Vive L'Amour
Vive L'Amour
Vive L'Amour
Vive L'Amour
Vive L'Amour
Vive L'Amour
Vive L'Amour
Vive L'Amour
Vive L'Amour
Vive L'Amour

Film Movement Classics

Vive L'Amour

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Edition Type: Standard Edition

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This Partner Label release is distributed through Vinegar Syndrome's sister company OCN Distribution. Vinegar Syndrome had no part in, nor are responsible for, the restoration, extras, quality control or any content(s) of this release. We hope you enjoy our growing roster of Partner Labels and the expertise and curation brought to each release by their dedicated staff!

Details

This listing is for the standard edition Blu-ray. The limited edition slipcover (designed by Elizabeth Yoo) was limited to 1,000 units and is sold out. The two versions are identical, aside from the slipcover.

Founded in 2002 as one of the first-ever subscription film services with its DVD-of-the-Month Film Club, Film Movement is now a North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films based in New York City. In 2015, Film Movement launched the reissue label Film Movement Classics featuring new restorations released theatrically as well as on home video, with an emphasis on films by auteur directors such as Eric Rohmer, Peter Greenaway and Takeshi Kitano.

The sophomore feature from Tsai Ming-liang (REBELS OF THE NEON GOD; GOODBYE, DRAGON INN) finds the acclaimed master of Taiwan's Second New Wave demonstrating a confident new cinematic voice. VIVE L'AMOUR follows three characters unknowingly sharing a supposedly empty Taipei apartment. The beautiful realtor May Lin (Yang Kuei-mei) brings her lover Ah-jung (Chen Chao-jung) to a vacant unit she has on the market, unaware that it is secretly being occupied by the suicidal funeral salesman Hsiao-kang (Lee Kang-sheng). The three cross paths in a series of precisely staged, tragicomic erotic encounters, but despite their physical proximity, they find themselves no closer to a personal connection.

Featuring an intoxicating mix of Antonioni-esque longing and surprising deadpan humor, VIVE L'AMOUR catapulted Tsai to the top of the international filmmaking world and earned him the prestigious Golden Lion at the 1994 Venice International Film Festival.

directed by: Tsai-ming Liang
starring: Chao-jung Chen, Kang-sheng Lee, Kuei-Mei Yang
1994 / 118 min / 1.85:1 / Mandarin DTS-HD MA 1.0

Additional info:

  • Region A Blu-ray
  • Tsai Ming-liang on Vive L’Amour featurette
  • 16-page booklet with a new essay by film critic Nick Pinkerton
  • English subtitles

Overall rating: 4.766667 / 5 from 60 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Vive L'Amour, directed by Tsai Ming-liang, is a highly acclaimed film with excellent audio and video quality. Customers praise the beautiful transfer and recommend it as a great release. It is a must-watch for fans of independent cinema.

Summary topics

  • Transfer Quality (14%): Customers raved about the beautiful and informative transfer of Tsai Ming-liang's film.
  • Audio and Video Quality (9%): It was highlighted by customers that the quality of the product was excellent, with high quality audio and video.
  • Movie Quality (17%): Many customers expressed appreciation for the movie, stating that it is great and one of their favorite movies.
  • Film Quality (49%): Many customers brought up that Tsai Ming-Liang's film is excellent and a great release.

Review topics: ["packaging","quality","looks","film","release","movie","transfer","director","essays","cinema","masterpiece","space","slipcover","piece","house","connection","extras","treatment"].

Review highlights

  • "A beautiful transfer, solid performances, one of Tsai Ming-liang best films." — Mark M.
  • "The transfer is filmic, the artwork is stunning and the essays are informative." — Andrew I.
  • "Tsai Ming Liang’s excellent film looks great." — Andrew I.

Reviews

Vive L'Amour

"This inimalist urban drama uses long silences and empty spaces to deliver a quietly devastating portrait of loneliness that’s either hypnotic or emotionally distant depending on your taste."

— Pierre-Yves L. (4/5)

A Quiet and Beautifully Observed Masterpiece

"Tsai Ming-liang's Vive L'Amour is an extraordinarily patient film about loneliness and human connection in modern Taipei. Very little is explained through conventional dialogue, with long takes, physical behavior, and empty spaces revealing far more about the three central characters. The transfer is particularly important for a film this visually controlled. The restored image allows the careful framing, subdued colors, and details within the largely empty interiors to come through beautifully while retaining a natural cinematic texture. The restrained sound design is just as important as the picture. Silence, footsteps, traffic, and ambient noises become part of the storytelling, making the quiet moments feel remarkably intimate. As an upgrade, the improved presentation makes it much easier to appreciate just how deliberate Tsai's filmmaking is. The famous final sequence alone demonstrates how much emotion he can extract from observation and duration. Overall, Vive L'Amour is challenging, melancholy, and deeply rewarding for viewers willing to settle into its rhythm."

— Tim L. (5/5)

Great

"This was a quiet and lonely movie. Full of unresolved feelings, I think this movie deserves a place in any movie lovers collection."

— Ismael F. (5/5)

One of the best releases of the year

"Awsome movie and release. TSAI Ming Liang is a master"

— Paulo A. (5/5)

Good movie.

"Took a chance on this one and am glad I did. It kept me interested throughout."

— Chris S. (5/5)

How can you go wrong with Tsai?

"Film looks good, and package comes with a nice interview with the director that helps clarify things. Worth picking up if you're a fan of Tsai or interested more broadly in world cinema."

— John K. (5/5)

Film Movement

"An important movie released in a great presentation. Very high quality and worth the money."

— JIANJIANG B. (5/5)

Love!

"devastatingly beautiful, deeply melancholy masterpiece of Taiwanese New Wave cinema"

— Kevin G. (5/5)

Taiwanese Classic

"This is pure cinema. Tsai Ming-Liang does not get enough recognition. The release itself is amazing with a wonderful transfer, extras, and great packaging. The film looks great, and you can see so much detail in all of the scenes. On top of that, this is an underseen Taiwanese classic."

— Reeves M. (5/5)

Vive L’Amour Review

"Completely transfixed with the first 20 minutes. Devoid of dialogue and still engrossed in the characters’ actions. Gorgeous slipcover. Definitely a choice for the interview with Tsai Ming-liang to be recorded with an open window so you can hear the noises from outside 😅"

— Liam K. (4/5)

Q&A

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