Taiwanisapeculiarplaceresultinginapeculiarcinema,withHouHsiao-hsienbeingitsmostremarkableproduct.Hou’ssignaturelongandstaticshotsalmostinvitecriticstogiveauteuristreadingsofhisfilms,oftenprivilegingtheanalysisofcinematictechniquesattheexpenseofthecontextfromwhichHouemerges.Inthispioneeringstudy,JamesUddenarguesinsteadthattheTaiwaneseexperienceisthekeytounderstandingHou’sart.TheconvolutedhistoryofTaiwaninthelastcenturyhasoftenrenderedfixedsocialandpoliticalcategoriesirrelevant.ChangingcircumstanceshaveforcedthepeopleinTaiwantobehyperawareofhowimaginaryidentity—aboveallnationalidentity—is.HoutranslatesthislargerstateofaffairsinsuchmasterpiecesasCityofSadness,ThePuppetmaster,andFlowersofShanghai,whichcaptureandperhapsevenembodytheelusive,slipperycontoursofthecollectiveexperienceoftheislanders.MakingextensiveusesofChinesesourcesfromTaiwan,theauthorshowshowimportantthelocalmattersforthisgloballyrecognizeddirector.
InthisneweditionofNoMananIsland,JamesUddenchartsanewchapterintheevolvingartofHouHsiao-hsien,whoselatestfilm,TheAssassin,earnedhimtheBestDirectorAwardattheCannesFilmFestivalin2015.Houbreaksnewgroundinturningtheclassicwuxiagenreintoavehicletoexpresshisuniqueinsightintotheworkingofhistory.TheunconventionalapproachtoconventionsisquintessentialHouHsiao-hsien.
