I hate when they sell you something other than what's was in theaters! Especially without informing you. That's a soapbox subject by itself.
Out of the scenes that you mentioned i think the only one I would want to see is the hair washing scene. I don't see any significants in the other 2. In fact, I really don't find the details of his marriage significant. There seemed to be only 2 reasons for her at all. 1) Another wedge between him & Yu, 2) the show of someone after him, or his business. Okay, three. The 3rd being the need to look, or attention, to be traditional, or socially acceptable.
Someone compared Lan Yu to Brokeback. With the exception of the fact that Ennis & Jack were more contemporaries and the way the movies end. Also, most significant, direction, editing, & cinematoghaphy.
I would also compare this to Onegin, with Ralph Fiennes & Liv Tyler.
Excellent movie, leaves some questions unanswered & the ending was very dissappointing, but I'd still give it an 8 out of 10.
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reiyi
18 years ago
Even if 2 and 3 is insignificant, I still want to know what's Lan Yu doing up there on the balcony.
As for the nameplate picture, I deduce it to be from the scene where Handong went to look for Lan Yu during the Tiananmen massacre. I watch this segment several times already. Initially, I don't know where Handong was running to. But on closer inspection, he was actually running to Lan Yu's dormitory at the university. The words on the nameplate is '男生公寓' which mean "Boys' Apartment". That scene was actually in the movie, but instead of close-up like in the picture, it was very very far away and in a blur. But the shape of the doorway was the same and handong was wearing the same shirt as in the picture.
As for Handong married life segment. It's good to know what happened. But I think the movie actually flows more smoothly with this segment edited out. More compatible with the overall tone of the movie. But still, it's good to know.
Btw, the reason for divorce in the film and novel is different.
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seakman4
18 years ago
Haven't read the novel. Why do you think they changed it?
The balcony scene, on face value, would, in my imagination, add more charm to Lan Yu's character. I would like to see it as well, but by it's self doesn't seem significant.
Didn't know that about the nameplates, thanks. That scene didn't make much sense to me. Much clearer now.
One other thing that threw me. I thought Handong received a phone call that his mother was sick earlier in the movie. True or no? That's why when he received the call about Lan Yu's accident I thought it was his mother who'd passed and this was something else, on top of all the other bad news, that he was going to have to deal with. I had to rewind it a couple of time before I realized it was Lan Yu. I was devastated. That was the last thing I was expecting. I was very upset that they ended it that way. No ryme, no reason, not to me anyway. VERY, VERY hurt by that.
Lastly, at the very end, what was the significants of the speeding past the fence? That didn't make sense either. Maybe it was nothing. Just wondering.
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reiyi
18 years ago
I also do not understand why the scripwriter changed the reason. In the novel, Handong and his wife's relation has not been good. Even during love making, Handong was thinking of Lan Yu. Of course his wife sensed the lack of love. So, she has been using his money like water. If she can't get his love, at least, she can satisfied herself with his money. But the last straw came when Handong found out that his wife has instigated his mother to defame Lan Yu to Lan Yu's boss. His mother told Lan Yu's boss that Lan Yu is gay and has been hustling himself to men. Lan Yu left his job and went missing ever since (until Handong chanced upon him again after his divorce).
I don't remember any mentioned of Handong's mother being sick. But my memory is bad. I have to rewatch the movie to confirm. As for Lan Yu's death, I was devastated too. They have gone through so much and finally are able to be together, and this happened. Lan Yu doesn't deserved this kind of ending. But that's how the novel ends. They must follow it.
As for the ending scene, that actually has no meaning (initially). :P
According to the director, that was a standalone clip filmed earlier. The director like it, so, he put at the end of the film. I have forgotten where I first read this. I'll have to look it up.
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reiyi
18 years ago
Just found the comment regarding the car speeding scene.
Lan Yu ends on a particularly odd note, a lengthy shot taken from the point of view of a car window. On one hand, it allows the audience room to breathe; on the other, it’s something of a non sequitur.
“It was not in the script. We shot 2 or 3 weeks in the main location, passing by a construction site in the car. After the principal shooting, I thought it would make an amazing image. I didn’t know where to use it, but at the editing table, I thought the structure actually gives some space for the audience. It’s a moment that allows them to remember their own past relationships.”
This dizzying scene also serves as a way to end the film pessimistically but not tragically. Kwan's characters live fast and die quickly, but he depicts this speed with a somber grace. Time passes, progress may turn out not to be so progressive, power is fleeting, and the present is perpetually under construction.
Source: http://www.gaycitynews.com/GCN9/FleetingPower.html
A good interview with Stanley Kwan (director) and Zhang Yongning (producer, also acted as Handong's brother in-law, and was the person that introduced Beijing Story to Stanley Kwan) regarding the movie: http://www.indiewire.com/people/int_Zhang_Yongning_020725.html
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fruitbasket330
10 years ago
Thank you for sharing this!
When I watched the movie I actually didn't find the car speeding scene odd. I read the novel before watching the movie, and at the end of the novel, it mentions that after Lan Yu died, Hangdong suffered from illusion. He always heard Lan Yu calling his name and he felt that Lan Yu was still alive.
So when I watched the movie I thought that scene was shot from Hangdong's point of view, him looking into the construction sites (I was born in Beijing so blue fence like that means construction sites to me.) having the hope that Lan Yu is still working in one of them.
Just a thought! But telling from the comment you posted it's actually a somewhat random shot. Thanks again! I really enjoyed reading this board. :)
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seakman4
18 years ago
In that case a segment in the movie about his marriage would have been great. Maybe they thought it would belabor the point. I don't know, I think they should have either cut the marriage out completely or included it to the point where it ties into Lan Yu. The wife going to the Handong's mother is good. I think that's good material. Not often seen.
About the mother being sick. That may have been misconscrewed on my part. Matters not. Still an excellent movie. Thanks. And thanks for the explanation of the speeding by the construction site scene. Made sense, but it didn't work. It was disruptive for me. Took my mind off what had happen and into "what was that about". lol
Sounds like a lot of good ideals, just not executed probably as best as they could have been. Maybe the remake. :P
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