Realism, sensibility, erotism, love, humor, irony and mistery in a balanced way. This movie is a great inspiration for who wants to know how to tell a story with a good narrative, simplicity and interesting characters. A real good surprise in black and white from Taiwan.
13 Reviews
Watch it slowly or simply don´t watch it
tekoepost29 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
The movie is brilliant in my opinion, but it´s for selective audience in terms of being patient, bias removal, expectation removal and active reflection. The movie reflects a good popular story of how sad society could be driven by money and power. Although this movie reflects Taiwanese society, this picture could repeat anywhere in the world. Some people said there is an illogical detail about how a person can lift up a dead body into the Buddha statue. You should think a bit... here is the workshop and they have tools to lift heavy things around, as heavy as big copper statue and he is the owner, don´t you think he could not think about that? People who are perceived as good people and do good course in life could actually be the one who hide their guilt the most clever and in a manner that society could not even imagine about, such as the example of Kevin who hid his ex girlfriend dead body (his crime) in the Buddha statue (his work for compassion symbol).
Well mixed symbolism and realism
cxavilica22 June 2019
The depiction of the lowlife feels very real- their timidness, their very limited, non-imaginative desire and their quiet desperation. The black and white for the poor and the color for the rich adds to the contrast of lifestyles of social classes on the extremes. Yet interestingly, I don't think the film is trying to make people angry in any sense. It just make you feel, 'that's the way it is'.
Mixed with the realness is the symbolism shown in the film. I think it's best that viewers not try it too hard to put logic into every plot of the film, but just accept it as an artistic expression .
Mixed with the realness is the symbolism shown in the film. I think it's best that viewers not try it too hard to put logic into every plot of the film, but just accept it as an artistic expression .
A Precious Maiden Work
DawsonChu23 March 2018
The idea of the way of telling is novel, but not limited to the novelty itself. From the playful bystander perspective to the uncontrollable subjective emotion release, this film can be said that it is a perfect example of a narration assisted narration.
Along with the pioneering, not rough photography, and valuable original score, a series of technical additions not only adds to the richness of the story, but also makes the mood of the film more touching.
Well, again, let me try again
MovieIQTest29 March 2018
This is just a so-so film, pretentiously made like what Federico Fellini did long time ago in black and white. The storyline was not that interesting, struggling local lowlives vs the local rich and powerful. There're a two deadbeats, a buddha manufacturer, and a bunch of go-betweens. The main dialog in this extremely localized Taiwanese film used the Chinese southern Fu-Kien Province dialect widely spoken in Taiwan, but the high ratio of using the localized obscene curse often related to everybody's mother being raped or violated was so high, it almost covered and appeared in most of the dialog.
The Chinese title of this film was using the pronouncing tone of "Plus", i.e. POO-LA-S(ending sound of S) as "+". There were two murders in this film(didn't feel like a spoiler at all), one witnessed by the two main deadbeats, one was not witnessed but highly suspicious committed by the same person who did the first one. The "+" after "The Great Buddha" title hinted there's something more about this Buddha or in it; it's a plus, buy one get one free. The obscure mix-up similar pronunciations of the Latino "Puta" as well as "Buddha" was the high point of the creativity of the screenplay dialog.
But alas, here's the illogic kick:
A Dead Body is a Dead Weight, there' no way to be handled by just one guy to dispose it, albeit it needed to be lifted and raised so high over the Buddha's neck opening single handed without help, even a normally strong and young guy couldn't do it, not a weak past prime middle aged baldy alcoholic, especially just finished a fornication.
The "Buddha" manufactured in this film is a symbol of absurdity and the phony faith of the Buddhism in Taiwan. It's just a money-making religion, some monks used the Buddha to make a living, some politicians used this almost always Sitting Guy to fool and gain the votes. The Buddhism is so shamelessly commercialized in Taiwan, China and the South-east Asia.
You need patience to watch to the end, 'cause the tempo of this film is so slow and so predictable. The Narrative voice also made this film a not quite serious one, just with an overly used way to help telling a not-so-interesting story. This narration way is also widely used in Korean movies.
The Chinese title of this film was using the pronouncing tone of "Plus", i.e. POO-LA-S(ending sound of S) as "+". There were two murders in this film(didn't feel like a spoiler at all), one witnessed by the two main deadbeats, one was not witnessed but highly suspicious committed by the same person who did the first one. The "+" after "The Great Buddha" title hinted there's something more about this Buddha or in it; it's a plus, buy one get one free. The obscure mix-up similar pronunciations of the Latino "Puta" as well as "Buddha" was the high point of the creativity of the screenplay dialog.
But alas, here's the illogic kick:
A Dead Body is a Dead Weight, there' no way to be handled by just one guy to dispose it, albeit it needed to be lifted and raised so high over the Buddha's neck opening single handed without help, even a normally strong and young guy couldn't do it, not a weak past prime middle aged baldy alcoholic, especially just finished a fornication.
