Eat Drink Man Woman: What is a Chinese Family | Video Essay

[@AccentedCinema]

In short, Ang Lee should make the next Fast & Furious movie.

[@Jdoe-eu5yw]

Would you ever cover “Flowers of War”?

[@satyakisil9711]

The family plot armour would be too op.

[@ArthurRTK]

“我看不懂，但我大受震撼”

[@MrTheil]

Lmao

[@juxt_aposition9935]

Cuz family

[@davidlau6065]

"Look, the father is getting married too, how heartwarming!" What self-restraint to avoid spoilers. This scene had my whole viewing party going berserk.

[@hny_thinks]

The ending is more twisted than a shymalan movie😂

[@intreoo]

I loved the film but seeing that scene really changed my perception of this movie forever. I have to admit the old women's reaction was pretty funny though.

[@theyeow92]

Ohh boyy you are in for a treat!

[@jillyjollyjelly]

Where do you guys watch these films?

[@theyeow92]

Eat Drink Man Woman is on Netflix

[@EX7Sonic]

The fact that he realizes his sense of taste is back when criticizing his daughter's cooking is the most Asian parent thing ever and yet still wholesome.

[@nonamejustbecause]

A table full of food at a Chinese gathering yet nobody talks That hits home too hard for me

[@om3g4z3r0]

Taiwanese*

[@thepronoob4039]

@@om3g4z3r0 a Taiwanese family is still Chinese. Not CCP, but still Chinese.

[@nonamejustbecause]

@@om3g4z3r0 mate I'm Malaysian

[@khrashingphantom9632]

I'm sorry I don't entirely understand. Where I'm from that just means the food is good. Lol. But seriously why don't they talk to each other? I'm genuinely curious.

[@thepronoob4039]

@@khrashingphantom9632 I Chinese culture, people talk during dinner as a gathering every once in a while. Talking to each other about what happened during the day and such. A family that is not talking during a gathering like this with this few people usually signifies that the family isn't getting along.

[@chrischen5048]

"Chinese people often get very hung up on the appearance of things." - You sir, have a gift for understatement.

[@petemadrona2252]

Considering their current attitudes towards foreign successes in this year's Olympics, an understatement indeed.

[@dongster529]

Everyone is hung up with appearances, US politicians will pretend to uphold "real" Christian values, corporations will pretend to be pro "green revolution" while in reality they are still the biggest cause of pollution and hide it behind multiple layers often in 3rd world countries. Chinese "appearances" are just more obvious because of how superficial it is.

[@江俊杰-z9t]

@@petemadrona2252 a fucking real life zoomer LMFAO , just stay in Reddit and Twitter kid.

[@internetobserver1946]

@@江俊杰-z9t he do look like one tho, he’s probably losing money over crypto

[@peterwang5660]

@@dongster529 No. they’re more obvious because we gave the damn concept a word: Face. And we keep talking about it everywhere so that’s what people see in us now: FACE FACE FAcE FACE FACE

[@GiantGeekGuy]

There really is something beautiful and unpleasant about family gatherings. Like in the movie, my family, and many other families no doubt, gather over a dinner table with a bountiful feast. Most of the time, as we get older, we take these moments for granted, nothing more than a festival, anniversary, etc. But we feel a pang in the chest whenever we remember the good that these family gatherings gave, especially when you are no longer with them. And at times, food can trigger feelings of joy or sadness. The memories can be warming and the longing can be painful.

[@peterwang5660]

I hate this part of human nature, you don’t truly enjoy something until you know what it’s like without it.

[@kashutosh9132]

@@peterwang5660 Somewhat true

[@yohannessulistyo4025]

Same here. Sometime it felt just like a troublesome chore, a routine to takeaway your personal weekend time. But on the other hand, you kinda miss it too.

[@OrAngeAnArchy]

We're humans, and humans need community. That family gathering helps appease that need. Every culture has some form of this community surrounding our food.

