Movielogr
Rebels of the Neon God (1994)
Directed by Tsai Ming-liang
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Overview
Defying his parents, disaffected youth Hsiao Kang drops out of the local cram school to head for the bright lights of downtown Taipei. He falls in wit Ah Tze, a young hoodlum, and their relationship is a confused mixture of hero-worship and rivalry that soon leads to trouble.
Rated NR | Length 106 minutes
Actors
Yu-Wen Wang | Chen Chao-jung | Lee Kang-Sheng | Jen Chang-bin | Tien Miao | Lu Yi-Ching
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06/30/2020 | TV | Streaming | Video on Demand | 7.5 stars |
| (Average) 7.5 stars |
Viewing Notes
I did not know this was Tsai Ming-liang first feature. However, it’s not his first work so maybe that classification refers to his first feature in competition since it did win some awards at the Golden Horse Awards the following year. TIL Lee Kang-Sheng is the same age as me, which is crazy. He looks so young in this yet is was 24yo when this was made.
I wish I had seen this on the big screen for the Tsai Ming-liang series at Doc Films but I only learned of the series after this screening had happened. The transfer on Kanopy is likely the same as the DVD release (not great). I was informed that there’s going to be a box set release in HK of his films with new scans. Not sure if that means we’ll get something over here but these films need it.
I may update that description on TMDb b/c it’s not correct. It’s half correct I suppose. Hsiao Kang (Lee Kang-Sheng) does quit school and runs out on his dad but he doesn’t fall in with Ah Tze. Rather he enacts his own kind of revenge on him. What I really like is how this captured the disaffected youth of Taipei at the time and in particular these guys looting for extra cash yet just trying to get by. That whole water and flooding is running theme in Tsai’s films (at least the ones I’ve seen). It’s always symbolic of desperation, poverty, futility, and the general force of nature (to different degrees depending on the movie).
I think back to GOODBYE, DRAGON INN and the non-stop rain signaling that unstoppable march of time moving forward. Or in THE RIVER where the water is both bad yet necessary. The water shortage in THE WAYWARD CLOUD making it an obsession. Very fascinating. I’d love to read a good book or online journal about Tsai’s films and the meanings he’s instilled in his work.
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