Cast: Wu Nienien, Elaine Jin, Issey Ogata, Ting-Ting, Jonathan Chang
Director: Edward Yang
Screenplay: Edward Yang
Cinematography: Wei-han Yang
Music: Kai-Li Peng
U.S. Distributor: WinStar Cinema
In Taiwanese, Japanese, and English with subtitles
Recently, the word "drama" has been co-opted by the entertainment industry as a synonym for "soap opera." It's unfortunately rare for a drama to capture the nuances of real life and to represent them on screen in a non-manipulative manner. However, when such a movie comes along, it deserves notice. Yi yi is in that class, and is worthy of mention. At the outset, the running length - nearly three hours - can seem daunting, but that's only until you become involved in this intricate story of three generations of a Taiwanese family. Then, the 170 minutes in which director Edward Yang chooses to present his tale feels almost inadequate.
Yi yi begins with a wedding and ends with a funeral. The central character - if there can be said to be a central character in an ensemble drama - is NJ (Wu Nienien), an engineer at an electronics company. His younger brother is marrying a woman the family doesn't approve of, but he's doing it on the luckiest day of the year, so he's convinced that good things are on the way. His new bride may or may not be blushing, but she is noticeably pregnant. NJ is married to Min-Min (Elaine Jin) and they have two children: a teenage girl named Ting-Ting (Kelly Lee) and a younger boy called Yang-Yang (Jonathan Chang). On the day of the wedding, two events happen that force changes to the lives of NJ and his family. The first is a chance meeting between NJ and his first love, Sherry (Ko Su-Yun). It has been 30 years since they have last seen each other, but the attraction has not diminished. They also have unfinished business - Sherry wants to know why he left her waiting. The second is that Min-Min's mother has a stroke that leaves her in a coma.
The story unfolds in an unhurried fashion that allows us to get to know the characters. Nothing that occurs from beginning to end in Yi yi is outside the realm of possibility. There is no need to suspend disbelief. All we have to do is sit back and let the story pull us along. As in reality, there's humor and tragedy, laughter and tears. Situations and moral dilemmas are resolved in ways that are true to life, which may not be the manner in which we're used to seeing them develop on a movie screen. The fundamental reality of the story is what makes Yi yi unpredictable. In a movie driven by formulas, we know how things are going to turn out before they get started. In a movie that mimics real life, such certainties do not apply.
The doctor tells the family members to talk to the old lady as she lies insensible on her bed. Min-Min is horrified that she has little to tell her mother, and she's repeating the same things every day. This affects her so deeply that she leaves home temporarily to go in search of spiritual enlightenment. Ting-Ting blames herself for her grandmother's condition and confesses her guilt. "If you forgive me," she pleads, "wake up." Needless to say, the old woman remains in a coma, leaving Ting-Ting to wrestle with her conscience. Life goes on for her, and she soon has another situation to consider: she is attracted to her friend's boyfriend, and he to her. When the couple breaks up, does she move into the breach or hang back and give them an opportunity to work things out? Meanwhile, eight-year old Yang-Yang doesn't do much talking to his grandmother; he doesn't have a lot to say. Instead, he adopts an odd form of photography as a hobby. He takes pictures of the backs of people's heads so they can see what they look like from behind.
NJ goes on a business trip to Japan to close a deal with a software developer. The trip challenges his marriage vows, because Sherry meets him there. They flirt with each other, but when it comes time to make a decision about whether their relationship has a future, NJ is faced with the same issues that kept them apart 30 years ago, except this time, his wife and children provide additional complications.
Yang's approach to telling the story is interesting and varied. Sometimes, he pulls us into a scene with intimate camerawork. On other occasions, we gaze at the characters through plate glass windows that reflect the skyline. In both cases, we are voyeurs. In the former instances, however, we are invited to view the scene. In the latter ones, we are eavesdroppers. Yi yi is also excellent at varying the point-of-view. At different times, I felt I was viewing circumstances through the eyes of NJ, Ting-Ting, and Yang-Yang (Min-Min is underdeveloped, primarily as a result of a significant chuck of the film where she is absent). Watching Yi yi is like reading three short stories about the same essential set of situations.
Yi yi has points to make about the fragility of human existence and the imperfect nature of romantic love. In the end, however, the movie is more about characters than themes. Yi yi isn't trying to teach a lesson; it's offering a window into the lives of several individuals whose experiences will seem familiar to many of those gazing through that portal. You don't have to live in Taiwan or share a home with a dying comatose woman to empathize with Yang's characters. We are not them, but we understand them, and it's a credit to the filmmaker that this can be stated.
Yi yi is a classic example of a film that has flown under the radar. Despite being named the Best Film of 2000 by the National Society of Film Critics, many viewers have never heard of the movie. It is available on DVD, but requires some effort to track down. For those who appreciate the kind of experience Yi yi offers (and, having read this review, you'll know whether or not that applies), this film will provide a deeply rewarding three hours. It's one of the best of its kind and, had I been accorded the opportunity to have seen it theatrically in 2000 or 2001, it would have made my end-of-the-year Top 10 list. At this point, coming to the film during its DVD life, all I can do is offer a heartfelt recommendation.
© 2006 James Berardinelli