[@thelastoutcast9266]

“A family of four, now a house of three.” Well spoken line

[@agiekasaputro5884]

I thought the father went to the hospital because he was about to die of something, turned out he was more than healthy to remarry 😂😂😂

[@superlive98]

The Chef went there to visit his hospitalized friend, the #2 Chef from his restaurant.

[@agiekasaputro5884]

@@superlive98 ah. I must have forgotten about that. Thanks

[@rahulwithraj]

@@superlive98 Then why did the daughter asked about the Cardiovascular department and kept asking about his health??

[@fuckinghotshot]

​@@rahulwithraj I could be wrong but I think it's to show she's worried and concerned for his health. Notice how the father says they can lead separate lives but the worry they have for each other is what makes them a family

[@kanianiki5358]

@@rahulwithraj the father is taking a health screening to prove that he is healthy enough to remarry a young woman

[@johnschaeffer7008]

I've decided. This is officially the most underrated channel on KZbin. As a White American, I feel like I so rarely am exposed to Chinese perspectives or the vast body of work that comes out of said country. I've put many of these films on my personal watchlist because so many sound so interesting and you really sell them :)

[@petraarkian7720]

As a Taiwanese American this video hits home. My extended family used to have dinners like this all the time. We were a pretty big table, close to 20 if everyone made it. Now all the kids have gone off to college, I've moved to Australia, my parents moved states, the family dinners can't really happen. But this all happened during the pandemic and being forced to be apart we are suddenly becoming all much closer than we ever were when we all lived in the same town. We have a family group chat that everyone uses almost every day and we have long phone conversations about things like mental health that were always taboo to talk about during the big meals. Everyone is learning to cook for themselves the traditional recipes grandma used to make and we share them online with each other. So yes, keeping up appearances is not at all what makes a family close.

[@damienlyle1677]

Same. My friends are Shenzhen Americans and the "family dinners" they have make me think it's some kind of party. But then they tell me this is almost every night and that blew my mind. College came and they were away. It didn't hit them that hard but their families were like Apocalypse Now for the first few weeks.

[@BaziyadHummam]

"have you eaten" is cultural in south korea too i think

[@duongtieuta223]

and Vietnam as well

[@ycantiusegeorgiantextforhandle]

in Indonesia as well, the only sentence I know in my ethnic language is 'have you eaten?'.

[@peterwang5660]

In China I’m pretty sure it’s only so prominent because we were all starving at one point. Perhaps that’s why there is similarity, we were all in difficult economic situations back then. (Speaking of Asians here)

[@lhemnenn4713]

And in France it used to be as well, but nowadays only grandparents say it ...

[@ronin2679]

same here in India

[@Kishimyu]

I'm not Chinese but I guess a lot of Asian cultures are very similar. My Hmong family is like this as well. Me being the oldest son, I used to hate these things. Now that I'm older and thinking of settling down. Gosh I miss these dinner gatherings. I guess I can relate to the second daughter the most.

[@riskyrahmaliasofyan4002]

I love the subtlety of Ang Lee's cinema. I need to learn how to read between the lines to realize the complexities of the scenes. Thank you for this video, really.

[@xxzhutkiyxx]

Don't remind me that my parents are getting old. You're making me cry over here.

[@Spider-Too-Too]

Dad spent entire day preparing for the feast Daughter: thank you JC

[@suersu3963]

Didn't mention one of my favorite parts of this movie. how he made all this elaborate food for his future wife's daughter for school lunch. And how she ends up basically giving him orders from her classmates on what to cook. So glad I found this channel.

[@alvinkang6331]

3:23 火腿耗了, in our hometown means the ham is bad, not fresh. Just a small comment. Love your video!

[@thegoodgeneral]

Your “Vive L’Amour” was so impressive till I remembered you live in Montréal.

