Liked 'In the Mood for Love'? Watch This Underrated but Strikingly Beautiful Taiwanese Romantic Drama
Each frame of this movie could be a separate photograph – it is so thoughtful and aesthetically pleasing.
In 2001, Millennium Mambo, one of the most underrated works by Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film immerses us in a melancholic atmosphere of nightclubs, rented apartments, and the endless search for self-discovery. Hou, one of the founders of the Taiwanese New Wave, created a meditative cinematic mood similar to that of Wong Kar-wai's In the Mood for Love.
What Is 'Millennium Mambo' About?
A young woman named Vicky disappears into a subway passageway. Looking back at the camera, she invites us to dissolve in time with her. A voiceover explains that she remembers how she found herself stuck in a manipulative relationship with Hao-Hao ten years ago.
No matter how angry she was at his jealousy, lies, and cruelty, no matter how often she went out at night, she always returned – without knowing why.
The story unfolds in a cluttered, rented apartment where Hao-Hao spends his days with his DJ set and liquor collection, and in nightclubs where Vicky finds refuge and uses dance moves to compensate for her mental inertia.
'Millennium Mambo' Captivates With Its Visual Poetry and Musical Rhythm
Millennium Mambo is a mood film where form is more important than content. Director Hou Hsiao-hsien creates a ghostly reverie: a fantasy without fixed coordinates, a series of flickering flashes of places and states once lived.
Cinematographer Mark Lee Ping Bin uses long close-ups, neon hues, and fluid camera movements to convey the heroine's inner state.
Vibrations of nostalgic, electrically prickly music, pulsating neon light, and a polyphonic narrative structure give the movie an internal dynamic. The recurring images are never identical – each one is imbued with a new sensation, creating mournful melancholy.
'Millennium Mambo' Is a Mesmerizing Tale of Lost Youth
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Shu Qi, the lead actress, plays a character who is simultaneously strong and vulnerable, lost and searching. Vicky is a state of mind: she hypnotizes those around her with her beauty yet remains enchanted by the spell of love, the frustrating freedom of youth, and the deceptive confidence that her whole life lies ahead.
To capture the uncertain spirit of youth, the director set out to conquer Taipei's nightlife before filming – he met members of the generation in their natural habitats and recorded their stories.
The movie is based on the life of a real girl named Vicky, and her fragmented memories formed the basis for the script. Millennium Mambo is a melancholy, beautiful film about a life consisting of memories of the recent past and longing for a brighter future.
What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Millennium Mambo'?
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Millennium Mambo has 84% from critics and 70% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.
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On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.9/10.
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On Letterboxd, Millennium Mambo scored 3.8/5.0.
Where to Watch 'Millennium Mambo'?
Millennium Mambo is available to stream on The Criterion Channel.
