''The Terrorizers'' is a 1986 drama film by acclaimed Taiwanese filmmaker

Edward Yang Edward Yang (; November 6, 1947 – June 29, 2007) was a Taiwanese filmmaker. Yang, along with fellow auteurs Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang, was one of the leading film-makers of the Taiwanese New Wave and Taiwanese cinema. He won the ...

Plot

The film concerns the coincidental interactions between three groups of people in

Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...

: a young woman and the tough petty criminal gang of

Native Taiwanese Native Taiwanese may refer to: * Benshengren, Han people who settled in Taiwan prior to 1945 * Taiwanese indigenous peoples Taiwanese indigenous peoples (formerly Taiwanese aborigines), also known as Formosan people, Austronesian Taiwanese, Y ...

she hangs out with; a Mainlander doctor and his novelist wife; and a young photographer who observes the life of the city unfolding around him, in an echo of the protagonist of

Michelangelo Antonioni Michelangelo Antonioni (, ; 29 September 1912 – 30 July 2007) was an Italian filmmaker. He is best known for directing his "trilogy on modernity and its discontents"—''L'Avventura'' (1960), ''La Notte'' (1961), and ''L'Eclisse'' (1962 ...

's ''

Blowup ''Blowup'' (sometimes styled as ''Blow-up'' or ''Blow Up'') is a 1966 mystery drama thriller film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni and produced by Carlo Ponti. It was Antonioni's first entirely English-language film, and stars David Hemming ...

''.

Cast

Cora Miao Cora Miao () is a Chinese actress who worked predominantly in Hong Kong cinema, Hong Kong films. During her career she was nominated for four Hong Kong Film Awards and four Golden Horse Film Festival, Golden Horse Film Festival awards, winning one ...

as Zhou Yufen, a depressed novelist *

Lee Li-chun Lee Li-chun (; born 2 May 1952) is a Taiwanese actor and ''xiangsheng'' performer. Career Lee is known for his work on stage with , starring in ''Art'' alongside Chin Shih-chieh and Ku Pao-ming in 2003. In 2005, Lee took the lead role in Godot' ...

as Li Lizhong, a hospital professional and Zhou Yufen's husband *

Chin Shih-chieh Chin Shih-chieh (; born 29 December 1951) is a Taiwanese actor, director and playwright. Chin is known for his work with the , the , and the . By 1980, he was known as a director, leading the performances of ''Ho Chu’s New Match'' for Lanling. H ...

as Shen, Zhou Yufen's ex who owns a company *Wang An as teenaged hustler *Liu Min as the girl's mother *

Yu An-shun Yu An-shun (; born 5 November 1967) is a Taiwanese actor. He was the lead actor in Hou Hsiao-hsien's ''The Time to Live and the Time to Die ''The Time to Live and the Time to Die'', also known as ''A Time to Live, A Time to Die'' is a 1985 Ta ...

as the girl's partner in crime *

Ku Pao-ming Ku Pao-ming (; 8 April 1950 – 19 March 2022) was a Taiwanese actor and comedian. He appeared with the in ''Art'' (2003), alongside Chin Shih-chieh and Lee Li-chun, as well as ''The Apartment'' (2006). Ku also performed in ''Legitimate Crimes'' ...

as Gu, police chief and Li Lizhong's friend *Ma Shao-chun as young photographer from a rich family *Huang Chia-ching as the photographer's girlfriend

Reception and legacy

''Terrorizers'' is a part of the New Taiwan Cinema. "Famously characterized by Marxist scholar

Fredric Jameson Fredric Jameson (born April 14, 1934) is an American literary critic, philosopher and Marxist political theorist. He is best known for his analysis of contemporary cultural trends, particularly his analysis of postmodernity and capitalism. Jam ...

as ''the'' postmodern film, the film was likened by Yang himself to a puzzle where the pleasure lies in rearranging a multitude of relationships between characters, spaces, and genres."

Awards and nominations

*1986

Golden Horse Film Festival The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards () is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is us ...

**Won:

Best Feature Film Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...

**Nominated: Best Leading Actress –

**Nominated:

Best Original Screenplay The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best screenplay not based upon previously published material. It was created in 1940 as a separate writing award from the Academy Award for Best Story. Beginning with the ...

–

Hsiao Yeh Li Yuan (; born 31 October 1951), better known by his pen name Hsiao Yeh (), is a Taiwanese novelist and screenwriter. Early life and education Li's family is of Hakka descent and originates from Wuping County, moving to Taiwan in 1949. Li Yuan ...

and

*1987 Pesaro Film Festival **Won: Best Director *1987

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno Film Festival is an annual film festival, held every August in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narrative, documentary, s ...

**Won: Silver Leopard *1987

British Film Institute The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...

Awards **Won:

Sutherland Trophy The Sutherland Trophy was created in 1958 by the British Film Institute as an annual award for "the maker of the most original and imaginative film introduced at the National Film Theatre during the year". History In 1997, the criteria changed to ...

*1987

Asia-Pacific Film Festival The Asia-Pacific Film Festival (abbreviated APFF) is an annual film festival hosted by the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific. The festival was first held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1954. History The festival was first held in T ...

**Won: Best Screenplay – Edward Yang, Hsiao Yeh

References

External links

* *
Kanopy
{{Sutherland Trophy Taiwanese drama films Films directed by Edward Yang Films set in Taiwan Films shot in Taiwan Central Motion Picture Corporation films