The second installment of Hou Hsiao-Hsien's historical trilogy (which also includes A CITY OF SADNESS and GOOD MEN, GOOD WOMEN), THE PUPPETMASTER is based on the life of famed Chinese puppet master Li Tien-Lu. Spanning the years 1909 to 1945 and covering major historical events in China's occupation by the Japanese, the film is epic in scope, yet highly personal in focus. Influenced by Chinese painting and the aesthetic concept of "liu-pai" (the idea that what is visible within the frame can open the mind to the world that extends beyond its parameters), the PUPPETMASTER is visually stunning. Hou's use of deep-focus composition, long fixed shots, and lack of close-ups create an onscreen tableau evocative of a puppet stage. It is on this stage that Chinese history unfolds, interwoven with the simple narrative of Li's life, which is performed by various actors and isrelated anecdotally by Li himself, who appears onscreen as a humorous and engaging raconteur. For Hou fans, Li is a familiar presence, having acted in several of the director's previous films. Through this quietly complex film, Hou offers a slow meditation on the relationship between man, his art, and the world around him.
