day straddles several genres.
Starting in may and running through july, youll be able to see free summer movies at cinema world movie theaters. Among the most praised and soughtafter titles in all contemporary film, this singular masterpiece of taiwanese cinema, directed by. The world cinema foundation wcf is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, restoring, and disseminating neglected films from around the world. A brighter summer day is a 1991 taiwanese epic comingofage drama film directed by edward yang and is considered by most to be a masterpiece of contemporary cinema. Zhan hongzhi talks about a brighter summer day and the last period of innocence. Set in the early 1960s yangs own teenage years and inspired by the true story of taiwans first juvenile homicide case, the film follows. Cleaning up a brighter summer day the criterion collection.
Each year since has further confirmed its status as a classic, but at the cost of increased wear and tear on the prints. Sourced from a 2009 4k restoration issued by martin scorseses world cinema foundation, the films natural but vivid color schemes look fantastic with excellent detail and plenty of textures. Edward yangs fourhour epic from taiwan is one of the major marks of world cinema of its time. First,the status of a brighter summer day in chinese cinema history is unshakable. I f you see a single fourhour film about the transitional generation of chinese refugees born in taiwan after the communist takeover, make it edward yangs a.
Join us for a free community screening of edward yangs a brighter summer day. A brighter summer day was restored in 2009 by the cineteca di bolognalimmagine ritrovata laboratory, in association with the film foundations world cinema project, the central motion picture corporation, and the edward yang estate. Film foundation di martin scorsese nellambito del world cinema. Taking into account all those things mentioned above, to call a brighter summer day merely a comingofage story is to understate it. A brighter summer day edward yang, 1991 the chinese. A brighter summer day 1991 a boy experiences first love, friendships and injustices growing up in 1960s taiwan.
Popular videos a brighter summer day a brighter summer day topic. Fifteen years ago, edward yangs a brighter summer day was released, heralding a new talent in world cinema. Sirs spiral towards tragedy never stretches credibility, because yang takes the time to let it realistically occur, showing us each factor. Thankfully, martin scorseses world cinema foundation has been toiling away. Martin scorseses world cinema project features roger. Seventeen years ago, together with my fellow filmmakers, we created the film foundation to help preserve american cinema. A brighter summer day is a 1991 taiwanese drama film directed by edward yang. Some have been as bold to stick a brighter summer day with the mighty m word, a weighty label that we cant dispute given its achievement in creating more than just a masterly. A brighter summer day the criterion collection bluray.
A deeply personal epic comparable in scope and impact to the godfather movies and sergio leones once upon a time in america, yangs extraordinary memory film stretches tautly over four hours of screen time and more than 100 speaking parts. A brighter summer day in criterion collection taste of. Yangs narrative is all encompassing, novelistic in length and approach the film is nearly 4 hours long, looking not just at the teenaged boys troubles, but the struggles of those around him and the reality that informed his downfall. So, if youre easily offended, go back to watching safe hollywood pictures, because you wont be able to appreciate this underrated. A brighter summer days extended running time pays off.
Martin scorsese founded the world cinema foundation in 2007 in order to help preserve and restore in collaboration with the cineteca di bologna films made outside the west. Martin scorseses world cinema project the criterion channel. A brighter summer day does what few films can, which is to show the ephemerality of people and the permanence of placesafter four hours, every classroom and courtyard, brick gymnasium and clay tennis court, feels thick with human residue. A brighter summer day the criterion collection blu. It is easy to restore a films image, but much harder to revive that feeling of seeing a classic for the first time. Among the most praised and soughtafter titles in all contemporary film, this singular masterpiece of taiwanese cinema, directed by edward yang, finally comes to home video in the united states. A brighter summer day was restored in 2009 by the cineteca di bolognalimmagine ritrovata laboratory, in association with the film foundation s world cinema project, the central motion picture corporation, and the edward yang estate. In a brighter summer day, these spaces collapse, and we see people so horrified by this that they deliberately destroy their own futures. But this film, completed in 1991 and only now receiving a proper american release thanks to restoration efforts by martin scorseses world cinema foundation. Based on a celebrated and controversial crime from 1960 that yang. A brighter summer day is a truth epic, a four hour journey into the abyss of teenage disillusionment. Amid the highrise wonderland of boomtime 1980s taipei, a multitude of characters struggle to keep pace with the countrys rapid modernization, including a corporate ladderclimbing office. In 2009, the world cinema foundation issued a restoration of a brighter summer day, using the original 35mm camera and sound negatives provided. A brighter summer day 1991 directed by edward yang.
Restoration funded by the george lucas family foundation and the film foundations world cinema project. But his 1991 epic a brighter summer day has traveled a much. A brighter summer day is a 1991 taiwanese epic comingofage drama film directed by. Upon returning to taiwan, he took up the offer to write a tv feature. Yangs cinema career started late at the age of 34 after an unpleasant film school experience at usc, after which he worked in seattles computer industry for seven years. A brighter summer day takes place in early 1960s taiwan, just over a decade after the old chinese government was displaced and many people moved with it from the mainland to taiwan. A film of both sprawling scope and tender intimacy, this novelistic, patiently observed epic centres on the gradual, inexorable fall of a young teenager from innocence to juvenile delinquency. At cinema world, each friday a new free summer movie starts in their summer kidfest series. This touchstone of the taiwanese new wave, master director edward yangs yi yi, a brighter summer day long unavailable second feature, is a ghostly, profound portrait of urban alienation.
A brighter summer day 1991 the criterion collection. It also enfolds the cinema itself, as ming lisa yang, the girl with whom sir is obsessed, gets herself a screen test at the studio. Edward yangs a brighter summer day was released earlier this year by the criterion collection. Apart from a weeklong run for edward yangs a brighter summer day at new yorks film society of lincoln center, american runs for its films have. I urge anyone who hasnt experienced a brighter summer day to check it out.