Ein Sommer zum Verlieben (1991)

Ein Sommer zum Verlieben: Directed by Edward Yang. With Chen Chang, Lisa Yang, Kuo-Chu Chang, Elaine Jin. Based on a true story, primarily on a conflict between two youth gangs, a 14-year-old boy’s girlfriend conflicts with the head of one gang for an unclear reason, until finally the conflict comes to a violent climax.

“This bleak Taiwanese epic based on a true story exposes the dark side of growing up in a harsh environment at a young age. I know what youu0026#39;re thinking, u0026quot;Wow, so original.u0026quot; But, even though itu0026#39;s far from being the first film of its kind, let alone the best, it manages to stay unpredictable throughout and packs plenty of surprises; think of the grand sweep of The Godfather flicks and thatu0026#39;s similar to what you get here. Visually, it doesnu0026#39;t really stand out in any significant way – at least from the print I saw. Instead, going for a more down-to-earth, gritty approach, which I liked because it suited the material. With that said, Director Edward Yang makes great use of long shots and keeps things very subtle, and I honestly canu0026#39;t think of a single bad or out-of-place angle in the film. The cast consisting almost entirely of nonprofessionals is very natural in their roles, even eerily believable at times when the film reaches disturbing moments – and thereu0026#39;s a lot of those. Itu0026#39;s a no-holds barred film that refuses to compromise itself for the sake of making the viewer feel safe or comfortable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAs a coming-of-age film, itu0026#39;s one of the very best. As a tragic romance, it delivers due to its Shakespearean quality. As a crime film, it can stand toe-to-toe with some of the very best of them. Even more impressive is that the film is able to cover so many important and (still) relevant issues and effectively explore the human condition without any heavy-handed morals or messages. The film is as straightforward and honest as they come, making it that much more engaging. And yet, despite all its qualities, itu0026#39;s not a film with universal appeal. Most would frown at its bleak approach and wonder where all the praise comes from. Others would skip it entirely due to it being a slow 4 hour film with no exploitative elements. Others would be wishing everyone were killed off and/or there was more action and pretentious imagery they could easily gravitate towards. Others…..well, I think you get the picture. Ultimately, those who would get the most out of this film are those who are willing to acknowledge that the world is a messed up place and some movies are going to reflect that. So, if youu0026#39;re easily offended, go back to watching u0026quot;safeu0026quot; Hollywood pictures, because you wonu0026#39;t be able to appreciate this underrated gem. And yeah, thatu0026#39;s me being a condescending prick. Sue me, what I say is true, and those who have seen the film know Iu0026#39;m right.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIu0026#39;m going to go ahead and admit right off the bat that what I just wrote does not do justice to the filmu0026#39;s level of substance and depth. This is merely a description. Others have gone far more in-depth into what makes the film so good than Iu0026#39;m capable of doing from a single viewing, so I recommend reading what theyu0026#39;ve wrote as well.”