SYNOPSICS
Sheng xia guang nian (2006) is a Mandarin,English movie. Leste Chen has directed this movie. Hsiao-chuan Chang,Ray Chang,Kate Yeung are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2006. Sheng xia guang nian (2006) is considered one of the best Drama,Romance movie in India and around the world.
As a child living in a seaside town in southern Taiwan, studious Jonathan (Bryant Chang) was asked by his concerned teacher to look after rebellious classmate Shane (Joseph Chang). Ten years later, what was once a good-natured obligation has since blossomed into a warm friendship, with Jonathan still on the academic track and Shane finding his calling on the basketball court. When Taiwanese-born schoolgirl Carrie (Kate Yeung) transfers to their school from Hong Kong and convinces Jonathan to join her on a secret day trip to Taipei, her botched effort to seduce him in a sleazy love hotel, combined with her observations of his and Shane's friendship, soon leads her to believe that the object of her affections is a homosexual in love with his best friend. Despite her initial misgivings about the boorish Shane, Carrie soon begins to give in to the troublemaker's roguish charm when he convinces her to become his girlfriend if he is accepted into a university. Later, as Shane pulls his act ...
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Sheng xia guang nian (2006) Reviews
A beautiful movie on relationships
Most say Eternal Summer is a gay movie. But I would rather call it a movie about relationships. Newbies Bryant Chang and Joseph Chang play two best friends who come a long way from primary school after they were paired off as motivational buddies by their form teacher. As the 'third party' Carrie (Kate Yeung) enters the scene, the relationship becomes more complicated. All three struggle with love and friendship a line that can seem so clearly divided but is not. With 4 nominations at the Golden Horses, this movie caused a stir in Taiwan, both in terms of theme and story. Fortunately, it did not sink into typical Taiwanese melodramatic mode. The director takes his time to unfold, filled with awkward yet genuine moments. Note the parallels that he draws, and the subtle contrast between scenes reveal more than what is said. Many times, the audience may feel frustrated with the slow pacing, and wished that the characters would just acknowledge what they feel. Perhaps this is a reflection of individuals being unaccepted and different in society, whether you are a gay, migrant or loner. You may just identity with the 3 characters' suppression and lack of ability to communicate. With Lan Yu winning the Golden Horse, and Brokeback Mountain the Golden Globes paving the way, homosexual themed movies have started arriving to the shores of Singapore (with some censorship). Just a few years before, it would almost seem impossible that movies like Eternal Summer would be screen here. Liberation of the authorities or sophistication of the audience? To emphasize, this is not just another 'gay' movie, and may disappoint those going for the wrong reasons. With the tagline "No One Wishes To Be Lonely, Neither Do We", it can be viewed as a beautifully shot movie on the pains of growing up, friendship and love.
Movie Review: External Summer (2006)
Movie Review: Eternal Summer (2006) By Ken Lee This movie was a box office success in its native Taiwan when it was released late last year, garnering 4 nominations in Taiwan's Golden Horse Award along the way, and an eventual win for one of its male leads (Bryant CHANG Jui-chia, or ZHANG Ruijia in pinyin, who plays Jonathan KANG Zhenxing in a nuanced performance repletes with all the requisite repressed troubled mood), though a nod for its other male lead (Joseph CHANG Hsiao-chuan, or ZHANG Xiaoquan in pinyin, who plays the other-worldly Shane YU Souheng with tremendous vigour and enough *bling*), for the role of the high school jock and the object of desire of Jonathan, will be just as pleasing. But the movie's success is less sterling in HK, where it just opens, presumably because movie-goers here typecast it with yet-another-melodramatic-Taiwanese-film association, and one with GLBT-theme at that, which is a shame, for it deserves a wider audience, even as it's one that isn't without minor flaws of its own, as befits the fate of most coming-of-age films helmed by relatively young directors (in this case, Leste CHEN, all of 25). The plot is decidedly simple, and the narrative mostly linear, tracking the friendship and love of its 3 main protagonists ("best friends" Jonathan, Shane, and Carrie, played by Kate Yeung who shines in limited screen time) in their youth, from age 11 in a school in rural Hualian (in 1991) to age 18 (1998) to the college year in Taipei (2005), with all of their ensuing majesty, glory, anxiety, complicity, confusion, pang, angst, and a dreamy quality thrown in. The film will benefit from some minor editing for a more even pace. Original music by Jeffrey CHENG is intrusive at best. These minor quibbles aside, cinematographer Charlie LAM's rendering of the rural locations is thing of pure magic and the theme song by Ah Xin (of the "May Day" rock band fame) blends in magnificently with the direction to which the film eventually takes. A friend asked if this is a tear-jerker to avoid at all costs. My answer to which is that hot and bitter tears may flow, not necessarily because of the inherent sadness of the human conditions, but may be because it deepens our understanding of those who are perceived to be "different" and living on the fringe. And if the measure of a film lies in whether the audience connects with the characters towards the end, and whether it leaves you with the sudden urge to be young and fell in love all over again, then it isn't to be missed; and so it seems "Eternal Summer" is a welcome addition to the growing list of Taiwanese films with GLBT content. Recommended.
