A Filha do Nilo

Recently upgraded with a renovation in both DVD and BluRay formats, Hou Hsiao-hsien's 8th feature film, DAUGHTER OF THE NILE is chronologically pigeonholed between his COMING OF AGE Trilogy (1984-1986) and TAIWANESE HISTORY Trilogy (1989-1995), which might partially account for its unregarded predicament. Its title borrows from a Japanese manga which regularly occupies the thoughts of our protagonist Hsiao-yang (Yang Lin), a 20-year-old girl juggling between moonlighting in KFC and night school, she also shoulders on the onus as a materfamilias of the household living on the fringe of the metropolis Taibei, her mother died of cancer, his father (Tsui) is perennially absent and works in the southern province, an elder brother Hsiao-fang (Kao) is a burglar, who recently opens a bar with his chums, plus, there is a younger sister (Tsai) for her to minister to.

The film meanders in Hou's trademark slow pace through the unfazed lens of principally static frame and narrative elisions to contemplate life's vicissitudes being inflicted on those who are very close to Hsiao-yang (males only), under its sublimely lyrical score. She carries a torch for San (Yang Fan), one of Hsiao-fang's friends, who doesn't reciprocate her affection and is perilously involved with a married woman with gangster background, and this relationship will eventually not just become his undoing but also torpedo Hsiao-fang's business with a knock-on effect, what Hou tries to evoke with its youngster characters is a permeating atmosphere of angst, chagrin, ennui, unrest and nostalgia in a society casts no hope on those marginalized.

In the leading role, Taiwanese pop singer Yang Lin is a far cry from Hou's future muses Annie Yi and Shu Qi, and has no courage to shuck off her "good girl" nimbus except in one scene, trying stiltedly to play tough when confronting another classmate in the lady's room, elsewhere, Hsiao- yang is basically distanced from the tragedies befall on her beloved ones, a dejected receptacle passively receiving the bad tidings. On the other hand, Jack Kao, who pensively withholds his usual bovver impulse, stands out as a morose chain-smoker wrong-footed by fraternal impetuosity and its repercussions. Additionally, the puppeteer Li Tianlu, whose memoirs would later be transposed by Hou into THE PUPPETMASTER (1993), sweetly plays a gabby grandfather to tone down the often depressed aura in the two-by-four abode where the family stays, his harangue on a nagging daughter-in-law and comments on farting imbues a veristic vibe which would be endearingly cherished in Hou's tentative sortie of delving into the mindset of Taiwan's urban youth, but there is no correlation with the Nile whatsoever.

Another early Hsiso-Hsien Hou film that reveals his great capacity for tenderness and for getting deep inside the family psyche, in this case a family living on the margins. Lin is the "Daughter of the Nile" of the title, a fantasy character in a graphic novel she's readiing. In reality she's the oldest sister in a family of petty criminals, struggling with her education as well as her background and almost everything is seen through her eyes.

The plot hardly matters; this is an observation of life in a very westernized Taipei in the eighties; we could be almost anywhere in America or in any UK city where people steal for a living and call it work and even back in the eighties it was clear that Hsiso-Hsien was a master filmmaker and a great director of actors. The performances here are beautifully naturalistic with Lin Yang outstanding in the lead. It's a little rough around the edges, perhaps and maybe a little too indebted to Ozu's style of filmmaking but it remains an essential work in the director's canon nevertheless and shouldn't be missed.

This is not a great film but quietly effective nevertheless. Little happens in the traditional sense for this is more or less set within a cramped space within a small holding. We see a young girl looking after her younger sister, her father, to some extent her grandfather whilst also trying to reign in the criminal tendencies of her older brother who is ever chasing off to Taiwan's capital Taipei. The neon streaked streets and cafes and restaurants contrast with the dull domestic life but it is the static way these scenes are shot that gives the film its distinct look. We see part of a room, some of it reflected, perhaps a half opened door and people move in and out of frame. At times this appears to be some non narrative experimental film but just enough information is provided to maintain our interest and keep the film moving forward. Just about anyway!

A very slow, offbeat, realistic and beautiful movie. Not for everyone, this is for those who enjoy out of the box dramas. Really loved it. The film deals basically the struggles of a small family. If you get into the characters, this film will give you an unforgettable experience.

I took a chance on this film based on the 7.0 rating here. I can only describe my viewing experience as the same as watching paint dry. If you need help in falling asleep, this movie may be just the answer. A beautiful twenty year-old girl is at the center of the story. She has an older brother who is a small time criminal who is always in trouble. Mom has died and so the girl must help raise a younger sister. The main actress is very attractive but her obsession with the Nile is never explained. I see no reason to recommend Daughter of the Nile.