(aka 'Dong" or The Hole')
Taiwan 1998
Commissioned as part of the 2000 Seen By… millennium project, The Hole, Tsai
Ming-Liang’s 1998 feature, takes place at the turn of the millennium amid the
pandemonium of a mysterious, rapidly spreading virus that’s confounding the
health community. Declaring a state of emergency, officials have ordered
residents to evacuate the afflicted area, and have warned that services such as
water will be shut off soon. The widespread exodus has left the city nearly
deserted.
The action largely takes place in an apartment building where a woman, played by
Yang Kuei-Mei, is besieged by severe plumbing issues apparently originating from
the apartment of the man, played by Lee Kang-Sheng, above her. The plumber she’s
enlisted visits the man upstairs to track down the leak. The job is never
completed and a gaping hole is left in her ceiling, exposing the personal spaces
of the as-yet-unacquainted neighbors.
In a conventional romance, this would be the happy accident that unites, by way
of the persistent pressure of proximity, the incompatible couple by fateful
convenience through a series of comic incidents. In the world of Tsai Ming-Liang,
however, we get a dramatic departure from convention and insistent genre, and at
the same time, a continuation of his exploration of societal dysfunction and the
loneliness that arises from the ensuing alienation.
Excerpt from Fred Patton's article on DVDBeaver located HERE
Posters etc.
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Theatrical Release: May 1998 - Cannes Film Festival
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
DVD Review: Fox / Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC
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| Distribution | Fox / Lorber - Region 0 - NTSC | |
| Runtime | 1:28:57 | |
| Video | 1.80:1
Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.10 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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| Audio | Mandarin, Taiwanese (Dolby Digital 2.0) | |
| Subtitles | English, None | |
| Features |
Release Information: Edition Details: • Filmographies
(text) |
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| Comments: |
Although this does not look 'terrible', it is non-anamorphic and non-progressive and has combing in all horizontal motion sequences (see captures below). Other than that it is a little soft, but the colors look good and there doesn't appear to be excessive manipulation. The 2.0 audio is fine and of limited usage in the film. Some text screen extras are better than nothing and are typical of Fox / Lorber's previous DVD production output. I actually think this may be an improvement with the awful yellow removable subtitles. I think there may be another DVD release out there of this film and I will seek it out for comparison. I had forgotten how wonderful this film is. My 2nd favorite of Tsai's after Vive L'Amour. A real joy to behold. If I had to choose one image to represent as an anthem for DVDBeaver's existence it would be the last large capture of this review. We wish the image quality and package were better but we still strongly recommend the film. |
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Recommended Reading in Chinese/Hong Kong/Taiwanese Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy
by Zhen Ni, Chris Berry, Ni Zhen |
Zhang Yimou: Interviews (Conversations With
Filmmakers) by Frances Gateward |
Chinese Films in Focus: 25 New Takes by Chris Berry |
Wong Kar-Wai: Auteur of Time (Bfi World Directors) by Stephen Teo |
China into Film: Frames of Reference in Contemporary
Chinese Cinema (Envisioning Asia) by Jerome Silbergeld |
New Chinese Cinemas
by Nick Browne |
Once Upon a Time in China : A Guide to Hong Kong,
Taiwanese, and Mainland Chinese Cinema by Jeff Yang |
Tsai Ming-Liang by Tsai Ming-Liang |
Check out more in "The Library"
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| Distribution | Wellspring Media Inc. - Region 0 - NTSC | |
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