#houhsiao-hsien

[ifnooneelselistenstoyou]

A City of Sadness. Directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien, 3-H Films, 1989.

Much can be said about the effects of war.

The mutilated, unrecognizable cadavers. The stench of gunpowder and burnt soil hovering all over the land. The shells of each bullet and fragments of each explosive. The torn uniforms. The blood-stained shoreline.

But that’s just at the frontlines. What are we left with when we return home?

Families, torn apart only to be tossed back in together again. Businesses struggling over the scraps, get trampled by the scheming wealthy businessmen. A government, barely holding on to its power, kills its own constituents out of fear. Fear that its citizens will slowly realize they have no idea what to do with the power entrusted to them.

Far from the battlefield, we are left with broken homes, bankrupt businesses, and elites killing each other in vying for power.

For war doesn’t just bring death. It also imposes an inconsolable sadness.

[lucinella]

makes me feel like i'm floating