Taipei in History: 〈古都 〉 and 《岵嶺街少年殺人事

件 》ref. 戰國廁

Outline Taipei’s Histories? 眷村文化 – The Army’s Village/Dormitory

戰國廁 – 眷村 no privacy 7:00 古都 《岵嶺街少年殺人事件》

Taipei/Taiwan’s Histories in Films Point of View: Taiwanese’s points of view: 悲情城市、無言的山

丘、多桑 , 太平天國 , etc. mainland Chinese’s point of view: 香蕉天堂、

《岵嶺街少年殺人事件》 . homosexuals’ point of view: 《孽子》 . Styles: Magical realist: 阿爸的情人、〈將軍碑〉 ( 張大

春 ) Mostly tragic, the comical-satirical one: 太平

天國 (Like No) 、戰國廁 ( clips)

The “Writing” of City’s Forgotten/Neglected Past “Canvas of Time” – with a portrait –to

be respected but also emptied out for later histories.

〈古都〉 and 《岵嶺街少年殺人事件》 ? Nostalgia only? How are histories written through

walking in two cities? How is a homicide presented as a social

problem?

〈古都〉

A City with Different Layers of “Forgotten” Past

朱天心 外省第二代 , Father 朱西

寧 三三集刊成員受師長輩精神

傳承，情感認同且依戀「故國」。面對鄉土文學的論戰，遂變得十分焦慮，因為成長經驗中「屬於我的『鄉土』是無論如何都無法合於論戰的標準」。（朱天心語）

古都 : Starting Questions Structure: 1. pp. 151 – 170: memories of her life

(outing with A) at age 17, and the recent mayor election. (pp. 169-70)

2. pp. 170 -210: A visit to Kyoto and more memories of her youth and childhood;

3. pp. 211 – 233: A re-visit of Taipei with a colonial map. (Intertext: 桃花源 )

「難道，你的記憶都不算數……」 (151) What does this mean? What does the narrator cherish and resist?

古都 : Major Themes

The narrator remembers the past which the city itself does not confirm or preserve.

1. The memories she cherishes and her contradictions

1. Young adulthood – with A; 2. Of Taipei’s past3. At Kyoto 4. Childhood;

2. The Oblivious City vs. the Remembered City; Taipei vs. Kyoto

3. The narrator’s criticism of Taipei, her contradictions and complexity

Memories: Young adulthood – in general那時候的體液和淚水清新如花露，人們比較願意隨它要落就落。那時候的人們非常單純天真，不分黨派的往往為了單一的信念或愛人，肯於捨身或赴死。那時候的樹，也因土地尚未商品化，沒大肆開路競建炒地皮，而得以存活得特別高大特別綠，像赤道雨林的國家。那時候鮮有公共場所，咖啡館非常少，速食店泡沫紅茶 KTV、 PUB更是不用說，少年的只好四處遊蕩猛走，但路上也不見人潮洶湧白老鼠一般。(p.151.152; 自由 157)Different Definitions of Freedom:157

Do you agree? Do you see that in your parents’ lives or in your own childhood?

Personal Memories—Teenage, Young adulthood and Marriage with A

Close friends, close to being homosexual lovers; p. 153;

Triangular relations: A and 宋； A and the narrator p. 155; 163

With XXX College life (2nd part) : 204-205

With her husband: during election (1998?) – 168

At Kyoto: a previous trip with her daughter

Of Taipei’s past –to confirm and criticize Taiwan

〈台灣通史序〉 -- 清人得台、廷議欲墟其地 88 年前法軍戰役 French 咸豐七年春正月、淡水大雪 (pp. 153; 204)

British Rule 八年，黃位又犯雞籠。英人始訂約採腦。

日人拆城 ; 賣台灣 but they planted trees (p. 180);

DPP tears down the trees and pollutes Taiwan with heavy industry. (p. 181)

