
Vive L’Amour. 1994. Taiwan. Directed by Tsai Ming-Liang. With Lee Kang-Sheng, Yang Kuei-Mei, Chen Chao-Jung. DCP. 118 min.
The urban jungle of Taipei is buzzing with activity, but true human connections are rare. A vacant luxury apartment is used for casual sex; a series of comical incidents reveal three people simultaneously finding solace under this same roof, although they each lead a separate, lonesome life. Evoking Michelangelo Antonioni’s theme of urban ennui, Vive L’Amour is a desperate cry for intimacy and human warmth. Tsai Ming-Liang’s sophomore feature, it took the Venice International Film Festival’s top honor, the Golden Lion.