11 August 2014

Rebels of the Neon God (Taiwan, 1992)

Defying by his parents, Hsiao Kang drops out of the local crammer to head for the bright lights of downtown Taipei. He falls in with Ah Tze, a pretty hood and their relationships is a confused mixture of hero-worship and rivalry that soon leads to trouble.

Youth, and all the troubles that it brings. That's what Rebels of the Neon God is about. Through sweaty arcade halls, boring jobs and late nights at the cafe, we follow a couple of teenagers that are trying to break free from the shackles of early 90's Taipei. The city itself looks almost decadent and you can nearly smell the pollution and the exhaust fumes, making it feel like a filthy metropolis that breeds adolescence and youngsters without goals. To give it a more realistic look, it is filmed with handheld cameras and I love when that style is done right, as it is here. 

Rebel of the Neon God is a film that deals with teen angst and the search for something more, something that could make make life easier and whether it's money or love, these kids are hell-bent on finding it.


Genre: Drama

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