1984. Dir: Hou Hsiao-hsien. Scr: Chu Tien-wen. Cin: Chen Kun-hou.Context:
Biographical element: The film's story is based on a childhood memory of Chu Tien-wen's, which she offered up to Hou as a potential subject for a film after their collaboration on Growing Up. The shoot actually took place in the setting where Chu really lived for a period as a child, for greater authenticity, much like Hou would next film A Time to Live, A Time to Die in his actual childhood home. The exception was Dust in the Wind, which could not be film in Wu Nien-jen's hometown because it had changed too much since his childhood.
The Film:
The continuation of Hou's stylistic evolution: Still under the influence of his TNC cohorts and of new cinematic inspirations, Hou was now asking himself questions about how to make films which he had not previously wondered about. He came up with ingenious and often surprising answers --- for example he has repeatedly claimed Pasolini's Oedipus Rex as providing him the answer for editing a specific scene in this film, the one with children outdoors on trees, over Beethoven music (about 35 mins into the film).
Mode of narrative: We learn about the often serious problems of the adult characters through Hou's style of indirect narration, focalized through Tung-tung's innocent perspective.
Reception:
The film, once again, won the Golden Montgolfiere award at the Nantes 3 Continents festival.
References/Resources:
http://altscreen.com/08/08/2011/tuesday-editors-pick-summer-at-grandpas-1984/
