A Brighter Summer Day

Movie

1991

3h 57m

Mandarin

Crime, Drama, Romance

User Score:

8.3

Critic Score:

Watch on The Criterion Channel

A boy experiences first love, friendships and injustices growing up in 1960s Taiwan.

Play Trailer

A Brighter Summer Day

Movie

1991

3h 57m

Mandarin

Crime, Drama, Romance

Play Trailer

Watch on The Criterion Channel

A boy experiences first love, friendships and injustices growing up in 1960s Taiwan.

WATCHMODE

8.3

IMDB

CRITIC SCORE

Where to watch

Available in 1 other country.

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Cast

Xiao Si'r

Ming

Father

Mother

Eldest Sister

Elder Brother

Middle Sister

Youngest Sister

Cat

Airplane

Underpants

Bomber

Tiger

Hefty

Animal

Tiger's Buddy

Tiger's Buddy

Honey

Deuce

Sly

Jade

Jade's Girlfriend

Worm

Gang Member

Directed By: Edward Yang

Written By: Edward Yang, Yen Hung-ya, + 2 more

Featured Comments/Tips

ipream says...

2 months ago

Edward Yang, you're killing me! Yi Yi and A Brighter Summer Day are emotional wrecking balls. Four hours long, yet I'll rewatch them multiple times to unravel the depth. Yang's subtle direction = tears on standby.

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AdamMorgan says...

2 years ago

So I made it through my first four hour movie. As you might expect, this movie isn't for everyone, and not just because of the run time. It is tough for someone living on the other side of the world to understand the historical and cultural themes that are on display in this movie. If you are thinking of watching this film, I suggest that you find a time where you can carve out 4 hours in a dark room to watch it. I did just that and found that the film was enjoyable once I truly immersed myself into it. That said, don't be surprised if you have a difficult time keeping track of the characters. Ultimately I don't think it mattered that much because it is a sprawling epic. follow me at https://IHATEBadMovies.com or facebook IHATEBadMovies

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Chinalover33 says...

5 months ago

This movie is densely packed with multiple inter-weaving stories and themes, hence its four-hour runtime. However, I think the time spent watching is rewarding as it allows viewers to immerse themselves in the world of the characters and, simultaneously, in the experiences of the Taiwanese people from the past who actually lived through this challenging time period. Ultimately, the entire journey that this movie makes the viewer go through results in an ending that is that much more impactful because of it. For people who don't enjoy long movies though, this might be a tedious watch.

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Jay Shuai says...

2 years ago

My brain has trouble processing films that are this boring. I tend to stare at the screen and start to zone out. Within an hour i had very little idea who was who or what was going on. For some reason i still slogged through the rest of the four hours. Not really any saving grace for this one. Visually it was as poor as the script and the unnecessarily slow pace of the editing. Apart from pretentious pricks following what critics say, i have no idea how this film is considered great. Awful, mind numbing, rubbish. 1/10

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