Les rebelles du dieu néon

A cool exploration of youth culture, disillusionment, and identity formation in this fascinating period study of Taiwan in the 90s. The narrative has a slow burn to it that adds a feeling of realism. The acting is nuanced, and the characters are mostly well written, showing many layers of personality as the drama unfolds. The movie delves into the urban streets, showing intergenerational relations, motorcycles, and arcade shops. I think the movie's attempt to capture the alienation, loneliness and spectacle of the nineties was subtle yet compelling. The soundtrack is also quite nice and very catchy. However, the movie's ending was a bit disappointing, however, and left me feeling unfulfilled. I couldn't help but feeling like there was something missing at the end there.

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.

Having lived in Taiwan from the mid eighties to the late nineties, this film showed how Taipei was like during the early nineties. That was when the MRT was still under construction, and everything looks a little bit old, filthy, run down, and crowded. This film accurately portrayed the lives of the youth living at that time, such as hanging out all day in the arcade, obsession with motorbike racing, and for some going to the after school tutor seminars. when watching this film a wave of nostalgia hit me as I realized that Taiwan now is a lot more polished and modernized, and not as gritty as before, which I have dearly missed.

The film showed the "little people" of a big city. They are often ignored, alienated, and living day by day in the fringe of a faceless and monolithic society.

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