He liu / The River

Although the family lives under one roof, its members share the household in complete isolation. Moreover, it seems that not even the son’s mysterious illness—which he contracts while working as a random stand-in in a contaminated river—will be enough to bring the family closer together.

Probably the bleakest of Tsai’s films, it is a symbolic parable about endless loneliness and the illusory nature of even the closest relationships. The characters’ alienation and despair—typical elements of Tsai’s work—are permeated by nihilism and fear stemming from the hopelessness of their situation. The consequences of their resignation and depersonalization are only hinted at to the audience—it is precisely this strangely contemplative, unspoken quality of the film that creates an element of mounting tension that does not end even with the final shot.

The film was preserved by the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute.