“This Time He Moves!”: The deeper significance of Hou Hsiao-hsien’s radical break in Good Men, Good Women

Given the complexity of his films and his situation, there are seemingly endless avenues for inquiry into the significance of Hou Hsiao-hsien. Yet what seems particularly, if not peculiarly, interesting about Hou is that his style matters in more ways than one might imagine, touching on issues that lie outside the usual provenance of cinematic esthetics. This becomes especially clear when his style changes, and when it does not change “back.”