Taiwanese Blockbuster : Seediq Bale《賽德克‧巴萊》

http://www.seediqbalethemovie.com

One heck of a show to look out for….. hopefully they bring it into Singapore. Based on a Taiwanese aborigine tribe’s fight against suppression against the Japanese when Taiwan was occupied by them. Directed by the blockbuster Cape No.7 ( 海角七號  ) director Te Sheng Wei 魏德聖 . The near 5 hour long historical epic movie is split into 2 parts – The Sun Tribe and The Rainbow Bridge. Costing a record breaking US$25 Million Dollars to make, the scenes are often breath taking , showcasing the natural beauty to our Mother Earth – Gaia which the tribe was trying to protect.

The film is set after the Sino-Japanese War and talks about cultures being suppressed when a more advanced race enters a new land and imposed their will on the locals. The Japanese established a stronghold and built a town in the scenic mountains and started oppressing the traditions of the aborigines. One of the rules was that the tribesmen were banned from painting their faces, a ceremony that marks the transition from child to man.The child were also taught the Japanese language and culture to try to take away the identity of the people while brainwashing and imposing a superiority complex over the tribes. Opposing tribes banded together and a group of 300 men planned to fight back against the technologically superior Japanese.

While told from the viewpoint of a tribal leader, the Japanese were not over demonized as they were still compassionate people among the Japanese. One thing one will notice about this show is that there is a lack of star power, the only notable name being Vivian Hsu 徐若瑄 . The main actors were mainly people picked off the streets, of which one used to be a truck driver while another is a pastor.

Shall not divulge too much so as to let you better enjoy the movie.

Highly Recommended ~~~