The first time I discovered the name of Tsai Ming-liang, it was with his incredible Taiwanese hit Rebels of the Neon God, from 1992. From there, I continued to follow his works, which drastically developed and shifted away from the style that introduced me to him; though I didn't mind this. His style felt more raw, more true to life itself. There was a curiosity to his works that I felt I hadn't really seen elsewhere, as if he wasn't really shooting a film but actually just documenting life, alongside the filmmaking fictional side of things. His works began to consist of long shots of things, typical locations in our day to day lives, focusing on simplistic actions that seemingly wouldn't go anywhere in a narrative sense. That is to say that his version of storytelling was to throw the rules out of the window and do things his way. I remember watching Stray Dogs, and finding it to be such a unique experience for an Asian film; an area of the world that is already doing very well when it comes to its arthouse productions. Stray Dogs was beautiful, and much of this was due to its locations.
This brings us to his 2020 short film The Night, something that isn't all that different tot what he has released in his full length feature titles. Though short at about twenty minutes in length, it's a look into the world at night, the beauty of night life, and how the world keeps moving even after the sun has set. Sort of like a gentle night walk on a restless night, taking a camera with you and just filming certain areas of interest. Perhaps you have done something similar in the past: those nights where you just can't sleep, so you get up and just go for a little walk, sit beneath the city lights for a little and just take in the atmosphere. Watching the odd car drive by, or the flickering of a store light that needs changing. I know I have been there many times, and even to this day I find myself captivated by such moments, even if I end up part of that interest: the tired face standing idle, waiting for a bus in the night.
It somewhat reminded me of Synecdoche, New York, in which the protagonist finds himself obsessed with the lives of others, finding beauty and art in the simplistic routines we find ourselves in. The constant motion each person is in, living out their own stories surrounded by others going in very different paths. The Night makes you feel this too, and it's a really simple, beautiful short as a result.
The short film is currently available on Mubi, if you're interested in watching it. Though it appears to be quite difficult to find elsewhere. This might just be your only option, unfortunately. Though Mubi does offer a seven day trial for free if you are really interested. I'd argue it's worth it if you're also interested in international cinema, as well as the whole arthouse world.
The Night
Establishing shots are often used for displaying a general theme to the viewer, like a connection between scenes that bridges two unrelated things to together. A sudden shot of a location often signifies this is where the story is currently taking place, or that this sudden shift in location is displaying the passing of time in some way. Such shots are incredibly powerful and help filmmakers connect their stories while keeping them in motion; though in the case of The Night, Tsai Ming-liang purely focuses on the location, the life within telling its own stories to the viewer as it encourages your eyes to roam through the stillness of the camera in search of movement. Those passing by enter from one side of the frame and exit the other, with obviously no real encouragement from the director.
These shots are often from roadsides, showcasing the life on the other side. Often focused at bus stops or crossings, where much of the night life still unfolds as people hurry back home. The first few shots don't offer a whole lot in regards to composition, they're hardly artistic in the sense that Tsai Ming-liang was going straight to the beauty, but instead capturing the reality of night. It sets up your attention straight to the busy, and more chaotic side of the city that still continues to thrive in the night. With it having that twenty minute runtime, The Night still wants to be somewhat interesting to the viewer, so it makes sense that the most busy moments are utilised first, shortly before transitioning to more artistic compositions and perspectives on the world at night.
As this transition takes place, the short takes on a more magical sort of tone to it, playing some traditional Taiwanese music alongside the footage, and the cuts become a little more frequent with it. Showcasing locations that are more empty in the night, with interesting perspectives and lighting from above. The whole idea is really simple, and all it really takes is a camera, a tripod, and a mind that can appreciate the photographic art of the world, and I think that's a lot of the charm in the short, especially in regards to who might appreciate the short itself, it takes a photographic mind to enjoy. But I'm glad there are directors creating things like this, simplistic and almost pointless. Just creating for the sake of having fun creating something. And I think that sums up a lot of his works.
And such shorts give us a look into ourselves, a glimpse into the moments of life we often overlook, even in that moment. We rarely see the beauty in diverging paths, in the many lives taking place around us. The beauty in the simplicity of light. The way spaces influence us. I'd say that it's certainly worth a watch. It isn't too long, and certainly leaves you with an interesting new perspectives on your surroundings.
