Comments on: Taiwan: The Return of Local Cinema http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/09/26/taiwan-the-return-of-local-cinema-not-just-cape-no7/ The world is talking. Are you listening? Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:13:24 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Links 29 September 2008 - David on Formosa http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/09/26/taiwan-the-return-of-local-cinema-not-just-cape-no7/comment-page-1/#comment-1519663 Links 29 September 2008 - David on Formosa Mon, 29 Sep 2008 01:42:15 +0000 http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=50634#comment-1519663 [...] Portnoy at Global Voices discusses the resurgence of Taiwanese cinema. [...] [...] Portnoy at Global Voices discusses the resurgence of Taiwanese cinema. [...]

]]> By: Poagao http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/09/26/taiwan-the-return-of-local-cinema-not-just-cape-no7/comment-page-1/#comment-1518915 Poagao Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:25:32 +0000 http://globalvoicesonline.org/?p=50634#comment-1518915 I've said for many years that Taiwanese cinema has been polarized into the arthouse and low-brow humor camps, and that if anyone bothered to meet in the middle they'd be a success; it's just surprising that it's taken this long for someone to actually do it. I don't think that any one of the political views in the movie should be taken as a blanket statement, though. The character who says a lot of these things is a "local representative", who in general are little better than local thugs, completely unelected "officials" who usually think more about their personal gain than the actual welfare of their "districts". So I'd take those lines with a grain of salt. The director could just as easily be making a comment about how the "representative" system is in conflict with the rule of law. I’ve said for many years that Taiwanese cinema has been polarized into the arthouse and low-brow humor camps, and that if anyone bothered to meet in the middle they’d be a success; it’s just surprising that it’s taken this long for someone to actually do it.

I don’t think that any one of the political views in the movie should be taken as a blanket statement, though. The character who says a lot of these things is a “local representative”, who in general are little better than local thugs, completely unelected “officials” who usually think more about their personal gain than the actual welfare of their “districts”. So I’d take those lines with a grain of salt. The director could just as easily be making a comment about how the “representative” system is in conflict with the rule of law.

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