The "Buddha" manufactured in this film is a symbol of absurdity and the phony faith of the Buddhism in Taiwan. It's just a money-making religion, some monks used the Buddha to make a living, some politicians used this almost always Sitting Guy to fool and gain the votes. The Buddhism is so shamelessly commercialized in Taiwan, China and the South-east Asia.
You need patience to watch to the end, 'cause the tempo of this film is so slow and so predictable. The Narrative voice also made this film a not quite serious one, just with an overly used way to help telling a not-so-interesting story. This narration way is also widely used in Korean movies.
the reaction of the bottom life is very ordinary and real
yoggwork18 February 2019
With black and white literary films, in fact, the story is quite ordinary, but the reaction of the bottom life is very ordinary and real. Actors also grasp the characteristics of the characters, so every character seems to live around.
Taiwanese arthouse film
Frame-By-Frame12 April 2018
Watching this in the UK probably meant most of the subtle Taiwanese life references went over my head and whilst there is humour in the film, I didn't laugh once. The story centres around 2 struggling lowlife misfits where one is a night security guard at a Buddha statue factory and the other a refuse recycling collector. It's a sort of bizarre snapshot of a series of events. There's a theme of vulnerability and exploitation, references to faith and local culture. It's mostly filmed in Black and White and is unusual in having the director intervening occasionally with a narration. The film manages to hold a certain mood, it's filmed in an interesting way and is as they say 'different'.
My rating: 6/10 and only that high for it's absurdity. Recommended for the art-house crew. Beware there isn't much of a cohesive story to this and the trailer is made up from some very carefully selected scenes.
My rating: 6/10 and only that high for it's absurdity. Recommended for the art-house crew. Beware there isn't much of a cohesive story to this and the trailer is made up from some very carefully selected scenes.
We never know what secret is hiding under someone.
n-0257226 April 2020
You never know what secret is hiding under someone's skin. The black humor of the place is interesting to present the local style, but also the bleak reality of sarcasm. Crime and punishment are casually spread out in many aspects, and events are comprehensively described in terms of trivial details. It's ironic, and at the same time appropriately sentimental.
Friendship and enlightenment
politic198314 November 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Taiwanese director Hsin-yao Huang's feature debut "The Great Buddha+" starts as a comedy tale of middle-aged misfit slackers, though by the end highlights the loneliness of those involved, perhaps brought about by a modern age of overactive media consumption.
Pickle (Cres Chuang) is an incompetent night watchman for Kevin Huang (Leon Dai), the local successful man commissioned to make a Buddha statue for a temple. With little to do each night, his friend Belly Bottom (Bamboo Chen) joins, bringing gifts of pornography, cold food and company. A bumbling duo of idiocy and perversity, Belly Bottom asks Pickle about Kevin's dashcam footage - looking for something to watch as the hours go by.
The pair then sit night after night watching hours of road moving towards them, though every now and then there are interesting recordings of the sounds going on in the back seat when Kevin has a lady with him. Eager for more "action," the pair watch more and more, soon uncovering some dark secrets which could have drastic implications for Kevin, as well as Pickle.
"The Great Buddha+" is a film full of self-aware in-jokes. The "+" in the title refers to the fact this is a building on an original short film from 2014, with a narrator popping-up here and there with an almost DVD commentary to add explanations and film notes, as well as cover plot holes. Shot in black and white - which is pleasing on the eye (the dashcam footage the only part of the film in colour) - the characters themselves even claim that reference to colours is needless in a black and white film. Belly Bottom also comments as to how TV is now easy to make, simply collecting hours of dashcam footage together. Something the film thankfully does not become.
Less post-modern comedy comes from the characters themselves, each with quirks and a buffoonish quality of loveable rogues, making-up a collection of life's downtrodden. Pickle is a man seemingly without dignity and courage, easily led; while Belly Bottom is the weird and wonderful, obsessed with claw machines. Their only other friends are Peanut (Na-dou Lin) who works in the local 7-Eleven (the source of further amusement) and the non-speaking, homeless Sugar Apple (Shao-huai Chang).
Their lives are contrasted by Kevin and his rich and powerful friends, frolicking in swimming pools with young women, with our heroes the clear opposite end of the spectrum. They spend their nights watching videos to learn more about the life of Pickle's boss, however, the sadness in the film's conclusion is not so much in death, but in learning that they knew little about those closest to them. Despite the hours spent together, Pickle knows little about Belly Bottom and the life he leads outside of joining him in his cabin at night. The group of misfits perhaps don't even fit alongside each other.
Cres Chuang stated that novice director Huang didn't give too much direction to the actors - whether out of naivety or craft - so little was really known as to who the characters really are. And in an age when learning as much as possible about others through media dominates, Buddha looms over all holding the secret.
