Soul (2013 film)

Soul
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Chung Mong-hong
Written by	Chung Mong-hong
Produced by	Tseng Shao-chien Yeh Ju-feng
Starring	Joseph Chang Jimmy Wang
Cinematography	Nagao Nakashima
Edited by	Lo Shih-ching
Music by	Tseng Seu-ming
Distributed by	Ifilm
Release date	28 June 2013 (2013-06-28)
Running time	111 minutes
Country	Taiwan
Language	Mandarin

Soul (Chinese: 失魂; pinyin: Shī hún) is a 2013 Taiwanese horror film written and directed by Chung Mong-hong. The film was selected as the Taiwanese entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards,^[1][2] but it was not nominated. The film was screened in the Vanguard section of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival.^[3]

Plot

A young man, ah-Chuan, falls unconscious at work. At his bedside, a boy offers him his room in a few days, as he (the boy) will be leaving.

Ah-Chuan is sent to stay with his father, Mr. Wang, in the mountains. Ah-Chuan's older sister comes by, but is disturbed by his behaviour upon waking. Ah-Chuan kills her.

When confronted by Mr. Wang, Ah-Chuan says he entered the body because the real ah-Chuan left it, but will return shortly. Mr. Wang hides his daughter's body, kills his son-in-law when he arrives, and buries the son-in-law's car. He confines ah-Chuan to a shed. A messenger appears and tells ah-Chuan that the real ah-Chuan won't be back for a while.

At the clinic, Mr. Wang reveals that his late wife killed herself due to depression. Later, he uncovers an old well and persuades ah-Chuan to jump in. Ah-Chuan jumps in and sees visions of ah-Chuan and his mother, then awakens in the house. Mr. Wang reveals that his wife didn't kill herself, but asked him for a mercy killing in the shed.

A city cop arrives to investigate the disappearance of Mr. Wang's daughter and son-in-law. Ah-Chuan kills the city cop.

Ah-Chuan's police friend, Wu, checks on Ah-Chuan, who injures him in the eye, pursues him through the woods, then saves him from drowning. As ah-Chuan walks away, Wu shoots him in the back.

Mr. Wang takes them down the mountain while concocting a different version of events - taking all blame for the murders - for Wu to use.

One year later, ah-Chuan works in the mountains and Mr. Wang has been transferred to a sanitorium due to poor health. Ah-Chuan visits and tells him about the first time he met the real ah-Chuan (in spirit form), who said he was going home.

Cast

• Joseph Chang as A-chuan
• Jimmy Wang as Wang
• Chen Shiang-chyi as Yun
• Leon Dai as Son-in-law
• Jag Huang as A-chuan's Workmate
• Chen Yu-hsun as Doctor Wu
• Chin Shih-chieh as Messenger
• Wu Pong-fong
• Tou Chung-hua

See also

• List of submissions to the 86th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of Taiwanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

References

1. "Taiwan submits Soul to Oscar race". Screendaily. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
2. "Oscars: Taiwan Nominates Soul for Foreign Language Category". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 16 September 2013.
3. "Soul". TIFF. Retrieved 16 September 2013.

External links

• Soul at IMDb