[@subhansanaky]

I'm from a traditional family. when food is a family thing. and like a sacred thing that we respect the food and don't waste food . because we also need to respect people who cooked for us. when I watched this movie. Seeing the father cooking all day and then his daughter just don't enjoy it I was very angry and thought that they really did not respect their father. but then i really start to understand the movie. and i love your analysis video, thank you, keep up the amazing work as always 👍 ( sorry for my english.still learning)

[@friedgengarz]

I spilled my drink because of this video. Because while you were summarizing the basic plot, I realized that the movie "Tortilla Soup", which came out a whole 10 years after this movie is literally the same. 3 daughters who live with their father who is an old chef and is loosing his sense of taste and smell. The difference is in Tortilla Soup, the family is Mexican and the movie takes place in Los Angeles. The youngest daughter doesn't get pregnant, but does develop an unhealthy relationship. And instead of the daughters keeping thier emotions to themselves, they are extremely upfront about their feelings which is a common trait in Latin women. (as a Mexican girl myself) and the themes of western culture (or in this case, US American culture) seeping into your own is shared. And it's something that a lot of Latin Americans could relate to. And the theme of food and having your family eat together is a BIG connection between the two movies, since having traditional food with your family is also shared with Mexican culture. I was actually anticipating you mentioning it. Now I really need to watch Eat Drink Man Woman and compare the two!!

[@HHuynh-DP]

That is because "Tortilla Soup" is a remake of Ang Lee's movie.

[@annahasballz]

I want to watch Tortilla Soup now!!!

[@sunn7045]

so any other people sobbing their eyes out because of this video or am i just a first generation chinese-american that can deeply relate to this movie

[@PlaylistGeneral]

My eyes started welling up when the ending was being described, this looks like a beautiful movie.

[@manamemajeff6283]

Either that or I'm just a crybaby

[@davidd7042]

It's a wonderful movie and this video essay evokes its pathos nicely. I'm not Chinese and tears come too my eyes remembering this film.

[@himmyturner101]

Same

[@neestovekin8251]

first gen Russian Canadian, and somehow I'm tearing up too!

[@khif13]

The "You're welcome" right after Ang Lee's "Thank you" gave me such a smile. I haven't seen this movie but I can tell it'll make me cry.

[@itsumyu]

I've had this movie in my "to watch" list for nearly a year, ever since I watched your video on food in Chinese cinena. Your post about making this video was what pushed me to give myself time to watch it after work today. Eat Drink Man Woman is such an interesting movie, I came in expecting a simple feel good family movie only to come out both very entertained by its twists and learning things I didn't expect. Thank you for recommending this movie. To those stumbling into this video and haven't seen the movie, I encourage you to watch Eat Drink Man Woman, you won't regret it.

[@GordonGordon]

Yes! This is my favorite of his work. Love this film. I cried like a little child the first time i watched this. I'm an immigrant to the states, and i miss the family dinners with my grandparents when i returned on summer vacations. My family was the one that left for the States, and the homecomings were always so celebratory. The tension that resolved in the final scene between father and daughter always hits me deep because the film's tension during the previous dinner scenes always appeared so profoundly forlorn... I yearn for there to be joy and it only appears at the end.

[@alvinmercado6305]

This movie is absolutely beautiful. I’ve never seen it. Not even Chinese but I get a sense of longing for stuff like this. I watched so much Chinese media in the 90s so seeing 90s China is strangely nostalgic

[@superlive98]

WTF? That's not 90s China. It's 90s Republic Of China.

[@alvinmercado6305]

@@superlive98 let me rephrase 90s Taiwan.

[@atulyabharadwaj2279]

@@alvinmercado6305 tankie terminated

[@ktttttt]

@@alvinmercado6305 To be fair Taiwan's real name is the ROC

[@joannewang86]

I remember watching this movie when I was little. I didn't understand the themes at the time being so young, I definitely need to rewatch it now as an adult. I had to smile at the 3:53 mark about the father's old-school, tongue-curling accent. With both my parents having grown up in Taiwan and most aunties and uncles I knew also being from Taiwan, I always found Chinese accents with a strong tongue-curl to sound so exotic (and yes, often old fashioned) compared to, as you aptly describe, the flatter Taiwanese accent.

