Slowly but surely the works of one of the greatest directors in cinema history are getting restored. On the heels of the recent Flowers of Shanghai revamp, Hou Hsiao-hsien’s 2001 masterpiece Millennium Mambo has recently undergone a 4K restoration and is now arriving just in time for Christmas. Ahead of the theatrical release at NYC’s Metrograph and digital release on Metrograph At Home this Friday, December 23, the new trailer has arrived.
Led by Shu Qi in one of the most mesmerizing performances of this young century, she plays a bar hostess stuck in an unfulfilling relationship with her loser DJ boyfriend and gets caught up with a gangster, played by Jack Kao. I had a chance to get an early look at the 4K restoration and, as the trailer hints, it’s quite something to behold––from the already-iconic opening shot to the neon-lit clubs to Shu Qi’s cigarette drags and the extraordinary narration from her future self.
See the trailer and poster below.
Millennium Mambo opens on December 23 in theaters at NYC’s Metrograph and digitally on Metrograph At Home.