DVD Review: 天邊一朵雲 The Wayward Cloud

“What do you think a movie is?” Tsai Ming-liang replied to a reporter who had just asked him the same question at the screening of the director’s film, “The Wayward Cloud” at the Berlin International Film Festival.

"My experience of watching films is usually like reading a novel, but with a third hand turning the pages for me; I have no control over the speed of my reading,” the reporter answered. “However, your film is not a novel; I feel I am watching a movie and I can read it at my own pace.”

Tsai's film is a mixture of fragmented memories, feelings and emotions. There is no concrete storyline, but a story comes from the chemistry between these three elements; a story in need of no words.

"the wayward cloud" is indeed an art piece about urban society that seeks the audience's participation and provokes thoughts. While watching this film, it is important to have unanswered questions - don't focus on what is inside the featured unopened suitcase, but think, what is the meaning of "unopened" in the film.

Surely, sex is not new to his films, [well, I mean like sexually intercross is new to his film, usually it is only suggested images, but now, they were like REAL explicit sence]

"The Wayward Cloud" is the film that Tsai has always wanted to make most and contains many elements that have appeared in his older works, including his strong presentation of isolation in his lonely characters, as well as some highly entertaining campy musical chips which here he contrasts against the emotion of the characters. The recurrent [themes, not sure about it] tools he us to express is idea of isolations (and equally recurrent censorship and scandal in Taiwan) are his portrayals of sex and the naked body.

In this film, Tsai’s redefine the meaning of loneliness and isolation to a new, extreme extend. We see the pornographic film industry through the eyes of a third person. Throughout, unmistakable and explicit symbols of sex contrast the main characters’ passive and isolated relationship.

Watermelons appear to be having a bumper crop and are well harvested throughout in metaphors and imagery, as all the while drinking water runs dry in the taps throughout Taiwan. In respond to the situation of “Juice replaces water” in Taiwan, Tsai uses the classic Dadaism icon - ants, to express the problematic and distorted thoughts of society; humorous yet haunting.

The metaphor of "Watermelon" (the supplement/replenishment/sex) and "Water" (the origin, purity, love) can be interpreted throughout different layers in the film, bringing coherence to a thoughtful and completely enjoyable film.

"the wayward cloud" is indeed a master piece firmly sealed with Tsai’s signature.

很多人會以為電影是用來說故事的工具，香港人由其。那看電影和看一本小說有什麽分別哩？這本小說的好處是有第三隻手幫你一頁頁的把書翻過去，有的電影快些，有的慢些。但茗明亮的電影不是小說，而是需要觀眾投入、思考的「電影」。

蔡明亮的電影是一些「片段」，「感覺」及「情緒」的漫合物，坐在大銀幕前，三者互相交滆，「故事」就自在觀眾心裡，而這個「故事」更是非筆墨或言語所能形容，蔡明亮的電影是利用都市空間、身體語言剪接出來的藝術品。

看「天邊一朵雲」不要用傳統理解電影的方法去分釋，而且要「容許問題的出現」電影一開始的時候開不了的皮箱就是開不了，不要老是問裡面是什麼，反而要去想開不到的皮箱給你什麼感覺。

「天邊一朵雲」是蔡明亮最想拍的電影，亦可以說是他所有電影結集出來的結精品。此部片比起蔡明亮的其他作品都來多了很多不同的層面，每個層面都可以追朔到他之前的電影，例如蔡導最善長對都市疏離感的描寫，及出其不意，把影片帶來殺時輕鬆，但又使其後的寂莫更加蒼惶的歌舞片段。而「天邊一朵雲」最新的原素，亦是引起最大爭議的，就是性和亦裸裸的身體。

此片利用赤裸裸的身體及對色情電影工作者在的描寫進一步表現人與人之間的疏離，比起任何蔡明亮之前的電影都來得一針見血。更用第三隻眼（第一隻是攝影機的鏡頭，第二隻是拿看搖控看Ａ片的觀眾）來看色情電影的拍攝過程，用大量的有性無愛的情慾鏡頭對比男女主角那一種「渴」而不可求的關係，把「寂莫」及「疏離」的感覺伸延到無邊際之處。

還在分別「性」和「愛」的朋友，這片可叫你分清和你一晚春宵的那一位是「愛人」還是「性人」。

本片最有趣的地方除了皆大喜歡的「肉體物質」外，就是對「水」，這個附号的演釋，用「西瓜汁」未代替「水」這一個予意，與電影中紐曲了的「性」及「人的關係」互相產年化學作用，使天邊一朵雲更加耐人尋味。

蔡明亮的影迷對此片不會失望之餘，相信連一些門外漢都會想看看那日本ＡＶ女郎的真人大膽演出。此招大小通吃，可見蔡導欲把自己的電影領域拓闊的野心。事實上，「天邊一朵雲」亦是近期云云DVD中裡的上上之選!

DVD Review

Published in Dim Sum Magazine