The movie A Brighter Summer Day is based on a true story, the story was set in Taipei, the fourth grade boy of Jianguo Middle School was a good student who has nothing to do with the school gang. His father was a law-abiding civil servant. His mother was a substitute teacher in elementary school and moved to Taipei from the mainland in 1949. There are 5 children in the family. The eldest sister wants to give up the desire to go abroad in order to help the parents to bear the burden of the family, but her mother does not agree; the second brother and the fourth are very quiet, the third sister is a devout Christian, humble and patient; Zhang Zhen is The fourth in the family, so called the fourth; the youngest girl in the family is a fast-growing little girl. The fourth and Xiao Ming, a unfortunate girl were very close to each other, and both have feelings for each other. Hani, the boss of the “Small Park Gang”, also became obsessed with Xiao Ming. Xiao Ming’s father died early, and her mother placed all hope on her. She matured prematurely, and at the same time circulated among several boys.
In the mathematics exams, because of plagiarism, and later his father went to school to negotiate on this issue, but in the end because of dissatisfaction with the bureaucratic tone of the school leader, there was a dispute with the school leader, The fourth got a big demerit.
Due to the dispute between the gangs, Hani went to fight against the “Fangcun Gang” alone, and was pushed under the car wheel by the opponent’s boss, Shandong. The fourth took part in the siege of the “Fangcun Gang” to revenge for Hani, Shandong was killed. The father of The Four was allegedly politically forced to write confession materials and was dismissed. Because he was obviously being persecuted so he became a bit nutty; his wife was dismissed from teaching because he was implicated. The Fourth was ordered to drop out because of the collision with the school, so he was preparing to study hard for the transfer to the other department.
Xiao Ming’s mother went to Ma Shiling’s house as a maid. Ma Shiling’s son Xiao Ma was a friend of Xiao Si, a precocious but loyal teenager. Xiao Ming lived in his house because of his issues with his mother. The events in the family and school made Xiao Si unbearable. He felt like that Xiao Ming had changed, and Xiao Ming ’s relationship with Xiao Ma caused Xiao Si to fall into a conflict of friendship and love, and he quarreled with Xiao Ma. At the old book market on Guling Street, The Fourth saw Xiaoming and confessed his feelings for her, but Xiaoming refused. The out-of-control Xiaosi stabbed Xiaoming with seven knives, and Xiaoming died on the spot. The Fourth was arrested and sentenced to death in the first instance. This was the first case of juvenile homicide after the Kuomintang authorities moved to Taiwan. After various disputes, the Taiwan High Court tried 15 years in prison.
The duration of the film is almost 4 hours which portrayed the transformation of a\their youthful age. The film integrated the background of the era into the young people ’s life. The background of time and the blending of the two make it possible to see the turbulent era in Taiwan, and it is thought-provoking and resonating. The pain of growth, the tender love, and the ugliness of the world can all be meticulously integrated here. In this brutal youth, the complicated but clear characters, the turbulent but not messy narrative, Zhang Zhen’s acting skills are also vividly reflected in this work.
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