Of Taipei’s past –to confirm and criticize Taiwan

首先西班牙人荷蘭人如此描述台北：草茀瘴濃，居者多病。 康熙台北湖。 其後來採硫磺的郁永河在 ? 稗海紀遊 ? 形容台北：非人所居。但那早在一六九七年，不能怪它，同時其的嘉南平原乘牛車行經期間，如在地底（多令人神往！）。

康熙末年，隨軍來台平朱一貴亂的藍鼎源說：台人平居好亂，既平復起。

連沈葆楨也說：台北瘴癘地。 李鴻章：鳥不語，花不香，男無情，女無意。 不滿那地方的不自你始。 你真不想回去呀。 (p.177)

Critical of or Ambiguous about her Own Role

1. Not knowing pp. 1582. 奇怪… Not aware of colonial

implications 166-67 3. Not understanding – 169 – wanting to

go away4. Relating the past to some foreign

places 1645. Nostalgic only? 郵局 (198) – Western

Style buildings, incongruous with the surroundings.

Routes of Memories: of Kyoto

1. Remembering her trip with her daughter p. 172 –

22 Remembering her walk to 圓山 and 兒童樂園‧ p. 177 her childhood.

3. Childhood 北勢湖國 Taipei City Walls p. 180

22 the story 古都 end 210

The Oblivious City vs. the Remembered City

P. 187 – 不打算保存人們生活痕跡的地方，不就等於一個陌生的城市？

Kyoto’s permanence (e.g. 清涼寺 ) vs. Taipei’s changes: p. 199 - 200-01; intertext: 武陵人

Taipei vs. Kyoto Kyoto vs. Taipei 白川 p. 171 清涼寺 vs. 慈惠宮

(pp. 207-208)

Kyoto to Taipei Kyoto: an ideal projection of Taipei as

an ancient city Continue the colonial history? She

uses a colonial map to tour around Taipei: p. 211 -

日據時代將台灣神社建於台北，把台北古城當作皇居御所，視基隆河為鴨川、劍潭山為東山，取的便是台北盆地在地理位置上與京都相彷彿 ( 楊 ) .

Kyoto to Taipei Her route: the city center ( 新光三越 ) 總統府博愛特區 西門町 重慶南路 圓山 淡水關渡 大度路 – lost her map; 迪化街 環河路 and 河堤 the embankment

What do you think this trip means? e.g. p. 230; p. 232

Do you agree with her experience of Postmodern Taipei Forgetful and without direction 沒有航

標的大河？ The younger generation’s memory 198

P. 183-84 MRT The New Park p. 213 The Officials’ houses and their

reconstruction 改建的房子 p. 216-17 Different perspectives and different

needs: e.g.許歷農 拒「以眷舍換官舍」…

Do you agree with her experience of Postmodern Taipei 天空有直升機盤旋，大概在找江上浮屍；歐幾桑騎著老歐都拜嘟嘟放著黑煙迎面擦身而過，大概也是接到通知去認屍……

這是哪裡？……，你放聲大哭。 (p. 233)

Is the Narrator’s Criticism of Taipei Justified?

1. 王德威言「她與她的老靈魂正如班雅明（ Benjamin ）的天使一樣，是以背向，而非面向，未來」，因為這樣的不甘願進入現代，行筆之處便時時夾雜著對現今社會的議論與針砭。 ( 陳 )

『歷史天使的外觀也是如此。他的臉孔朝向過去，我們似乎看到排列出一連串事件的地方，他卻只看到一件事物：一個不停不變的大災難，不斷地堆積出瓦礫堆，並把他們射向他的腳下。．．這場風暴把天使帶向未來，然而天使一直背對此一未來．．這場風暴的名字叫做「進步」。』 ( 班雅明 )

“History is an angel being blown backward into the future.”

這一切，一定和進步有誓不兩立的關係嗎 (182)

Her contradictions (1) 「你再也不願走過這些陌生的街巷道，如此，

你能走的路愈來愈少了。」 p. 184 Walking on Taipei streets and

remembering a lot of the houses and their details.

political control of those old houses? P. 187

No where to walk now?

