 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
Mahjong
|
 |
|
Edward Yang's Mahjong disappointed some devotees of his earlier work, but for me – as a newcomer to Yang at the 1997 Rotterdam Film Festival – it was an utter delight. This acidic comedy of sexual and monetary manners runs on some cruel fuel – particularly in its depiction of the myriad ways in which cocksure men exploit gullible women – but everything, including initial positions of class and gender, comes around for reversal and debunking by the end of the twisted tale. Yang's style is a beguiling mixture of virtuosic mise en scène, dexterous mood-switching, intricate multi-character plotting, and an almost clunky amateurishness, particularly in relation to some of the performances. But, for me, this unstable brew creates a potent charm – and who can forget the sight of a sooky young male crying non-stop for about the last quarter of the film, solely because he finally relented and let a woman kiss him on the lips? MORE Yang: Yi Yi © Adrian Martin March 1997 |
