The Puppetmaster = Hsimeng Rensheng

‘The Puppetmaster’ dramatises the life of 84-year-old Li Tien-Lu, Taiwan’s most famous puppeteer, who was also an actor in three of Hou’s films. The story spans the years from Li’s birth in 1909 through World War II and the end of 50 years of Japanese occupation in 1945 and uses a combination of staged scenes, performances and Li’s feisty direct addresses to the camera. Hou explains his motivation for working with Li in these terms: “I had always wanted to film Li Tien-Luk as a subject because I feel that he is like a living encyclopaedia of Chinese tradition. In filming him, it is as if I am flicking through the pages of this encyclopaedia. He is different from our generation, has none of the modern penchant for rationalization, none of our setbacks or negative qualities, or our pain. People from that age would tackle problems with flexibility but from a strong principled position. Life and death and social relationships to them are straightforward propositions. Simply put, I see in Li Tien-Luk the ardent self-confidence of the Chinese and their generosity of heart. In modern Taiwan, these qualities have all but vanished.” ‘The Puppetmaster’ is the first instalment of Hou’s ‘Taiwan Triology’ covering the history of Taiwan from the Japanese occupation to Japan’s surrender. Cast includes Li Tien-lu, Lin Chung, Cheng Kuei-Chung and Hung Liu. In Mandarin and Taiwanese with English subtitles.