The Sinophone Cinema of Hou Hsiao-Hsien: Culture, Style, Voice, and Motion

399 Pages·2016·51.5 MB·English

by  Christopher Lupke

The Sinophone Cinema of
Hou Hsiao-hsien

The Sinophone Cinema of
Hou Hsiao-hsien
Culture, Style, Voice, and Motion
Christopher Lupke
Cambria Sinophone World Series
General Editor: Victor H. Mair

Cambria Contemporary Global Performing Arts Series
General Editor: John M. Clum
Copyright 2016 Cambria Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced
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Requests for permission should be directed to:
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Lupke, Christopher.
Title: The sinophone cinema of Hou Hsiao-Hsien :
culture, style, voice and motion / Christopher Lupke.
Description: Amherst, NY : Cambria Press, 2016. |
Series: Cambria sinophone world series |
Series: Cambria contemporary global performing arts series |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Includes filmography.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015009394 |
ISBN 9781604979138 (alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Hou, Xiaoxian, 1947---Criticism and interpretation.
Classification: LCC PN1998.3.H687 L86 2015 |
DDC 791.4302/32092--dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015009394
To Shuxin –
Thank you for sticking with me through this.

Table of Contents
List of Figures................................................................ ix
Acknowledgements........................................................ xiii
A Note on Romanization................................................. xvii
Chapter 1: The Odyssey of Hou Hsiao-hsien............................. 1
Chapter 2: Zhu Tianwen and the Sotto Voce of Gendered
Expression....................................................... 47
Chapter 3: Comparing Hou Hsiao-hsien and Ozu Yasujirô............ 77
Chapter 4: The Muted Interstices of Testimony....................... 113
Chapter 5: Time and Teleology in Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Films of
Quest and Disillusionment.................................. 153
Chapter 6: What is Said and Left Unsaid in Hou Hsiao-hsien’s
Period Adaptations........................................... 209
Chapter 7: Interviews and Dialogues with Hou Hsiao-hsien......... 231
Chinese Character Glossary.............................................. 293
Filmography................................................................ 317
Additional Filmography................................................... 337
Bibliography................................................................ 339
Index......................................................................... 359
Praise for The Sinophone Cinema of Hou Hsiao-hsien.................. 373
About the Author.......................................................... 377

List of Figures
Figure 1: The Young Puppetmaster Li Tianlu ...........................38
Figure 2: Li Tianlu Narrating the Events of His Life ...................39
Figure 3: Video Image of Ozu Yasujirô’s Late Spring in Good Men,
Good Women ..................................................... 40
Figure 4: Dongdong Memorizing a Tang Poem .........................71
Figure 5: Grandpa Monitoring Dongdong Memorizing a Tang
Poem .............................................................. 71
Figure 6: Tingting and Hanzi with the Dead Bird ......................72
Figure 7: The Train during A-Hao’s Adventure with his
Grandmother ....................................................108
Figure 8: A-Hao Reacting to His Mother’s Grief-Stricken
Cry ............................................................... 108
Figure 9: A-Hao as a Teen Street Thug ................................ 109
Figure 10: Shûkichi and Tomi with a Photo of their “Missing”
Son ..............................................................109
Figure 11: Lin Wenxiong Negotiating the Release of His
Brother ......................................................... 145