Bittersweet yearning
Well I think this film pretty much sums up the notion that love transcends time and gender. A bittersweet tale of childhood yearning for a best friend that has taken a new direction as the two friends grow up to find the meaning of love and life when a girl threatens to upset the status quo. The two lead male actors, Bryan and Joseph, give a sensitive and insightful performance as two best friends whose friendship is more than just ordinary. Kate plays the girl who comes between them and the girl shows grown-up sensibility beyond her age. Heartwarming, poignant and ultimately heart wrenching. Watching it is enough to make any grown man want to cry.
A Love Triangle As Fragile and Lovely As Any Ever Filmed
ETERNAL SUMMER (Sheng xia guang nian) is a delicate, quiet, understated and eloquent study of youthful interpersonal relationships form Taiwanese director Leste Chen from a screenplay by Cheng-Ping Hsu based on the novel by the same name by Chi-yao Wang. The style of the film allows a wide audience to appreciate the sexual challenges of teenagers and understand the need for finding love and acceptance in a world at times too busy to care. The story begins in grade school where Jonathan Kang (Bryant Chang) is a gifted student asked to 'supervise' another young boy in his class, Shane Yu (the dazzlingly gifted young actor Joseph Chang) who has an apparent learning disorder/attention deficit. Shane is rambunctious and athletically gifted while Jonathan is the quiet, reserved, brilliant student. The boys bond as children and grow up together into young men facing the exams for university entrance. A young girl Carrie (Kate Yeung) meets the two boys: first she challenges the studious Jonathan to take a trip to Taipei (ditching school) where she hopes to have a physical encounter. The hotel room is a disaster and Jonathan feels isolated from both Carrie's desires and from deserting his duties at school - and with Shane, who Jonathan loves far more than merely a best friend. Shane gradually moves into Jonathan's position as Carrie's physical companion and the resulting triangle results in confessions and incidents that allow each of the three involved young people to grow and understand the spectrum of love. The story is captured with exceptionally beautiful cinematic effects by cinematographer Charlie Lam and the atmosphere of play and passion is enhanced by the musical score by Jeffrey Cheng. Yet it is the sensitive direction by Leste Chen that encourages the three superb young actors to become immersed in their roles. Chen knows when to say enough (the sex scenes are sensual and suggestive without even approaching an R rating) and when to allow scenes of quiet and eye contact to carry the drama. This is a very fine film that deserves a wide audience, both young and old. Highly recommended. In Mandarin with English subtitles. Grady Harp
Beautiful portrayal of human relationships
This film is about the friendship and relationship of 2 schoolboys and a schoolgirl in rural Taiwan. This film is slow, but it is beautifully made. The characters are developed very well. The plot is touching and intense. The psychological turmoil of Jonathan is portrayed well through his expressions and his behaviour. The film successfully portrays teenage identity confusion, jealousy, passion and love. It is a beautiful portrayal of same sex feelings. Only one comment though, I think the director uses too much mirrors. I can think of at least five scenes that uses a mirror (and nothing else can be seen apart from the mirror) to reflect what is going on in the other side of the room. The technique can add depth and can offer great composition of the shot, but I think it really is overused in the movie.