Three Times Hou Hsiao Hsien _verified_ Link
Setting:
Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Three Times (2005) is a triptych film that explores love, longing, and social dynamics across three distinct eras of Taiwanese history. It stars Shu Qi and Chang Chen in all three segments, playing different characters who share a spiritual connection through time. 🎞️ Segment Breakdown 1. A Time for Love (1966) A pool hall in Kaohsiung.
Presented as a silent film with intertitles, set during Japanese occupation. A Time for Youth 2005 (Taipei) Excessive freedom, modern isolation three times hou hsiao hsien
Introduction
The Story:
A young man about to start his military service falls for a pool hall hostess. Setting: Hou Hsiao-hsien’s Three Times (2005) is a
ghostly time
Hou’s most radical temporal innovation arrives in his late period, culminating in The Assassin (2015). Here, we enter : the time of legend, of incomplete memories, and of the shan shui (mountain-water) painting come to life. The film’s plot—a Tang dynasty assassin torn between her mission and her past—is deliberately fragmented. Scenes begin in media res, dialogue is whispered or muffled by wind, and crucial narrative events occur between cuts or in the extreme background of a deep-focus shot. A Time for Love (1966) A pool hall in Kaohsiung
In conclusion, Hou Hsiao-hsien's "Three Times" is a masterpiece of contemporary cinema, a testament to the director's innovative storytelling, cinematic craftsmanship, and profound understanding of the human condition. Through this trilogy, Hou invites us to reflect on the complexities of love, memory, and the passage of time, offering a rich and immersive cinematic experience that lingers long after the credits roll.