Prince of Tears 淚王子

The chilling remark by a wife fearfully waiting for her husband's return perfectly sets the tone of “Prince of Tears” (淚王子), a drama portraying the dark years when people in Taiwan would suddenly disappear for no reason.

The film is a historical epic that takes place in the 1950s during Taiwan's period of martial law, commonly known as the “White Terror” era. Largely based on his personal memories, director Yonfan (楊凡) successfully shows the powerlessness and hysteria among regular people living under a stern, one-party dictatorship.

The epic follows the lives of a happy couple, Sun Han-sheng (Joseph Chang/張孝全) and Chin Wan-ping (Oceane Zhu/朱璇). Chin, a traditionally devoted wife, lives happily with her air force officer husband and their lovely girls in Ching-chuan 1st Village (清泉一村), a remote military-dependent village in southern Taiwan.

When their two young daughters come home from school one day, the girls helplessly note that their parents both — inexplicably accused of being Communist spies under Taiwan's nationalist regime — have disappeared. Such shocking episodes were common in the “White Terror” era.

The “White Terror” was imposed in 1949 after Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石), defeated by Communist forces, led the KMT government in its retreat to Taiwan from China. During the 38 years prohibiting political dissidents, thousands of people were killed or imprisoned.

These included citizens such as Sun, accused of being pro-Communist and allegedly executed.

After being released from prison, Chin feels compelled to marry Sun's closest friend Ting Ko-chiang (Fan Chih-wei/范植偉), bowing to Taiwanese societal pressure to give her daughters a “conventional family.”

But rumors rapidly spread that Ting, a scar-faced low-level bureaucrat, framed his best friend up in order to win over Chin, of whom he has been fond.

Without prior acting experience, Zhu is relatively skillful playing a submissive wife and bringing out complex emotions. The experienced Fan Chih-wei also leaves audiences guessing whether or not he is the evil guy.

Further, the two child actresses' genuine performances perfectly capture the bleak disparity between childhood innocence and the harsh reality of their parents' disappearance.

The epic wouldn't be complete without Ou-yang Chien-chun, a general's beautiful wife (Terri Kwan/關穎). She stands out as an elegant and well-educated lady who nonetheless has a “rebellious” personality, sometimes disagreeing with her husband's brutal military missions. Like Taiwan itself, Ou-yang is eager to see society change, but simultaneously holds herself back. Her efforts to live the bourgeoisie life somehow come across as exaggerated, with all the costume changes distracting.

The film's title itself is significant: “Prince of Tears” comes from the name of a comic book featured in the movie that belongs to the general's wife. The comic's main character is sick of society's injustice but feels too weak to overcome it. The story serves as a metaphor for Taiwanese at the time, whose lack of power and courage makes sadness and tears the only way out.

Telling a powerful and painful story, the director efficiently records the quiet pains and conflicts underlying a serene neighborhood. The thought-provoking “Prince of Tears” is full of emotional exploration. If you're looking for something deep and nostalgic, this is the one to watch.

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