[@damienlyle1677]

It's a northern accent. Saying Chinese accent is not very clear since that would encompass the Taiwan accent which is more or less the Minnan accent alongside neighboring Fujian. Other accents around the country like for example the Hunan accent don't curl either. But the cool thing is even northern accents that all curl they actually curl very differently and it makes each one sound unique. You should check out more mainland stuff and eventually you should be able to start distinguishing the different ones.

[@chaosfire321]

It's odd. The ending of this movie had me both sad and content. The family's split apart for the final dinner, but their all happy where they are.

[@cattuongnguyen7192]

Just love how the Ang Lee’s, especially Eat Drink Man Woman and Wedding Banquet, paints everything with a ligh hearted irony. Everything is exactly the opposite of its facade.

[@sorryminati4719]

"but atleast the family dinner is still here" I cried at that scene tbh

[@theferociousblue3945]

You are bringing my attention to so many amazing pieces of art I might not have heard about otherwise. Thank you so much. Love your videos, hope you're doing well. Edit: our culture and bonding, both with family and friends, as an Eastern-European, is very connected with food as well. It always makes me feel so pleaeantly sentimental when I hear Asian people talk about these things the same way. Lovely how we have something so important in common with people who live so far from us.

[@TheWhiteDragon3]

Oh my God, I've just figured out your account name. This whole time, I've interpreted it as "focused" or "directed" cinema, but you _literally_ have an accent, and the channel covers foreign films. Absolutely brilliant and hilarious, my friend!

[@elmohead]

Everyone has an accent. Americans come here and we be like "hey you have a thick American accent!" and when we go to USA, Americans be like "wow is that an aussie accent?"

[@TheWhiteDragon3]

@@elmohead Sorry about that; I'm from the American Midwest and have a more neutral accent. I actually just got back from a roadtrip to the American South and was surprised because I forgot that people down here have accents lol

[@elmohead]

@@TheWhiteDragon3 all american accents sound the same to me honestly...

[@TheWhiteDragon3]

@@elmohead Hah! I'm sure we do sound pretty funny to folks abroad!

[@manamemajeff6283]

@@TheWhiteDragon3 I guess it depends to what you usually hear... American is one I'm most familiar with

[@TANHT75]

I love Eat Drink Man Woman, one of my favorite movies of all time. I also love actress Wu Chien Lien (she played the middle daughter), my favorite Chinese actress. This film resonates beyond Chinese and Taiwanese families, it's very applicable to many east Asian and southeast Asian families, it's actually very universal.

[@santi3574]

It resonated a lot with me and I'm from Latin America. I was surprised at how similar our dining cultures are in spite of the distance

[@Ai-yahUdingus]

My family immigrated to Canada 16 years ago. In recent years my parents have been having dinner at friends' place every other day and leaving me and my siblings at home to eat alone. They used to insist on always eating together as a family but I guess now that we're all teens or older we don't make for good dinner conversation companions. I imagine they have a lot more fun drinking and eating with their friends. This makes me sad in a lot of ways but mostly because eating with other people was what I missed the most when I moved away for college and my reason for moving back home is now gone.

[@averyblaze7223]

Just tell that to your parents, tell them

[@peterwang5660]

“You’re witnessing the results of 5000 years of sexual repression” 😂

[@superlive98]

That was a clip from THE WEDDING BANQUET (1993), a different movie.

[@peterwang5660]

@@superlive98 yeah I know.

[@Primesouth-c2t]

This is a joke, Ang Lee does not understand Chinese culture. At that time, many people had this kind of stereotyped descriptions of sexual repression. In oriental movies, you can always see women who are sexually hungry, and men are from the perspective of God. This kind of thinking distorted people's views on women.