Her contradictions (2)

Taiwan has always been under multiple colonial influence, so is she. e.g. 淡水河 像長江 p. 153; 淡水河口的景致像舊金山、 p. 154; 紅樓像西班牙或某些地中海小鎮的建築 p. 155; 有整排楓香與美軍顧問團宿舍座落的中山北路像

新英格蘭十三州， p. 165; 日本的河水 像江南 p. 171 American soap operas and movies. 無關乎民族主義 p. 166

her contradictions – multiple text

陶淵明的《桃花源記》、連橫的〈台灣通史序〉， 西方作家如勞倫斯、梭羅、 Robert Frost

等人的文學作品 Fragmentary identity

her contradictions and complexity (3)

你第一次來圓山公園時很驚訝他們怎麼公然用了你們圓山的名字。女兒卻在一次幼稚園戶外教學去圓山河濱公園回家後問你，奇怪怎麼學人家日本人的地名呢。你突然迷惑起來不能回答，丈夫笑女兒數典忘祖。 (175)

What will the daughter remember? pp. 198-99.

her contradictions and complexity (4)

Her fear of aging: pp. 173; 192. Her loss of the past = not meeting A Her position as a tourist at Kyoto

(shopping, joining rituals, observing from a distance and being tolerant – p. 194; 206)

《岵嶺街少年殺人事件》

Who is the killer?

Starting Questions Why does 小四 kill? Who else are

the “killers”? How does the film present a

microcosm of 1960’s Taipei society? Signs and symbols in the film? The film’s structure? Repetitions?

Outline General Introduction:

Edward Yang and his Films Plot Summary The film’s explanation of the era.

小四 and the People around him 小明 : helpless and sophisticated The Other Boys’ Conflicts on 小明 vs. 小四 His Family and Friends: All vulnerable and subject to the

Parents’ problems The Gangs

Overall Social Hierarchy vs. 小四’ s Efforts and Frustrations

The Symbolic: the space, the flashlight and the radio.

Structure of Repetition The ending: how he is driven to kill 小明

楊德昌 Edward Yang Got a Master’s degree in electrical

engineering and then turned to film production.

Chronicles Taipei with 《青梅竹馬》 (1985) 60’s 80’s Taipei Story 《恐怖份子》 (1986) 80’s A Brighter Summer Day 《岵嶺街少年殺人事件》

(1991) 60’s Yi Yi 《一一》 (2000) contemporary

Taipei

Plot Summary Setting: 60 年代初，臺北。建國中學夜間部，中山堂 . 小四 involved in conflicts over 小明 and the

gangs such as “小公園幫”“ 217” 眷村 , etc. 小四 in family problems -- Father: a civil servant

later involved in white terror, mother: substitute teacher who cannot get a fulltime position for lack of a diploma.

小四’ s problems at school: 滑頭 cheats in an exam, and 小四 got a de-merit; 小四 argues against the nurse, and the the military officer so he gets dismissed.

When 小四 decides to focus on his studies, he finds that 小明 is with 小馬。

Opening Description insecurity and repression self-

strengthening in some undue ways

小明 Mother ill, being driven from place to place; Has to depend on the men around her; Knows how to act; “你怎麼就不明白呢？這個世界是不會為你而改變的！我就好象這個世界一樣，是不會為你而改變的！”

小明 about Honey: 2--01:15

Conflicts over 小明 Honey (cannot help) 、滑頭 (denies it) 、小虎

(escapes when the others seek revenge) 、醫生 (helpful in a limited way) 、小四 (wants to stick out for her and protect her)

Between 小虎 and 滑頭 51:00

Central Characters 小四 and 小明 : Not competing with

the others. He resists being with her once; shows sympathy for Honey. Later he is driven to jealousy by 小翠 and unhappiness at the family.

