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Rebels of the Neon God
15

Queer East on tour

Director Tsai Ming-Liang’s debut feature is a masterful exploration of urban alienation and sexual malaise, widely regarded as one of the best Taiwanese films of all time.

LGBTQ+ • Critically Acclaimed • Psychological

The parallel stories are about teenager Hsiao Kang, who feels stifled living at home with his parents, and petty thief Ah-Tze, the object of the teenager’s obsessive hero–worship. One of the quintessential Taipei films, Rebels of the Neon God captures a transformative moment in the city’s history, as the decaying architecture of the nationalist era gives way to way to technological modernisation, video game arcades, and shiny new shopping malls.

Foregrounding themes of queer desire, the film introduced cinemagoers to Tsai’s signature minimalist style, and to his muse, actor Lee Kang-Sheng, who has subsequently appeared in every film made by the director.

Details

Duration

1hr 46mins

Director

Tsai Ming-Liang

Featuring

Chao-jung Chen • Chang-Bin Jen • Kang-sheng Lee

Year

1992

Country of origin

Taiwan

Language

Mandarin with English subtitles

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“No director since Fassbinder has such insight into the lives of lost young men in crumbling inner cities as Tsai Ming-Liang delivers in this devastating first feature. Brilliantly observed, with dialogue kept to a minimum, and as tender as a Lou Reed elegy.”
Time Out

“Rebels of the Neon God makes one yearn for an alternative reality where it, not Pulp Fiction, became the beacon of ’90s independent filmmaking.”
Clayton Dillard, Slant Magazine