Three Times Hou Hsiao Hsien Review
This is also the most visually experimental of the three segments. Hou employs extremely long takes (some over five minutes) where the camera barely moves. In one stunning sequence, the poet visits the courtesan’s room. They sit across from each other. He reads a letter. She pours tea. Nothing happens. And yet, everything happens.
The film is divided into three distinct segments, each titled after a different time period: "A Happy Man" (set in the 1960s), "A Sad Man" (set in the 1970s), and "A Lonely Man" (set in the 2000s). Each segment features a different cast, but all are connected by themes of love, loss, and longing. three times hou hsiao hsien
"Three Times" is a trilogy of films that Hou Hsiao-hsien directed between 2005 and 2006. The series consists of "Goodbye to Language," "The Flight of the Red Balloon," and "The Man from Mo-i." While each film can be appreciated as a standalone work, together they form a cohesive whole, exploring the intricacies of love, memory, and the passage of time. This is also the most visually experimental of
The 2005 segment adopts a restless, contemporary gaze. Hou swaps his stable, distant camera for handheld movements and tight close-ups. The color palette shifts to cold blues and harsh neon. By embracing the fragmented nature of digital-age communication, he highlights the emotional disconnect that plagues modern urban life. The Continuity of Desire They sit across from each other