Pickle (Cres Chuang) is an incompetent night watchman for Kevin Huang (Leon Dai), the local successful man commissioned to make a Buddha statue for a temple. With little to do each night, his friend Belly Bottom (Bamboo Chen) joins, bringing gifts of pornography, cold food and company. A bumbling duo of idiocy and perversity, Belly Bottom asks Pickle about Kevin's dashcam footage - looking for something to watch as the hours go by.
The pair then sit night after night watching hours of road moving towards them, though every now and then there are interesting recordings of the sounds going on in the back seat when Kevin has a lady with him. Eager for more "action," the pair watch more and more, soon uncovering some dark secrets which could have drastic implications for Kevin, as well as Pickle.
"The Great Buddha+" is a film full of self-aware in-jokes. The "+" in the title refers to the fact this is a building on an original short film from 2014, with a narrator popping-up here and there with an almost DVD commentary to add explanations and film notes, as well as cover plot holes. Shot in black and white - which is pleasing on the eye (the dashcam footage the only part of the film in colour) - the characters themselves even claim that reference to colours is needless in a black and white film. Belly Bottom also comments as to how TV is now easy to make, simply collecting hours of dashcam footage together. Something the film thankfully does not become.
Less post-modern comedy comes from the characters themselves, each with quirks and a buffoonish quality of loveable rogues, making-up a collection of life's downtrodden. Pickle is a man seemingly without dignity and courage, easily led; while Belly Bottom is the weird and wonderful, obsessed with claw machines. Their only other friends are Peanut (Na-dou Lin) who works in the local 7-Eleven (the source of further amusement) and the non-speaking, homeless Sugar Apple (Shao-huai Chang).
Their lives are contrasted by Kevin and his rich and powerful friends, frolicking in swimming pools with young women, with our heroes the clear opposite end of the spectrum. They spend their nights watching videos to learn more about the life of Pickle's boss, however, the sadness in the film's conclusion is not so much in death, but in learning that they knew little about those closest to them. Despite the hours spent together, Pickle knows little about Belly Bottom and the life he leads outside of joining him in his cabin at night. The group of misfits perhaps don't even fit alongside each other.
Cres Chuang stated that novice director Huang didn't give too much direction to the actors - whether out of naivety or craft - so little was really known as to who the characters really are. And in an age when learning as much as possible about others through media dominates, Buddha looms over all holding the secret.
want to cry.
gayjaoeabeyjai7 April 2024
This is not entirely a black and white film. Because the world of wealthy people is colorful. A social realistic drama wrapped in black humor, very close to Taiwanese society. Director Huang Xinyao's catchphrase is not only amusing, but also cleverly neutralizes the almost non-existent dark depression in the story. Social class differentiation, wealth gap, and the external flaws of religious politics and economics are all extremely satirical. A great ending was filmed. The black and white tone and the life of the wealthy are colorful, seemingly throwing the problem towards a desperate class division. However, the tone of the storyteller, combined with the jokes of hearsay and the empty emotions of life, cleverly leaks out the money and sex of the old driver driving on the road, completing the theme of black humor to nihilistic literature and art. Talking and laughing can be both relaxed and enjoyable, but for some reason, there is always a sour Wu Nianzhen that makes people want to cry.
The title "The Great Buddha" doesn't manifest the storyline in any sense.
zeuszeroes1 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A night security guard (Pickle) in a Buddha Statue Factory (Globe) cum residence is a friend with a scrap picking guy (Belly Button). Their favourite time pass at night is to watch dashboard camera videos of Pickle's Boss's Mercedes Benz.
Pickle's Boss (Kevin Huang) is a very rich and powerful middle aged man who is a Casanova.
One night Pickle and Belly Button were watching the videos when they saw a video where Kevin was killing his ex and sealed her inside a big Bronze Statue of Buddha in their factory.
They decided not to inform police because law is biased towards the rich and moreover Pickle's old mother is sick and he needs this job to take care of her.
A night Kevin suddenly came into the security cabin when Pickle was alone and told him he knows everything what he and his trash picking friend do whole night here. He also asked Pickle if he needs any help to approach him.
Following morning, Belly Button was found dead in a drainage ditch with high blood alcohol in his body looking like an accident whereas Pickle knows Belly Button doesn't drink.
Next Kevin arranged Pickle's mother for hospital stay and the bills were taken care. Pickle couldn't understand Kevin's intentions.
In the final scene, the bronze Buddha statue was sold to a Buddhist Temple and where the ceremony was going on, suddenly the monks started hearing a noise inside the Statue.
A local Taiwan delight
Genkinchan20 April 2022
This movie depicts two friend watching his boss dash camera recording only to find out a dark secret.. but seriously it is a very slow movie... the conversation is very interesting and funny... but it really took too long to send out the message.
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