Abiding Nowhere

Since Director Tsai Ming-liang has said so, there is no way to give a specific evaluation. When I watched it, I had a similar idea. It was just a good multimedia work of art in the art gallery, and it became a pioneering attempt in the theatre. Maybe 80 minutes is the key to achieving its pioneering nature? In addition, are the barriers of theatres and art galleries really so obvious and must they be broken?

But anyway, Tsai Ming-liang can think of it, can do it, and let everyone see that the film itself has a relatively positive meaning. The movie is a walker series, which is more like an ascetic here. The Buddhist scripture, which is the source of the name of the movie, also explains the content of the film well, that is, do not pray for the result, just do it with your heart.

I put this film on as a gag for my friends who tend to only watch sports and sitcoms. I explained that this film played in an important film festival. Of course I had seen all of Tsai's films and was a fan. I wanted to see how people would react with no background about him. Naturally it began rough. After about ten minutes of cracking jokes and making fun of the movie, something happened. They all went quiet. I kept looking at them every ten or fifteen minutes seeing if they were on the phone, but they were transfixed by the film. This character of the Buddhist monk walks really slowly through situations you would pass without a seconds thought. Bus stops, gardens, monuments, city streets. Every scenario we see him in, there is a long sensation of anticipation until his foot gradually touches pavement, then relief, then we do it all over in a new environment. He is both redefining the landscape of everyday reality, while he is a part of society in a way that you do not doubt. Society accepts that there is a Buddhist monk up to something, and they allow him, occasionally snapping a photo of him.

Part way in, I looked at my sister and tears were rolling down her cheeks. She was saying how the police might stop him and call him mentally ill, while he isn't bothering anybody.

I think what is happening is this film is attempting to put our consciousness in the frame of a landscape or a mountain, anything to get us outside of ourselves.

Because many times in this film, I was also moved to tears. I remembered that famous photograph of a man dying in a bus station and a Buddhist monk was holding his wrist and whispering a prayer for him. He was offering comfort to the man's spirit and helping guide him to the other side, knowing if there is a spirit it might be confused, scared, or lost.

After the film was over my friends and family went on like nothing happened to their sports and TV shows. Some of them remarked, the film isn't artistic, it's just a joke. They have not seen any of Tsai's films, but they have now. The film will change you, maybe without you even realizing it.