[@damienlyle1677]

@@Primesouth-c2t Very true. This is more like a take on Chinese culture to indulge western audiences so they don't feel too alienated by the foreign subject matter. China is 0% what the west thinks it is and it's really funny seeing the dramatic double takes from people entering the country for the first time.

[@juanlu3958]

@@damienlyle1677 so what you think China looks like?Todays world we have no so called Chinese culture,Only brainwashed Commie Chinese culture.Taiwanese culture(i dont know what the fuck they are now).South east asia Chinese culture(Us).our core culture long gone when commie win the mainland civil war.tell me what you think Chinese culture looks like?

[@obedguillen2442]

so many videos on youtube, meaninless. this channel get's me excited, this channel creates my enjoyment. these videos are so valuable to me.

[@alberttantivit9474]

I stayed in the Taipei Grand Hotel where a scene in this movie along with Yi Yi was filmed. I’d really recommend to at least visit the place as it still gives me the vibes and the atmosphere of the scenes that took place in these movies.

[@LDogSmiles]

So glad you covered this film, such a classic!

[@Mangolite]

There is an 2001 American remake called Tortilla Soup about a Mexican-American family living in Los Angeles.

[@yellowprime8491]

I remember watching this with my SE Asian family. We loved it and related a lot to it. Yah, for pan-Asian values.

[@davidd7042]

One of my favorite films. Thanks so much for giving it the detailed examination. You evoke its pathos so well and delve into its deeper meanings at the same time.

[@enigmadrath1780]

Pretty telling how, across so many cultures, the sight of a family eating listlessly together at the table is just a sad sight to behold.

[@swallowedinthesea11]

LOL, when those movie names and director names popped up I was like 'Are the directors all doctors?' Then I realized it said 'Dir' not 'Dr.'

[@Not-Ap]

This movie is so depressing... the way you describe it. How can anyone sit through it without feeling bad in some way for being themselves?

[@SirAgravaine]

You choose to be happy. This can tear down the family, but it also gives you the opportunity to rebuild it- this time around happiness.

[@filipefealves]

The part that the second daughter sees her father and realizes that he is now old got me so much.

[@pdzombie1906]

That final moment with the father telling his daughter he can taste her food always makes me cry... Love taiwanese cinema, from the majestic historical films of Hsiao-hsien, the abstract but intimate films of Tsa Ming-Liang, and to the universality of Ang Lee!! On a completely unrelated note, please do a video on Bian Lian (1996), such a forgotten jewel. Thanx!!!

[@JohnDoe-vc5qb]

This is probably one of my favourite “family” movie. Even tho I can’t relate to the strained relationships, it still hits because it makes me imagine how hurt I’d feel in their place. The food imagery is just beautiful and it is the way for characters to connect and advance, same goes for Like water for chocolate.

[@jyojitsukikage4508]

Yang Zhang's videos always make me emotional, they always remind me of things relevant to life.

[@yohannessulistyo4025]

Back then, we have a lot of this big Chinese family dinner / breakfast with my grandparents and their 6 children. Sometimes, the gathering includes their siblings & family (my granduncle and their children), cousins, sometimes including our distant relatives, will join in during Saturday night dinner (fancy Fujian / Cantonese cuisine) or Sunday morning Yum Cha / Dim Sum. Yes, you have to dress up for the occassion, a step above your daily routine fashion, but not as much as formal occassion such as wedding reception, kind of like 1960s western air travel level of fashion. The most annoying thing for kids is how you must memorise their honorifics. Modern Chinese typically just say "2nd granduncle, 3rd granduncle, 4th grandauntie, and so on" relative to your grandfather's seniority status. But my family is die freaking hard Fukkienese traditionalists. I have to learn their Hokkienese, Fuqing-ese, Xianyou-ese, Cantonese, and standard Mandarin honorifics for the sake of it. It just to show them that my parents are educating me the right way. Chinese food tasted very bland and generic for me, there is also heavy emphasis on bite texture and exoticism of the ingredient like shark fin, abalone, geoduck clam (especially in Cantonese), and sea cucumber (in Fujianese) which I don't particularly enjoy. Overseas Chinese (mainly immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong provinces) food typically resembles Taiwanese food, which practically neighbours Fujian province. Younger generation or millenials typically still do this, but they don't do it in strictly Chinese restaurants. We took our parents to local Indonesian, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, or even Arabic restaurant - other Asian cultures that also practice "sharing the food" and put more emphasis on family bond. The most prevailing big Chinese family gathering food that survives among the youth today is of course the hot pot.

