A City of Sadness

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• 1989
• 2 hr 37 mins
• Drama, Documentary

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Set in Taiwan between 1945 and 1949, A City of Sadness portrays the turbulent years that immediately followed the end of the Japanese colonial period. As Japan surrenders at the close of World War II, the island is handed over to the Chinese Nationalists (Kuomintang), whose arrival, initially greeted with hope, soon gives way to mistrust, corruption, and violent political repression. Against this historical backdrop, the film follows the intertwined fates of the Lin family, owners of a modest restaurant in the port city of Keelung. The eldest brother, Wen-heung, struggles to maintain the family business while clashing with criminal elements that are taking advantage of the new political disorder. Another brother, Wen-leung, traumatised by his wartime experience, disappears after being arrested, leaving the family in anxious uncertainty. The youngest brother, Wen-ching, a deaf-mute photographer, becomes the emotional center of the film. His quiet integrity and his growing relationship with Hinomi-whose own family is shattered by the political upheavals-provide a fragile strand of hope. As the infamous February 28 Incident of 1947 erupts-a violent crackdown by the Kuomintang on Taiwanese civilians-the lives of the Lin family are shaken by fear, loss, and the impossibility of remaining untouched by history. The film traces how each member is drawn, willingly or not, into the political currents that engulf the island. Through its elliptical storytelling, understated performances, and contemplative style, A City of Sadness offers a deeply human portrait of a family struggling to endure a period of national trauma, suggesting that personal and collective sorrow are inseparable during times of historical catastrophe.