Edward Yang's A Brighter Summer's Day is a very effective epic. However, unlike epic films made in the U.S., Yang's movie is epic on a more intimate level, as it focuses on the daily life of a Chinese family during turbulent times.
There are no melodramatic scenes, everything feels authentic and honest. Of course, a film of such high quality as this is a tough sell in the U.S., hence it wasn't released here. Or if it is ever released, it will be heavily edited down.
Yang's film has allusions to Tolstoy's War and Peace, and its gangster elements are refereshingly unique compared to other gangster movies. If you get the chance to watch this four hour movie, do so by all means. I saw the entire film in one sitting without one restroom break!
There are no melodramatic scenes, everything feels authentic and honest. Of course, a film of such high quality as this is a tough sell in the U.S., hence it wasn't released here. Or if it is ever released, it will be heavily edited down.
Yang's film has allusions to Tolstoy's War and Peace, and its gangster elements are refereshingly unique compared to other gangster movies. If you get the chance to watch this four hour movie, do so by all means. I saw the entire film in one sitting without one restroom break!