小四’ s Family: All Vulnerable The youngest sister – losing buttons,

telling on the others; the 2nd—a devout Christian.

The oldest sister – tries to help when finding out that the watch is stolen.

The older brother does the same too for 小四

Except for the youngest, they all try to help 小四 but without success.

Parents’ Frustration The Past: meeting in Shanghai (2-4:01)汪狗，夏老師， 2nd 7:30 警備總部 : 2nd 35:12 – checking the

memories for connections and making confession as a way of thought control.

After being released: Lost sense of dignity 2nd 57 Paranoiac 2nd – 2—4:00 Seeking jobs.

小四’ s Classmates (Friends) 小貓 (小貓王 ) –innocent, feminine and

the only one unhurt. An interesting example of the influence of American culture. –connected with the dagger and Japanese women’s photos

小馬— backed up by his general (司令 ) father—owning the sword, the recorder and the guns; orange juice, etc.

Gang Fights over the concert小公園 – Honey, 條子、滑頭– loyalty

vs. disloyalty

Gang Fights over the concert 南海路︰葉子 money 217 眷村︰山東、小神經 – strong only

in appearance

The “Taiwanese” 萬華市場 Gang – crude but with a sense of jungle justice

Public Spaces of Power Conflicts School/Classroom: 55:44 （山、我 ; 站起來） Between Teacher and Students

The school’s clinic –the nurse, doctor and the students.

Film Studio – Between the Director and the Actress

Billiard Room --Gangs (小公園 ) 43:32

The Public Spaces: Meanings?

Educational and medical spaces – not really helpful

Film space: not producing even dreams.

小四 Innocent, but Wronged His Role as by-stander

Going with 小明 to see 小貓 going with the others to see Honey. Going with 萬華幫 to kill 217 gang

Wronged: Cheating episode (2-9:16) 217 looks for 小虎 (2:23:30) Basketball episode

小四’ s Kindness & Rebellion His Efforts

to protect 小明 (2nd: 3:00) rescuing 胖叔 (the grocery store owner)

His Rebellion while being driven to a dead corner The father no longer a role model To the nurse: 警備總部啊 (2nd 2– 9:00)

being dismissed still tries to work hard; finds out about 小明 turns to 小翠 only

to find out more about 小明’ s dishonesty.

The Final Outbreak The watch – the sister’s attempt to

soften him only to stimulate him to sacrifice himself to rescue 小明

To the film director: 自然，你連真的假的都分不清楚，你拍什麼片啊。

The Characters in Hierarchy Changing structure: 小公園的老大 Honey his younger brother, etc. (over money 2 –39:00)

汪狗 (over) Father Teachers, Nurse (over) students Boss’s wife (老闆娘 ) (over) Director (over) Actress

Policemen (over) 小四 Jailers: “什麼破玩意” (over) 小四 and 小貓

Bureaucracy or Financial Structure

Traces of (neo-)Colonialism From the Japanese: the sword, the

bullet and the dagger (found by 小貓 )

Recorder (left behind by an American journalist)

The King and the American pop songs

Frequent Signs and Symbols Light and blackout (flashlight;

switching light on and off) suggesting the lack of light and 小四’ s search for it.

The Military: the tanks, the soldiers, the shooting field

His use of Flashlight to look at 滑頭 , at the top of the film

studio and read books He gives it up when going to 堵 小馬

Spaces of Constraints—The Other Characters

Spaces of Constraints 小四’ s Space:

The Gang Fight scene

Structure & Repetitions Beginning and ending with the issue

of entrance exam Repetitions with Variations

The father’s two visits to school (A de-merit; Expulsion from school)

The father scolds 小四 and his brother: “沒出息”

小四 小明 : “ 沒出息，你沒出息……”

沒出息

Ending Ironic: The daughter is there to serve as

antenna. The name of 張震 appears on the list

of those entering college, only to saddens the mother.