[@manamemajeff6283]

Salam dari sesama orang Cina 🤙

[@sextuplemillionsellersfan7961]

There’s literally 5000 years worth of Chinese food, ain’t no way you can generalise it, give them more try if you can! Sounds like southern food doesn’t suit your taste, maybe northern food will. Unsurprisingly southern food is often considered too bland by northerners 😂

[@sususegar]

This is exactly what I wanted to say, you saved me time from typing it out. Except we mostly do this during CNY. And I hate trying to remember who is whose great grandaunt's second sister-in-law's cousin, what to call her, and sometimes these distant relatives can be one status higher in the family tree but similar to my age. But... I begrudgingly admit that I do miss it a bit.

[@JahinIslam-zo3oj]

In fact, hotpot is not just a food for family gatherings anymore. It is used in any gathering occasion and provides a way for those who cannot cook to entertain friends.

[@DaAggeAgneta]

I didn’t expect to tear up. Thank you for your lovely essays. Gonna watch this movie ASAP

[@dewehav2]

Been waaaaaiiiittttinggg forever for this movie to be discussed by you. And now with my expectations set to max I will resist the urge to press "skip ad"

[@axelNodvon2047]

I swear to god that I think I have seen him talk about this movie before and thought it was a reupload?

[@--Paws--]

Even with just your summary, this movie is very sentimental, I almost teared up while doing my errands listening to the video.

[@ems9616]

This is a brilliant video, i love how you tell us the way these stories work and construct their messages- as a westener, this really helps me understand my wife and in laws more deeply. And it might sound odd, but i think these videos also help me understand my own relationship to my own culture more deeply as well. I think that just goes to show that good shows/movies are universal, even when they focus on a specific experience. Also can i just say, that as someobe with adhd and sensory processing issues, i often struggle to follow along with video essays. But sometging about your voice is so calming and engaging, that listening all the way through your videos is easy and relaxing

[@PlagueOfWasps]

I thought I loved this movie before, thank you for always giving me new reasons and perspectives to appreciate cinema.

[@sfzhu5985]

At the beginning of the film you can see the second datughter looks exactly like her mother from the photo of her mother. Btw, 10:25, I think it's not the key doesn't work, he had tried to use the key to open the door, then he realized he isn't the host of the house any more.

[@kassygo1375]

I can’t explain why but this was so beautiful to me

[@franciscoantonioamayamende2081]

Ever since you announced which was the next film for your video essay, I went to watch the film inmediately and did my personal analysis of course... But at the same time I knew that it was only through the scope of a chinese that I would truly (or better) understand the film. Thanks a lot, it opened my eyes in a different way.

[@MalaysianChopsticks]

Thanks for highlighting how my family went through the same thing. My siblings and I were sent to a western boarding school while my parent’s extended family are mainlanders and Hong Kongers. All of us are Ideologically, culturally and politically opposed to each other. So our dinners became silent. Other than sex. Politics are off the table Keep up the great work

[@spartan1010101]

