As an Asian Studies minor at UNC Asheville, I have just completed the Chinese Cinema course. As you may have guessed by now, this class consisted of watching Chinese films and then discussing them as a class. For several of the films we were required to write essays. I took this opportunity to delve even deeper into what the movie meant to me. I originally took this class for the fun of it (plus it filled some requirements for my minor) but I ended up seeing films, specifically Chinese films, in a whole new light. I would even put myself in the that special class of film appreciators (at least to a point...) Anyways, the last film we watched in the class was particularly interesting to me and I even decided to write my final paper on it. The film is called Yi Yi and is directed by Edward Yang. I would highly recommend this heartfelt and thought-provoking film. And when you finish, you may even want to read my essay which I've posted below.
In case you are interested in Chinese cinema at all, I have posted a list of the other films we watched in class at the bottom of this post.
Gaining Perspective in Yi Yi
Yi Yi: A One and a Two is an award-winning Taiwanese film written and directed by Edward Yang in the year 2000. The symbols and messages to be taken from this film are abundant and worth taking note of. David Leiwei Li, author of “Yi Yi: Reflections on Reflexive Modernity in Taiwan,” brings attention to one of the main themes in Yi Yi, commenting that “the ever-expanding circles of social knowledge... must be appropriated with full recognition of nature’s limits and the cycle of the species.” The theme of nature’s limit on human perspective and thought as well as other important messages and themes are recurrent throughout Yi Yi and are illustrated through the use of several genius methods by Yang.
The film opens with a wedding portrait of the family as Yang-Yang is trying to see who exactly is poking the back of his head while he is posing for the picture. This opening scene already points out two major points about the film. The first and more obvious of these points is that the film will act as an active portrait of the Jian family. The second point is referencing to what Yang-Yang will later ask his father. He wonders if we, as humans, can only see half of the truth since we can only look through our own eyes and not the backs of our heads. This observation will inspire him to take pictures with a camera given to him by his father of one thing that people don’t generally see: the backs of their heads. This particular theme is picked up on in other ways as well, largely through cinematography techniques put to use by Yang.
Li’s article on Yi Yi talks about Yang’s genius use of reflective surfaces to “mark space without total delimitation, suggesting permeability, liquidity and flexibility.” In this way, Yang is able to offer the audience a greater sense of perspective, much like Yang-Yang’s camera. Yang is able to use windows in such a way that what is in front of the glass as well as what is behind it are seen by the audience even though the characters are only aware of their own side. For example, after Min-Min breaks down, NJ closes the blinds of their room, revealing to the audience the vast and busy cityscape. This scene suggests that this family’s story is only one among millions. Although the main focus is on the Jian family, there are millions of other perspectives that we can only do our best to observe. Windows are utilized again in another scene where Min-Min is looking out the window from her office out at the busy cityscape. By taking a closer look, one can see that the reflections of the city lights are what make up her image with the pulsing red lights acting a sort of heartbeat for Min-Min and the streetlights acting as her spine. This scene may be simply artistic but may also symbolize the fact that she is a part of a larger community which affects her in more ways than she could ever realize. Yang’s filming techniques allow viewers to decide on their own what they wish to focus on.
Another filming technique that Yang employs in the film is the positions in which the characters are placed. There are several shots of the backs of characters heads throughout the film. For example, there are a few scenes where NJ is facing away from the camera. These scenes indicate that something has happened that NJ did not see coming. The first case where we see this is when he runs into Sherry for the first time in nearly 30 years. Another time is when he is in Japan and receives a call from his partner, Da-Da, who has news of a change of contract plans which NJ was not expecting. One more example of this clever technique used on NJ is when he is on the phone with the hotel receptionist inquiring about Sherry to find out that she has checked out early. With this being such an important theme, it is refreshing to notice this subtle way in which it is incorporated into the film.
Yang even uses the diverse settings in the film to convey meaning. For example, investor Huang’s extravagant mansion is telling of this character’s role and personality and the Jian’s cluttered middle-class apartment shows how they are relatable to the average family. The newlywed’s open, upscale apartment says something about their values and character. Even the simple but homey restaurant where Ota and NJ meet in Japan can act as a representation of their relationship. Yang has put so much care into every scene that the resulting film is a beautiful masterpiece that says so much with so few words.
