This course focuses on Taiwanese imagery in Taiwan artistic cinema after the lifting of martial law in 1987 and Taiwan New Wave (1983-1987). It is to introduce the diverse facets of Taiwan artistic cinema, and also to propel reflections on how the post-martial law Taiwan re-defined and re-molded the definition of Taiwan culture. Combining artistic and ideological analysis of films with cultural research, this course tends to encourage students to develop further understanding of modern Taiwan culture and society.
W1 Introduction
W2 2010s I: Director Hsin-yao Huang
Films: The Great Buddha+ (2017), Taivalu: Taiwan vs. Tuvalu (2010)
[documentary]
Readings:
Misek, Richard. (2010) Chromatic Cinema. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell. pp.97-116.
W3 2010s II: Director Midi Z
Films: The Road to Mandalay (2016), Ice Poison (2014), Return to Burma
(2011)
Readings:
Chan, Melissa Mei-Lin. (2017) “Mail-Order Brides and Methamphetamines: Sinophone Burmeseness in Midi Z's Burma Trilogy,” Concentric: Literary and Cultural Studies, 43(2), pp.11 – 31.
W5 Holiday off
W4 & W6 Post-martial Law Era/ Alternative Cinema I: Director Tso-chi Chang
Films: Thanatos, drunk (2015), Soul of a Demon (2008), The Best of Times
(2001), Ah-Chung (1996)
Readings:
Chuang, Fu-Ying. “An Audience's Close Reading of Chang Tso-Chi's Films: From Cuts to Fades into Black in Ah Chung and Darkness and Light,” Sun Yat-sen Journal of Humanities, 40, pp.119-143.
Liao, Dominique. (2019) “Futile Liberation: Post-Martial Law Taiwanese Gangster Films,” in A Companion to the Gangster Film, ed. by George Larke-Walsh. London: Wiley Blackwell Publishing, pp. 395-412.
W7-8 Post-martial Law Era/ Alternative Cinema II: Director Ming-liang Tsai
Films: Stray Dogs (2015), Face (2009), The Wayward Cloud (2005), The River
(1997)
Readings:
Attfield, Sarah. (2017) “Tsai Ming Liang’s Alternative Narratives of Working-Class Life in Taiwan,” IAFOR Journal of Media, Communication & Film, 4(1), pp.93-105.
De Villiers, Nicholas. (2013) “Spatial and Sexual Disorientation in the Films of Tsai Ming-liang,” IAFOR Journal of Literature & Librarianship, 2(1), pp.67-76.
W9-11 New Departure from the repeal of Martial Law I: Director Hsiao Hsien Hou
Films: The Assassin (2015), Flight of the Red Balloon (2007), Café Lumière
(2003), Flowers of Shanghai (1998), Goodbye South, Goodbye (1996),
Good Men, Good Women (1995), A City of Sadness (1989)
Readings:
Jinhua, Dai and Jingyuan Zhang. (2008) “Hou Hsiao‐Hsien’s films: pursuing and escaping history,” Inter-Asia Cultural Studies, 9(2), pp.239-250.
Kraushaar, Frank. (2018) “Fighting Swaying Imbalances of Powers: The Transformation of Spiritual Freedom in Tang Tales into Individual Freedom in Hou Hsiao-hsien’s The Assassin,” Acta Universitatis Carolinae: Philologica, 4, pp.109-125.
Yeh, Emilie Yueh-yu and Darrell William Davis. (2005) Taiwan film directors: a treasure island. New York: Columbia University Press. [Chapter 4]
W12-13 Presentations [Outlines of final Essays]
W14 New Departure from the repeal of Martial Law II: Director Edward Yang
Films: Yiyi : A One And Two (2000), A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
Readings:
Liu, Yu-hsiu. (2005) “A Myth(ology) Mythologizing Its Own Closure: Edward Yang’s A Brighter Summer Day,” in Island on the Edge, ed. Chris Berry and Feii Lu. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press.
Yeh, Emilie Yueh-yu and Darrell William Davis. (2005) Taiwan film directors: a treasure island. New York: Columbia University Press. [Chapter 3]
W15-16 Taiwan New Wave: 1983-1987
Films: The terrorizer (Edward Yang, 1986), The Sandwich Man (Hsiao Hsien
Hou and Jen Wan, 1983), Flowers of Taipei: Taiwan new cinema
(Chinlin Hsieh, 2014)
Readings:
Chan, Hung-Chi and Ying-Chih Liao. (2007) “Appendix A: 1987 Taiwanese Cinema Manifesto,” in The Renaissance of Taiwaneseness: Taiwanese Alternative Cinema and Avant-garde Theatre in the post martial law era, PhD dissertation, Lancaster University.
Peng, Hsiao-Yen. (2012) “Auteurism and Taiwan New Cinema,” Journal of Theater Studies, 9, pp.125-148.
Yeh, Emilie Yueh-yu and Darrell William Davis. (2005) Taiwan film directors: a treasure island. New York: Columbia University Press. [Chapter 2]
W17 Submission of final Essays
W18 One-on-one tutorial
