Hou's 'Three Times' stands out in Cannes

At the last screening in Cannes this week of Hou Hsiao-hsien's (侯孝賢) Three Times (最好的時光) -- a poetic narrative with elegant cinematography and great performances -- the director drew applause and cheers throughout the Grand Theatre Lumiere at the end.

The film was seen by critics as one of the standouts among the 20 other contenders in competition this year.

In a change from his previous films, which focus largely on history and Taiwan's political situation, Three Times, Hou's sixth entry in the Cannes competition, is simply a love story.

It's a three-segmented film set in different times: 1911, 1966 and 2005. His lead actors Shu Qi (舒琪) and Chang Chen (張震) are the lovers in each period, with each playing three different characters.

The first segment is titled "A Time of Love" (戀愛夢), which, Hou said, is based on his own youth.

Before going to military service, a young man, played by Chang, spends his time at a billiards halls and falls for one of the girls who works at the hall recording scores for customers.

Initially, he likes a girl named Spring, and one day he comes to the hall to look for Spring but finds that she's left to work in another city.

May, played by Shu, works at the billiard hall and reads his letter to Spring and is touched by the words.

They fall briefly for each other, but the man is sent off to military service. One weekend, the young soldier goes back home in the south in search of May.

"I remember I had such a crush on this one girl and I went on exactly that kind of journey," Hou said at the press conference of the film in Cannes.

The second segment, set in 1911, is, according to Hou, a time for the revolutionary spirit. The segment is titled "A Time For Freedom" (自由夢 ).

Shu plays a courtesan who owns a parlor house and sings operas, plays music and recites poetry.

Chang is a client with aspirations to overthrow the Qing and to free Taiwan from Japanese rule. 1911 was the year the Qing dynasty fell and the ROC was founded.

He visits May's house regularly. She takes care of him and they talk about literature and his idealism in the fight against feudal customs. Throughout their relationship, she remains uncertain of her role and position.

The Chinese title of the movie means "the best times." Speaking about the title, Hou said: "For me, all of the three times are the best times. Because the times and moments will never come back. They are lost forever. You can only revoke the moments through memories. I've always wanted to make films about fragmentary memories."

Three Times integrates the different film styles with which Hou had earlier experimented.

The first two segments are the extension of Hou's A Time to Live and a Time to Die (童年往事) and Flowers of Shanghai (海上花).

The third segment, "A Time For Youth" (青春夢), which is set in 2005, looks like an extension or replay of Millennium Mambo (千禧曼波).

In the third segment, Shu plays a bisexual girl having an affair with Chang. She writes poems, pop songs and sings with a rock band. She is spontaneous and wild. But emotionally, she is very confused.

Working with Hou for the second time, Shu said she is getting more accustomed to Hou's filmmaking style.

"In this film I have many new tasks. First it's to learn to play pool well. Then to play the courtesan well I had to learn the special voice and languages in Southern Tones (南管). And in the third part I had to sing two English songs," Shu said.