I knew about the film only based on the cooking scene, but I never actually watched it. I had no idea the message was so relevant...As an American born Chinese I can't help but empathize with basically every character. My dad is also a chef that trained with old school Chinese chefs. Our family is massive, like 5 kids in my immediate family and my dad's the oldest of 7, with his father being one of I think like 5 or something like that. We had huge family gatherings and I remember them as kids, and now after everything my parents pretty much live alone with each other and it's so strange and difficult. Our family was exactly like the one in the movie...we don't talk about problems, we just deal with it silently. Things are changing a lot now with so many siblings getting married and moving ahead in life. I'm American so I want to pursue my own dreams, but I'm also Chinese so I don't want to abandon my family and live apart. My parents are too traditional for me but I'm also too traditional to completely let go. I'm sure all of my siblings went through this same conflict when making their own decisions too but I never really felt like anyone understood what I'm going through. I'm so glad you made this video essay.

[@josiah566]

THANK YOU for finally making an essay on this wonderful film. I came for the food, and I stayed for the messages and questions.

[@daoyang223]

Making a movie that has an understanding of two different cultures is what we need. Ang Lee is great at that!

[@irimac1806]

I am not crying my eyes are just really humid ;_; The way your voice paired with this wonderful movie was really nice and easy to listen to you. thank you for introducing this gem to us

[@chevon5707]

I love Taiwanese movies from this era. I spent a rainy holiday afternoon this week watching A Brighter Summer Day for the first time.

[@SlytherpuffHouse]

I just watched this movie and then really wanted to hear someone's perspective on it, I was so pleased when I found your channel had covered it. The effect of Western culture on Taiwan and the transition from traditional to something blended and contemporary sort of flew over my head. But the family floating apart was very familiar, I have two brothers and my Dad is getting older and the worry and nostalgia are so real. The ending was so lovely, somehow just the right balance of bitter with sweet. I am curious though - is the netflix translation quite bad? I swear I watched it there and the whole time they talked about Sunday lunch not Saturday and now I'm wondering if this is a 'bodgy' translation thing.

[@holden6104]

I'm a sucker for any film with a good ending, and this was one of the best I've seen.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

Foods in a banquet are meant to be shared with fun. It only goes to show how Ang Lee's movie taste is really good

[@TheOscarsolis89]

This is one of my favorite movies and you sir just did an absolutely lovely job at describing this film. My goodness man your channel is so underrated

[@charlesthehandsomeandbrave2956]

bro when the father tell the whole family he's getting remarried and the mother of the daughter passed out. it was glorious. I was shocked, laughing, and sad all a the same time. it was amazing. what a great movie

[@OvidusNaso]

Gosh, this was a really informative video. We can always count on you to deliver, brother!

[@ranchu85]

The opening with the father prepping the meal is unreal, top notch food cinema

[@ankelive8903]

I saw this movie and "the Chinese feast" very close together when I was still small and, though I didn't understand a lot of the family tensions (in both films), I was impressed by the cooking and important role of food on the people and how strongly we might object to change in the food traditions. I'm actually surprised that the movie was by Ang Lee, because I remembered it as something small and intimate, that I'd expect a small independent moviemaker to create.

[@Kuusuna]

thank you for covering this movie, I enjoyed it but didn't understand the background that well

[@wcjerky]

Cut peppers from the pulp side! It's easier, allowing for cleaner cuts and less risky knifework.

[@angusdangus9828]

As a Chinese person I really appreciate these video it brings back nostalgia thank you

[@leonpeterantonio]

And here I am, crying to a video essay on KZbin. Love your channel 💜

[@ariadnegmusdaedaloximo708]

If you're considering watching a modern Chinese movie, you guys should start with "Hi, Mom (2021)", followed by "Dying to Survive (2018)", "Ne Zha (2019)", & "Better Days (2019)" . All 4 have their hearts in the right place, all three unique with ingenious writing & acting, & international appeal. I also recommend a Chinese all time classic "Farewell My Concubine (1993)".

[@travisstoll3582]

I never expected you to analyze this movie. It's one of my favorites. Thank you.

[@n.9310]

I've gotta thank you, Accented Cinema, for introducing me to this film. I watched it about a year ago now and loved it.

