Qingshaonian Nuozha

The story of "Rebels of the Neon God" looks quite simple. The main characters are a student with a scooter and a petty thief with a motorbike. The student is jealous of the petty thief, because he has beautiful girls on his luggage rack. Behind this simple story there are however a couple of more generic themes.

In the first place there is the conflict between the generation of the parents (who beieve in traditional Gods) and the generation of the main characters (who believe in the Neon God). This generation conflict is not unlike that in the classical movie "Rebel without a cause" (1955, Nicholas Ray).

In the second place there is a striking difference between "Rebels of the Neon God" and the films of the fifth generation of directors in China (including Zhang Yimou). In the Chinese films there is a longing for more freedom (after 1989). In "Rebels of a Neon God" the main characters just don't know what to do with their freedom in the prospering economies of the Asian tigers.

Finally the ugliness and coldness of the city of Taipei is notable. It resembles the coldness of Berlin in "Christiane F" (1981, Uli Edel). Where the main characters in 1981 were additcted to drugs, in "Rebels of the Neon God" the gambling halls and gambling addiction are more prominent. In this respect "Rebels of the Neon God" is definitely modern, not to say ahead of its time.

The best film about the ironic alienation and loneliness in mega-cities ever made. There is no comparison to Rebels of a Neon God. It is unlike anything you've ever seen or will ever see. Upon careful analysis, it is almost impossible to discern even the basic foundations of a three/five act structure, like the classic act 1, plot point1, act 2 pt1, mid-point, act 2 pt2, plot point 2, act 3... all nowhere to be found.

Tsai Ming-Liang has created A NEW LANGUAGE of film making here.

An essential study for anyone willing to explore a radically different approach to film making. The only film I can think of comparing it to – in terms of creating a new language – is 'Persona' by Ingmar Bergman.

Bravo Tsai! Bravo

From the beginning of the film we are aware of the conflict between father and son. When the handsome motorcyclist breaks his father's taxi mirror Hsiao Kang (Kang-sheng Lee) is fascinated by him in a love/hate way. His overwhelming mother who conceives of him as a reincarnation of the God Norcha drives him out of the house by her ranting and effects the necessary break with his father. He redeems his school tuition dives into the nightlife of the luminous,illusionary city.. He follows Ah Tze (Chao-jung Chen) and his brother Ah Bing (Chang-bin Jen) in their nightly decadent rounds and plans revenge. When he finally achieves this revenge, by trashing Ah Tze's motorcycle he is not quite satisfied. Ah Tze and his brother are beaten up. They are plunged into misery and despair. Hsiao Kang goes to a brothel but cannot bring himself to meet with a prostitute. The castration resulting from his break with his father is at least temporarily in effect.

What is so great about this film is precisely its rich imagery and the fascinating performances. It is mesmeric and moving. In the later films many of the actors/characters will have further more developed existences, but in Rebel of the Neon Gods we are introduced to a trope on the James Dean "Rebel Without a Cause" film in a compelling series of images. A fine, perhaps a great film.

Young disaffected people in Taipei—two friends steal a lot of coins from telephones and other things. They also play a lot of videogames, and ride motorbikes and drink. One of them lives in an apartment that is always inexplicably flooded. A pretty girl, Ah Kuei (Yu-Wen Wang) takes up with one of them, and there is engagement and disengagement and anomie and sadness, though at the end they don't seem to give up on each other. Another boy drops out of school and follows the crooks, and sabotages a motorcycle, and other such things—his father drives a taxi, and his mother worries because she's been told he's a reincarnation of the god Norcha. The city itself is incredibly busy, cars and motorcycles and crowds everywhere. There's a lot of rain in this movie, too. It's a melancholy scene

On a more obvious level of multiple layers, a crucial, cultural point of significance seems lost in translation. As Rebels of the neon god comprise the sense of urban alienation, tradition and cultural adaptation, secularization, the decaying city and loss of identity, the original title translates literally Teenage Nezha. And as implied by his frustrated mother, the main character of Hsiao Kang bares resembling "qualities" to that of the rebel god, born into a human family and in constant opposition. While most reincarnations of Nezha grow additional limbs for the purpose of eradicating their father, Hsiao's idle hands become the playground for the prankster god. Sparked by an act of force, the two main plots of the film intertwine, and are further fueled by the returning violence. After their encounter in the arcade, Hsiao can be seen playing the same shoot-em-up as the one Ah Tze played while sitting next to him, symbolizing a change in character and the unraveling of the revenge. The directors returning use of water as ever-present, controlling element of nature, suppressing spaces of confined and human, primal behavior sets up a hierarchy of command in the metropolitan chaos of Taipei.