Review: A Sun
Grief is a powerful emotion. It is abundantly present in times such as a pandemic. People all over the globe are dealing with loses of different kinds. Some people are losing jobs while others are losing loved ones.
It is a fitting time to look at the 2019 feature from Taiwanese filmmaker Chung Mong-hong. A Sun deals with the many shades of grief and how we bounce back from it. The film, directed by Mong-hong and co-written with Chang Yao-sheng, teeters on the long side but is filled with several nuanced performances and captivating cinematography.
A Sun follows the Chen family dealing with the immediate impact of the younger son’s incarceration. A-Ho gets sentenced to three years of juvenile detention after assaulting someone and chopping off their hand. His father, A-wen, disowns him and chooses to believe he only has one son, A-hao. A-hao throws himself into his schoolwork while the Chen matriarch, Qin, must deal with the sudden discovery that A-ho has gotten a girl pregnant.
Each family member fragilely adjusts to their new normal until a sudden, tragic death shatters their world yet again. The death of a certain character impacts each of the Chen’s differently and each must face new challenges in its wake.
Tai-Ling Wu and Chien-Ho Wu - Official A Sun Trailer
Essentially, the story can be split into two parts– pre and post death. Each half of the film is compelling on its own but put together made the film a little too long. The acting is powerful but not exciting. If you blink, you might miss the subtlety of the performances. Concentrating on subtitles demands attention as well so the film requires a keen focus.
The first half of A Sun has a lighter tone than the second. However, it is arguably darker given the context of the entire film. The Chen family proceeds with life as normal. Each processing their grief about A-Ho in different ways.
Qin buys A-ho commissary treats as if he’s away at sleep away camp. A-wen refuses to believe his son even went to prison because in his head, A-wen is not even his son anymore. Neither Qin nor A-wen can escape the reality of the situation. The young Xiao Yu reveals she is pregnant with A-Ho's child and Qin knows she must take up the responsibility because her son is in juvie. A-wen cannot push away the father of A-Ho's assault victim seeking a large sum of financial compensation. Meanwhile, A-hao is drowning in his feelings and no one seems to notice.
Samantha Ko - Official A Sun Trailer
Samantha Ko is the MVP of the film’s first half as the matriarch and core of the Chen family. As the Chen men operate on different planes, so must she. Qin wears a lot of different hats in the beginning of the film. She must be a supportive mother to her children, a surrogate mother for Xiao Yu and a good wife to her emotionally inverted husband – all while dealing with her own strife.
Ko conveys a million different things sometimes while saying nothing at all. It is hard to look away from her eyes whenever she appears on screen. The emotion behind them is strong, impactful and absolutely crushing.
An interesting takeaway from the first half of the film is A-ho's juvie scenes are better lit. The juvie moments were not necessarily nicer but there was just a different feeling in the visuals. It might represent that although A-ho is locked up, at least imprisonment is a definitive consequence to the movie’s inciting incident. The other Chen members are not dealing with their problems as head-on. They might have their freedom, but they are in a prison of their own.
The back half of A Sun focuses on the fallout of a tragic death, A-ho's release from juvie and A-wen's emotional journey.
A-ho's reintroduction into society was an unexpected storyline. It was interesting to see him go from juvenile delinquent to a responsible father aiming to stay out of trouble and provide for his family. The introduction of his troublesome old pal Radish certainly drives most of the end narrative.
Yi-Wen Chen and Chien-Ho Wu - Official A Sun Trailer
Yi-wen Chen is the MVP of the film’s second half. Watching the Chen patriarch’s emotional pain finally catch up with him was heartbreaking to watch. He slowly revealed that A-wen Chen really does have a heart. He showed the emotional vulnerability of a father torn between his morals, his pride and his love for his sons.
The ending is a profoundly emotional showcase for both Chen and Ko. Powerful revelations and confrontations between a husband and wife over the scenic backdrop of a lush valley really hit home. Qin spends the movie being so strong but it's in this moment we see her show complete vulnerability. A-wen reveals himself to be a father who is willing to do anything to take care of his son.
The dynamic is completely unexpected yet completely obvious. It is a powerful scene that really brought the whole movie together.
Qin shares a powerful monologue that perfectly sums up the movie’s message. When asking Xiao Yu’s aunt if A-Ho and Xiao Yu can get married, Qin recalls several moments of her son’s childhood. Xiao Yu’s aunt asks Qin why she should say yes considering the stories did not paint A-ho in the best light. Qin tell her that she cannot convince her that A-ho is perfect, but they can worry about the pair together.
A Sun shows us that grief is not something you can handle alone. Situations may be dark but it’s the strength of others that keeps us afloat. A new sun is always over the horizon if you keep on living, so it is crucial that you accept support from others to keep on living.
In times such as these, we all are going to need to lean on each other for support. If the Chens are any indication, the darkest of tragedies can be conquered if we have each other.