[@RhysJ54]

My favourite channel on KZbin. Thank you for all the work that you do.

[@rahulvinalnarayan9743]

This movie is a writing and directing masterpiece

[@natebroadus8474]

Ang Lee's later work overshadows his earlier films, which is a shame, because I agree: Eat Drink Man Woman is his masterpiece. The way it was shot was superb. I still marvel at the scene at the banquet hall when Mr. Chu gets called in to work during the first family dinner. He's walking through the kitchen, and the camera follows him through this bustling, cavernous building buzzing with chefs and servers. The best part? It's almost all in one take. Ang Lee just has a way of taking you into the setting. I swear I could almost smell the food cooking. I really appreciate this video. I'm not Chinese, but as a Native American with a huge family the idea of family gatherings resonated with me. Food is absolutely the way a lot of cultures communicate, and I thank you for pointing out the Chinese/Taiwanese specific symbolism that I missed. It's going to make my next viewing of this great film all the more enjoyable.🙂

[@superlive98]

The scene where Mr. Chu goes back into work for one night is the only inarguably exciting part of the movie.

[@zohebsaikia]

Angg Lee is a real masterpiece in himself..such a broad genre of filmography

[@willyhwang1059]

this is one of my favorite films. always rewatching it

[@ifann88]

I love your video essays and analysis. They’re what I look forward to alongside Nerdwriter when I want to expose myself to new movies. Please keep doing what you do!

[@leonsim9159]

I'm only 20 watching this. But I know that in the future I'll think back to this video and crying ever so harder, happily thinking about my family

[@soratron]

these videos make me feel things i never thought i could

[@jimgu2578]

This is a wonderful analysis. I took a course on East Asian Cinema a few years ago and greatly enjoyed this film by Ang Lee.

[@hadrienpoudevigne2269]

Man, i don't know how or what you do, but your videos always bring tears to my eyes

[@paiwanhan]

Just the clips of this film still tears me up.

[@westernbiological]

This movie is a masterpiece because it is about all families, everywhere.

[@sookguttilla3979]

Thank you for posting this! At first I found it sad that the family is no longer following chinese tradition but however in their hearts they are. I remember my parents it did not matter if we have no time to come home for American holidays, but for Chinese new year and some other chinese holidays, it is a must. I sure miss those.

[@devondetroit2529]

Thanks for putting me onto this film, absolutely amazing !!

[@HoneybeeAwning]

This is one my favourite films ever, I can watch this film everyday and I would still love it.

[@Furore2323]

I keep promising myself I will watch these movies you talk about, but I've only managed a couple. I've got this one, and it's tonight's meal. Thank you.

[@Tripledashhh_]

I learn so much from you, like 8 primal desires is such a new concept to me but somehow innately knew about it without knowing. Thank you!

[@corynn.l5146]

I feel like getting invited for food in a lot of asian culture usually means "you're in"

[@tradetor]

Having personally moved out from my family due to mismatch in living style, I personally feel what Accented Cinema is saying. Me and my mother, whom I respect and love but never got along, are so much happier and have so many to talk about in our bi-weekly family dinner compare to when we are living under the same roof. All I want to say is, maybe is time for our generation to think about how we want to dinner table to look like and make the hard decisions for the family and yourself.

[@danilogondim9300]

I just saw this film in early July. Ang Lee is a huge influence on my work thanks for the video

[@GullyState]

I’m so glad to see you do this film. Was pleasantly surprised and I mean surprised by this film

[@moonbug7252]

I love your videos! They're so informative and well structured! Keep it up!

[@superlive98]

Except in this case. He left out important plot points that may have contradicted his theme.

[@moonbug7252]

@@superlive98 like what?

[@axelNodvon2047]

@@superlive98 Like what?

[@superlive98]

@@axelNodvon2047 I wrote a much more detailed comment elsewhere on this page. You can search for it if you really want to.