The title of Tsai Ming-liang's film implies a
celebration of love. In a way, Vive l'Amour
does do just that, but in no way by conventional
means.
Hsiao-Kang (Lee
Kang-sheng), a homeless
crematorium urn salesman, steals keys to a newly
vacated Taipei apartment. After a suicide attempt,
he takes up residence there as Mei-Mei (Yang
Kuei-mei), a real estate agent trying to sell the
apartment, picks up Ah-jung (Chen Cho-jung), young
street vendor, and brings him there for a roll in
the sack. Ah-jung in turns steals Mei-Mei's keys
and he and Hsiao-Kang unknowingly share the
apartment. As Ah-jung persues Mei-Mei, Hsiao-Kang
begins to realize he is falling for Ah-jung.
Vive l'Amour is more about the
alienation of these characters in the urban
landscape than about the plot. The characters are
horrible at their jobs and unable to connect with
other humans. It seems human and monetary
transactions are impossible in this world.
The film is almost intrusive on the
individuals, the camera positioned solidly as the
characters think blankly while soaking in the bath
tub, lie in bed wearing Fruit of the Looms, eating
noodles or drinking beer. But this camera
discovers humor too, capturing the characters in
odd positions as they are alone (witness Mei-Mei
trying to hang up "For Sale" signs around Taipei,
see Lee Kang-sheng turn cartwheels in a spandex
dress and a feather boa).
There is rarely any dialogue in Vive
l'Amour, and the film completely focuses on
how the characters simply cannot get out of
themselves. Love is an ideal outside of these
characters, a thing they cannot posses. As Mei-Mei
sits on a bench and cries for an excrutiatingly
long scene at the end of the film, it comes clear
that theses characters can only celebrate love by
knowing it is something they can never have.
From
Film.com
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