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complex matters of the national identity and Taiwanese history. The film alternates the past, and
the present, especially on the role played by Chiang Bi-Yu and Liang Ching. Chiang Bi-Yu was
an anti-Japanese and anti-Nationalist innovatory. Several experiences portrayed in the film are
symbolic. For instance, from her stolen diary, Liang receives enigmatic phone calls as well as
faxes, making her remember the past moments, including her bondage with Jack Kao, her late
boyfriend. The film commemorates the occasions in the three settings including the present, near
past as well as the 1940s and 1950s. The events were distinguished from each other in the
shootings. For instance, the historical scenes were filmed in striking black and white while the
present and near past were shot in color (Udden, pg 23-102).
Nevertheless, Hou Hsiao-Hsien reveals how the events of the war brought trauma to
many families and relationships. For example, Liang Ching as many other women lost their
lovers while in the forces. Most horrific is the death of Chiang Bi-Yu’s husband, who was
involved in the noble course, unlike Liang Ching’s husband who was associated with petty
gangsters. However, the grief encountered by all the women is real. The desperation that
followed the circumstance was revealed when Chiang Bi-Yu was portrayed sitting at the
deathbed of her late husband while meditating by the lighting the memorial fire placed at the foot
of the bed. The deliberate zooming of the camera adds the augmented propinquity to Chiang’s
grief. With the camera drawing nearer, the shooting shifts to color, from the previous black and
white. This suggests a chronological adjustment from the past to the present, at the same time
comparing the mourning of Liang and Chiang. This depicts Hou’s decision to make the same
actress reveal both women. Several experiences of such grief were encountered among different
families who lost their loved ones.
