Four Hands

'Four Hands' is a Taiwanese drama directed by You-Ning Lee, starring Wu Hsing-kuo. The movie premiered on 12 October 2014 in Taiwan.[1] The story depicts a veteran of the Republic of China Army from Shantung who settled in Taiwan, separated from his family due to the Chinese Civil War. The film deals with the affairs of a three-generation family across the Taiwan Strait. The Chinese title comes from the yeast used when making mantou.[3]

Four Hands
Traditional麵引子
Simplified面引子
MandarinMiàn Yǐnzi
Directed byYou-Ning Lee
Produced by
  • Wang Shou-Qan
  • Chiu Shun-Ching
Written by
Starring
Music byVanros Kloud
CinematographyHan Yun-Chung
Edited byKu Hsiao-Yun
Production
company
Release date
  • 14 October 2011 (2011-10-14)
[1]
Running time
112 minutes [2]
CountryTaiwan
LanguageMandarin

Plot

In 1949, while returning to his home in Shantung, Houcheng (Wu Hsing-kuo) was forcefully conscripted by the Republic of China Army under shackle, leaving behind his younger brother, his wife, and the whole family. Soon after, his wife gives birth to a boy Jiawang (Geng Le).

Fifty years later, Houcheng now lives in a military dependents' village in Taipei, having re-married a local Taiwanese woman and fathering a daughter (Yeh Chuan-Chen) and a grandson. He wakes up every morning to make mantou, per his family tradition since when he was in Mainland China. In his old age and after the death of his second wife, Houcheng returns to visit his hometown in Shandong, only to discover that his first wife had died. He was met with a hostile son who resented him for not having been present in his life. He returns to Taiwan without having resolved the conflict with his son.

Ten years later in Taiwan in 2009, Houcheng suffers a stroke. At the urging of his family, Jiawang goes to Taiwan, perhaps to see his father for the last time. While in his father's home in Taiwan, Jiawang discovers forty years worth of unsent letters (due to the ongoing Civil War) written to his mother, expressing his futile desire to return home. Jiawang realizes that, unlike what he thought, his father had never forgotten about them. With the new discovery, the misunderstanding was resolved. The film ends with Houcheng passing away peacefully in his sick bed, imagining his return to his hometown of 1949, reuniting with his first wife.

Cast
  • Wu Hsing-kuo as Sun Houcheng, the protagonist.
  • Yeh Chuan-Chen as Jiayi, Houcheng's daughter with his second wife.
  • Geng Le as Jiawang Sun, Houcheng's son with his first wife.
  • Jenny Chao as Zuning, Houcheng's first wife, and Suisui, Jiawang's daughter.
  • Jang Yan Ming as Kainan, Chia-yi's son.
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gollark: It has no other factor. MWAHAHAHAHA!
gollark: No. Why? The number 1.
gollark: ⛹
gollark: Also, even if it was, it would probably involve cutting open your head and sticking in electrodes.

References
  1. "Four Hands cast shed tears at film premiere". Taipei Film Commission. 13 October 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  2. "麵引子". Yahoo!奇摩電影.
  3. "《麵引子》：圓滿，更遺憾！". 24 June 2012. Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
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