Scenes with the prospective Japanese business partner, Ota, are some of the most insightful in the entire film. NJ and Ota connect over the beauty and magic of everyday as well as the power of music. Ota asks NJ, “Why are we afraid of the first time? Every day in life is a first time. Every morning is new. We never live the same day twice.” This may remind the audience of what Min-Min was having such a difficult time with and may also make the audience question their own lives. Whatever the case, this is just one example of how Yang never underestimates the importance of brief connections and how those small encounters can change a person in profound ways.
Yang leaves a few other hard-to-notice hints throughout the film. An example would be the short scene where Min-Min is at work photocopying some papers. This may actually be a symbol of the feelings she later expresses about how each day is the same, a copy of the last. Another hint is when Fatty is talking to Ting-Ting in the cafe about how films give people the chance to experience things that don’t happen in the normal person’s life such as murder. This is ironic since Fatty ends up experiencing this first-hand. One more example of a muted clue is when Ting-Ting tells Fatty that it seems unnecessary to experience bad things. This idea of hers is later confirmed when she is dressed in all white, symbolizing her purity and innocence and again in one of the last scenes with her and her grandmother. She asks her grandmother, “Why is the world so different from what we thought it was? Now that you’re awake and see it again... has it changed at all? Now I’ve closed my eyes... the world I see... is so beautiful.” There are surely many more clues to character’s personalities or future events in the film but these are easy to spot with a second look.
Through the use of some detailed and believable characters that aren’t even on screen for more than a minute, the audience is able to gain even more perspective. Many of the side characters give the sense of having their own intricate story that could be just as intriguing as the Jian family’s stories. It is characters like the bartender at the karaoke bar who speaks of his worries for his business to NJ and the nosy neighbor who catches Yang-Yang taking photos of mosquitos, not to mention the timid Japanese waiter who tells Ota not to gamble with the cards but then later asks “Who won?” who make this film what it is. Yang portrays these side characters as real, relatable people, further giving viewers a sense of perspective.
The film begins with a wedding, includes a birth, an attempted suicide, and a murder, and then ends with a funeral. Over this long range of events, the audience witnesses Yang-Yang’s relationship with his grandmother from the beginning of the film to the very end. After Yang-Yang’s grandmother’s stroke, he refuses to talk to her. This is the beginning of Yang-Yang’s discovery that his experiences are separate from those of others. This is confirmed by the last scene in the film where Yang-Yang is speaking to his grandmother’s picture at her funeral. He says, “It wasn’t that I didn’t want to talk to you. I think all the stuff I could tell you... you must already know.” This simple sentence shows how he must have thought that others must have known what he saw and felt but he has now realized that in reality, he is the only one that sees the world from his perspective. This revelation leads him to ask her, “Do you know what I want to do when I grow up? I want to tell people things they don’t know. Show them stuff they haven’t seen.” Now that he has discovered the truth about people having different perspectives, he wants to share his own perspective so that others may be able to see from his point of view. Yang-Yang ends his speech with a very true statement, “When I see my newborn cousin who still doesn’t have a name, he reminds me that you always said you felt old. I want to tell him I feel I am old, too.” This concludes the film and leaves the audience feeling thoughtful. His words are some of the most impactful and wise in the entire film even though he is only eight years old. This just goes to show that even his young point of view is important to know and the fact that Yang is able to share this with the audience is an achievement in itself.
The limits of human perspective are immeasurable but the important thing to do is to try the best one can with the perspective that they do have. Just as the title suggests since it can be interpreted as two ones or one two in Chinese, there are always other ways of looking at things whether one notices at first or not. Yi Yi does an excellent job of portraying its messages to the audience in subtle and sometimes easily discernable ways. Through the use of different filming and directing techniques, Yang has produced a film worth watching. As Fatty mentions in the film, “We live three times as long since man invented movies.” This may be a message from Yang telling his audience that movies are vital because they offer people the chance to live other lives and experience new experiences, thus gaining perspective on all life.
Films watched in Chinese Cinema:
The Blue Kite (Tian Zhuangzhuang, 1993)
Farewell My Concubine (Chen Kaige, 1993)
Big Shot's Funeral (Feng Xiaogang, 2001)
Hero (Zhang Yimou, 2002)
Kekexili: Mountain Patrol (Lu Chuan, 2004)
Running Out of Time (Johnnie To, 1999)
New Dragon Inn (Tsui Hark, 1992)
Kung Fu Hustle (Stephen Chow, 2004)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee, 2004)
Yi Yi: A One and a Two (Edward Yang, 2000)
-Yin
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