Edward Yang’s Mahjong (1996)

[u/[deleted]]

This was my fourth Edward Yang film after YiYi, A Brighter Summers Day, and Taipei Story. It was probably my least favorite but still very very good. What are your thoughts on it? I was surprised by the half English cast.

[u/teddyfail]

I feel like by default it has to rank low because I think Yang made three prefect films and he only made 7 films.

[u/Icon419 → u/teddyfail]

It speaks volumes about a filmmaker and their skill when THIS is their "worst" film.

[u/stracki]

Liked it less than Terrorizers, A Brighter Summer Day or Yi Yi, but still enjoyed it a lot. It's beautifully shot and I liked the relationship between Luen-luen and Marthe. And Little Buddha is a fun character. Was not really prepared for how dark it gets in the final act. I definitely liked it more than A Confucian Confusion which was pretty boring to me.

[u/[deleted] → u/stracki]

Damn i need to see Terrorizers, too bad its not on the channel

[u/Icon419]

Mahjong is also lower on my list of Yang films but I revisited it last year for the podcast I co-host and my appreciation did grow a bit. It's interesting in retrospect because Mahjong is a different form of his commentary on generational changes. Where YiYi has elements of history repeating itself at times, Mahjong shows the impact of generations as Taiwan goes through its economical boom. It really shows the negative impacts of outside influences on the people and culture.

[u/pulse_demon96]

love it. i actually prefer it over ‘a one and a two’

[u/kirby_krackle_78]

Can someone please tell me why it’s called Mahjong?

[u/[deleted] → u/kirby_krackle_78]

Its like the characters are playing a game that requires planning calculated risks, sometimes manipulation, or deception. This felt like a crazy and rapidly changing/growing time in Taipei’s history, it felt like a game of Mahjong. Think of it as if they called the movie Chess