PHOTOGRAPHY:
Photograph 1
- The re-opening of the "Little Shanghai" (a Japanese style
tea house) --- rebirth and restoration. (A: 4:44-7:20)
- Following the first sequence of Japan's surrender and the birth
of Older Brother's son, the second sequence begins with the diegetic sound
of fire. The festive mode announced in the beginning continues to
dominate the whole sequence. This is the preparation and celebration for
the re-opening of businesses that were prohibited by the Japanese
administration. The motif of rebirth and restoration is obvious, given the
simultaneous occurrence of the biological birth of an individual and the
historical rebirth of a nation paralleling each other in the preceding
sequence. At the end of the scene, the entire family (except Wen-ching
and the missing brothers) gathers in front of the tea house to have their
photograph taken. After the photographer snaps the shutter, the
photographic event itself becomes a snap-shot still image, reinforcing the
historical and cultural meaning of the celebration of the rebirth and
restoration of the nation.
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