It consists of three separate stories of romance, set in different eras, using the same lead actors, Shu Qi and Chang Chen.
[2] It has been praised for its topical themes of communication, romance and relationships, with each linked symbolically to the era it takes place in.
(Chinese: 戀愛夢; pinyin: liàn ài mèng) Set in Kaohsiung in 1966 (the year of the Cultural Revolution in mainland China and consequently a time of great freedom in Taiwan) with dialogue in Taiwanese Hokkien, the first story follows a young soldier, Chen, who is awaiting deployment to his station, and his encounter with a young woman, May, who works in a poolhall.
They spend some time together before heading to the train station so that he may return to his post, but arrive too late, missing the departure.
(Chinese: 自由夢; pinyin: zì yóu mèng) Set in Dadaocheng in 1911 (when Taiwan was occupied by the Japanese), with dialogue presented only through on-screen titles (as in a silent film), the second segment follows a singing courtesan living in a brothel who wants to be freed by becoming a concubine to Mr. Chang, a customer whose occupation as a traveling writer and political freedom fighter keeps him away for months at a time.
Despite being fond of her, he denies her the opportunity of freedom because he disagrees with the system of concubinage and is overcommitted to the political cause of fighting the Japanese through diplomacy.
After they arrive at their apartment, Jing receives a text from Zhen to meet the following day so he can give her the photos as well as her misplaced badge.
Hou cast Shu Qi for the female lead roles, marking his second collaboration with her, after 2001's Millennium Mambo.
For the male lead roles, Hou cast Chang Chen, adding to Chen's list of collaborations with notable Chinese and Taiwanese directors, including Edward Yang, Wong Kar Wai, Ang Lee and Jeffrey Lau.
Discussing Three Times in an interview for Artificial Eye’s UK DVD edition, Hou said: I feel that every era has its own distinctive sense.
Roger Ebert, who championed the film at Cannes, gave it four stars out of four in his review for the Chicago Sun-Times:"Three stories about a man and a woman, all three using the same actors.
"[3] Kay Weissberg in Variety wrote:"Synthesizing Hou Hsiao-hsien's ambivalent relationship with time and memory, Three Times forms a handy connecting arc between the Taiwanese helmer's earlier work and the increasingly fragmentary direction of his recent films.
Only if you think that cinema has no higher calling than presenting a long series of gorgeously lit close-ups of beautiful actresses are you likely to agree."
Independent filmmaker Jim Jarmusch wrote: "Hou Hsiao-hsien is not only the crowning jewel of contemporary Taiwanese cinema, but an international treasure.
A trilogy of three love stories, Chang Chen and Shu Qi beautifully portray Taiwanese lovers in three distinct time periods: 1966, 1911 and 2005.
), while the final piece leaves us in present-day Taipei—a city of rapidly changing social and physical landscapes where technology has a harsh effect on delicate interpersonal communication.
The resonance of these combined stories, their differences and similarities, their quietness and seeming simplicity, left me in a near dream-state—something that only happens to me after the most striking cinematic experiences.
Now, for the first time, one of Hou Hsiao-hsien's films is finally being properly released (by IFC) in the U.S. And this makes me, as a true fan, very, very happy.
"[3]Three Times was released in the United States on April 26, 2006, and was only the second of Hou's films to receive theatrical distribution in the USA (the first was Millennium Mambo).