# A City of Sadness (1989)

> A restrained family epic turns Taiwan’s postwar political trauma into an intimate portrait of silence, displacement, and fractured belonging.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/33700

## Facts

- Runtime: 158 min
- Genres: Drama, History
- Director: Hou Hsiao-hsien
- Cast: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Hsin Shu-Fen, Chan Chung-Yung, Jack Kao, Tai Bo, Li Tian-Lu, Grace Chen Shu-Fang, Wu Nien-jen
- TMDB rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096908/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: moderate
- Mood: melancholic, austere, contemplative, serious film study, historical reflection

## Synopsis

A poignant exploration of family ties amidst political turmoil and oppression.

## Movies like A City of Sadness

- [The Home Song Stories (2007)](https://ember.film/movie/15058)
- [Coming Home (2014)](https://ember.film/movie/149365)
- [Below the Lion Rock: The Boy from Vietnam (1978)](https://ember.film/movie/247826)
- [Millennium Mambo (2001)](https://ember.film/movie/6520)
- [A Brighter Summer Day (1991)](https://ember.film/movie/9481)
- [Yi Yi (2000)](https://ember.film/movie/15136)
- [Terrorizers (1986)](https://ember.film/movie/55207)
- [Mountains May Depart (2015)](https://ember.film/movie/195916)
- [In Our Time (1982)](https://ember.film/movie/84313)
- [Three Times (2005)](https://ember.film/movie/6521)

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