Master Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang is infamous for his
deliberate pacing and use of extremely long takes, frequently composed as
master shots, in which little action occurs on screen. Perhaps understandably,
this sort of technique has earned him as many admirers as it has detractors. He
forces the audience to wait and observe, letting us interpret events for
ourselves as he draws our attention toward stories of alienation, loss, and
regret. The director — who announced his retirement at this year’s Venice
International Film Festival, where “Stray Dogs” was awarded the Grand Jury
Prize — makes films that can be a challenge, but prove immensely rewarding if
you’re up to the task.
“Stray Dogs”
follows a single father (played by Tsai’s frequent star, Lee Kang-sheng) and
his two children, a son and a young girl, as they struggle to survive in modern
day Taipei. The father works as a human billboard, advertising affordable rates
for luxury apartments, while his children spend their days wandering the
outskirts of the city, collecting free food samples from the supermarket when
they’re hungry. The family comes together at the end of the day to spend their
nights in an abandoned apartment building. There’s not much plot to speak of,
the film functions as a melancholy portrayal of life amidst the ruins of
poverty.
Though it’s
a demanding watch, the film is hardly a wallow in the misery of the underclass;
the film is filled with moments of warmth and humor. Despite there being little
money, the children seem to have a relatively happy life, even as the family’s
situation weighs heavily on their father. The film is heavy with compassion for
the people too often viewed as the refuse of society.
Credit must
be given to the remarkable performances from the actors, who must transition
between emotions without benefit of cuts. The film’s final shots (one of which
is a nearly 12-minute take) in particular have a staggering power. Tsai’s
studied pacing and extended takes may sometimes test his audience’s patience,
but they allow viewers the time to focus on the small details and the way that
every faint flicker of emotion contains a cryptic beauty.
This article appears in Dec 31, 2014 – Jan 6, 2015.
