Directed by Chung Mong-hong
Starring: Chen Yi-wen, Greg Hsu, Kwan Ting liu, Wu Chien-ho & Ivy Yin
Rating: 9/10
A Sun is a Netflix-produced, Taiwanese family drama. It is also now one of my favorite films. The plot is a spiraling journey of a family dealing with major hardships as they try to survive their day to day life. The film opens on a gruesome crime, committed by the youngest son of the family, and immediately we as the audience can see the stress fractures beginning within these relationships. From there, the issues only compound. Throughout the film, the family will experience heartbreak, extreme loss, shame, and unmet expectations. Being a family drama, it is of high importance that the audience either identify with or care about each member of the family. Similar to 2019’s smash hit, Parasite, I immediately was brought in simply by the characters and highly realistic performances.
A Sun is also two and a half hours long. I have seen this posed as a criticism of the film, but during my experience with it, I never felt bored by what was happening. The only negative aspect I could point to regarding the pacing was the very end. To me, it felt as if the scenes would have been more impractical if they were switched around, with emotional apex happening maybe two full scenes before the credit. All in all, not a huge complaint in almost 160 minutes worth of content.
As I mentioned before, the characters in this film are fantastic. Again, the closest comparison in mind is Parasite. Each member of the family has their own distinct personality and their own story to tell. Where A Sun and Parasite truly start to differ is in the content of the story. In this instance, there is less class commentary and more social commentary, dealing with family constructs. The ideas and feelings around family members and their assumed “role”.
The cinematography in this film is great as well. As good as the story is, two and a half hours are hard to fill without being aesthetically pleasing. Film is “the visual medium”, after all and this film uses its visuals to help tell the story in some compelling ways. The use of lighting and shadows throughout really doubled down on the impact of the dramatic scenes. The father in the family has a motto, one he learned from the driving school he works at; the motto reads, “Seize the day. Decide your path”. Throughout the feel, it is shown on the side of the building at key scenes, reminding us though the wide shots that this motto is a monolithic idea for the character as well as the plot at large.
Tying together the themes of the film with the sort of “family motto” is where the lasting power of a story like this truly lies. This film is an amazing example of a mostly simple story, performed and shown with great passion can be some of the most emotionally resonant art out there. Most movies nowadays struggle even introducing heavier concepts well, but not this one. A Sun (pun intended) shines as a dramatic piece but has more than enough heartwarming points to make an incredible movie viewing experience. Unfortunately, this film has also not gotten nearly as much attention as I believe it deserves. With it being a Netflix production, I encourage anyone who likes well-made films and especially dramas, to go and stream it now.
