A City of Sadness
1989 | 158m | Mandarin
Popularity: 2 (history)
| Director: | Hou Hsiao-hsien |
|---|---|
| Writer: | Wu Nien-jen, Chu Tien-Wen |
| Staring: |
| The story of a family embroiled in the "White Terror," the Kuomintang government's anti-communist political repression that was wrought on the Taiwanese people from 1947-1987. | |
| Release Date: | Oct 21, 1989 |
|---|---|
| Director: | Hou Hsiao-hsien |
| Writer: | Wu Nien-jen, Chu Tien-Wen |
| Genres: | Drama, History |
| Keywords | |
| Production Companies | ERA International, 3-H Films |
| Box Office |
Revenue: $0
Budget: $0 |
| Updates |
Updated: Nov 19, 2025 Entered: Nov 19, 2025 |
| Name | Character |
|---|---|
| Tony Leung Chiu-wai | Wen-Ching |
| Hsin Shu-Fen | Wu Kuan Mei / Hinome |
| Chan Chung-Yung | Wen-Heung |
| Jack Kao | Wen Leung |
| Tai Bo | Ah Jia |
| Li Tian-Lu | Ah Lu |
| Grace Chen Shu-Fang | Meidai |
| Wu Nien-jen | Mr. Wu |
| Tsai Chen-Nan | Singer |
| King Shih-Chieh | Mr. Huang |
| Su-Yun Ko | Sister-in-law |
| Wou Yi Fang | Wu Kuan Rong / Hinoiei |
| Chi-Ying Kao | Shopkeeper |
| Ho Ai-Yun | Concubine |
| Huang Chien-ru | Ah Xue |
| Ju Lin | Jin Quan |
| Lih-Ching Lin | Sister-in-law |
| Ching Lu | Wu's Father |
| Ikuyo Nakamura | Shizuko Ogawa |
| Mei Fang | Wu's Mother |
| Zhang Dachun | Reporter He |
| Name | Job |
|---|---|
| Hou Hsiao-hsien | Director |
| Wu Nien-jen | Writer |
| Chen Hwai-En | Director of Photography |
| Tu Duu-Chih | Sound |
| Chu Tien-Wen | Writer |
| Ching-an Yang | Sound |
| Chang Tso-chi | Assistant Director |
| Chi-Wah Lau | Art Direction |
| Lam Shung-Man | Art Direction |
| Name | Title |
|---|---|
| Yau Fook-Sang | Producer |
| Organization | Category | Person |
|---|
Popularity History
| Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 13 | 20 | 8 |
| 2024 | 5 | 13 | 19 | 9 |
| 2024 | 6 | 13 | 21 | 8 |
| 2024 | 7 | 16 | 33 | 9 |
| 2024 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 7 |
| 2024 | 9 | 12 | 23 | 7 |
| 2024 | 10 | 11 | 25 | 6 |
| 2024 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 5 |
| 2024 | 12 | 10 | 17 | 7 |
| 2025 | 1 | 10 | 17 | 6 |
| 2025 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 3 |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | 11 | 1 |
| 2025 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 2025 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 2025 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| 2025 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2025 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 2 |
Trending Position
| Year | Month | High | Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11 | 272 | 606 |
This film, even at 20 years old, may be the strongest cinematic statement I've ever seen against country "boundaries" and "imperialism". Between the beginning of the 20th century, Chinese people lived in Taiwan under Japanese rule for two generations. By WW II, they were living alongside the Japa ... nese and the remaining (that's another story) indigenous peoples more or less peacefully. The Taiwanese, after two generations, were neither Chinese, nor Japanese, nor indigenous. When Japan lost the war and withdrew, the Chinese government took over with disastrous consequences. THAT is viscerally described in this masterpiece. What's really lost on a white boy like me is the nuances of the dialects. In fact, the reason that Tony Leung is a deaf mute is that he couldn't convincingly speak the Taiwanese dialect! (At least I'm in good company, LOL)