''Goodbye South, Goodbye'' is a 1996 Taiwanese

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien. The film had its premiere at the

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...

on 12 May 1996.

Plot

Gao ( Jack Kao) rides the train to Pinghsi to set up a 10-day gambling den with his friend Hsi (Hsi Hsiang). He takes his acolyte Flatty (

Lim Giong Lim Giong (; born 7 June 1964) is a Taiwanese musician, DJ, actor, and an active figure in the Taiwanese experimental electronic music scene. He is known for recording rock songs in Taiwanese Hokkien, starting with his first hit song "Marching ...

) and Pretzel ( Annie Shizuka Inoh), Flatty's girlfriend, who works part-time in a night club. Gao's girlfriend Ying (Hsu Kuei-Ying) works in the same night club as Pretzel and doesn't like the people around Gao, finding them dangerous. Gao has already made a deal with Hsi to invest in a nightclub in Shanghai, but Ying doesn't want him to go. Instead, she wants him to stay in Taiwan to open a restaurant. A succession of

get-rich-quick scheme A get-rich-quick scheme is a plan to obtain high rates of return for a small investment. Most schemes create an impression that participants can obtain this high rate of return with little risk, skill, effort, or time. The term "get rich qui ...

s leads them to the brink of disaster. Throughout the course of the film the unsavory alliance between the underworld and the political elite emerges.

Cast

* Jack Kao as Gao *

as Flat Head * Annie Shizuka Inoh as Pretzel *Hsi Hsiang as Hsi *Hsu Kuei-Ying as Ying *Lei Ming as Gao's father *Lien Pi-tung as Tung *Kao Ming as Ming * Vicky Wei as Hui

Production

The film includes remarkably long takes.

Soundtrack

The film's soundtrack was released in Taiwan by Magic Stone in 1996, as well as in Japan by Soundtrack Listeners Communications on March 21, 1997.

Reception

''Goodbye South, Goodbye'' was entered into the

1996 Cannes Film Festival The 49th Cannes Film Festival took place from 9 to 20 May 1996. American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola served as jury president for the main competition. Sabine Azéma hosted the opening and closing ceremonies. British filmmaker Mike Leigh wo ...

, but lost to '' Secrets & Lies''.

Critical response

The film was chosen along with ''

The Bridges of Madison County ''The Bridges of Madison County'' (also published as ''Love in Black and White'') is a 1992 best-selling Romance novel, romance novel by American writer Robert James Waller that tells the story of an Italian-American World War II war bride livi ...

'' and '' Carlito's Way'' as the best film of the 1990s by '' Cahiers du cinéma''. Director

Luca Guadagnino Luca Guadagnino (; born 10 August 1971) is an Italian film director and producer. His films are characterized by their emotional complexity, eroticism, and lavish visuals. Guadagnino has received numerous accolades, including a Silver Lion, alon ...

also listed it as one of his 10 favorite films in the 2012 ''

Sight & Sound ''Sight and Sound'' (formerly written ''Sight & Sound'') is a monthly film magazine published by the British Film Institute (BFI). Since 1952, it has conducted the well-known decennial ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time. ...

'' poll.

Analysis

A retrospective review explained:

References

External links

* * {{Hou Hsiao-hsien 1996 films 1996 crime drama films Taiwanese crime drama films Hokkien-language films 1990s Mandarin-language films Films directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien Films with screenplays by Chu T’ien-wen Taiwanese gangster films