What could a simple, melancholic existence of a woman in a
gentrifying urban community offer the modern viewers? ‘A soulful and richly
layered film’ says Hsin-Yin Sung’s autobiographical animated family drama, On
Happiness Road (‘Hsing fu lu shang’, 2018). On the outset, it seems to tell the
familiar tale of an adult reflecting on the dreams of perfect life she once possessed (as a child and teenager), which only stayed a dream. The narrative is
all about our young protagonist looking back at her bittersweet past and
processing her muddled present to find answer to the question: What Next? But
such roughly detailed plot-line wouldn’t do justice to this brilliant drama,
which gracefully intertwines the personal with the political and social. The
weight of parental expectations, the promise of overseas life, the
disorientation & bitterness of modern adulthood, and existential malaise of
educated urban women are all some of the other themes Hsin-Yin Sung tackles in
her story. Most importantly, the hovering philosophical question of ‘What is
Happiness?’ lies at the core of On Happiness Road.
When we first lay our eyes on adult Chi (voiced by actress Lun-mei Kwei) she is supposedly living a dream life. Born to working-class
Taiwanese parents in 1975, Lin Shu-Chi has moved to US after education. She is
now (in her early 30s) married to a blonde-haired American and living in a
peaceful suburban neighborhood. Chi receives a phone call from Taiwan,
informing that her beloved grandmother has passed away. She journeys back to
her native land and in tidbits the narrative showcases Chi’s uncomplicated,
happy childhood she had while living with her parents in a tiny apartment on
the ‘Happiness Road’. At age 6 while traveling on a truck packed with furniture towards their new apartment, Chi questions her parents, ‘what’s
happiness?’, the answer to which Chi is still searching.
Beneath the sheen of her suburban American life lies
heartbreak. Chi’s is estranged from her husband; the conflict over having a kid
has driven them apart. Moreover, despite pursuing a university education she
doesn’t have a career in America. Since the marriage is all but over Chi, after
arriving for grandmother’s funeral, considers staying with her parents in the
same ‘Happiness Road’ apartment. Once after reaching home, every little place in the
ever-changing neighborhood triggers tons of childhood, adulthood memories: the
friendships she had and lost; the ideological convictions and the dreams she
cherished that were now laid to waste. The earthy, affectionate, betel-nuts
chewing grandmother have always been a soothing presence in Chi’s life. Now gazing back at
the vestiges of a sweet past, Chi feels the pressure of being at the crossroads.
Adding further to her conflict is the indecision over telling her parents about
the divorce procedures and her pregnancy.
What makes On Happiness Road not just another exercise in nostalgia is
writer/director Hsin-Yin Sung’s ability to relate the changes in Chi’s life
with Taiwan’s contemporary politics and recent history. Chi is born on the eve
of Chiang Kai-shek’s death, the Kuomintang (KMT) leader. And as Chi grows, events from the turbulent political period of Taiwan is constantly evoked. The
struggles of 70 and 80s Taiwan to establish its national identity reflects in the
social, political undercurrents which directly influences Chi’s choices in life. Some of
those details are expressed in a matter-of-fact manner; for instance, Chi’s
elementary teacher announcing monetary fines for anyone caught speaking the
native Taiwanese dialect instead of Mandarin (which the authoritarian KMT
government mandated). Although for a time Chi seems to succumb to her parents’
desires and prepares for medical course, the Taiwanese student protests for
democratic reforms imparts a political consciousness within Chi so as to choose
a different major. She protests against banning of books in pro-democracy demonstrations, and like all of our naïve younger-selves believes in the greater
change to be harvested from the impending revolution. However, after witnessing major social and political
events in Taiwan, the family’s economic status pushes Chi to commit herself to
an office job (the mundanity of her life is depicted through the sadly poetic
scenes).
Even without having a clear understanding of Taiwan’s recent
history, Chi’s existential woe is universally relatable (hence it’s no surprise
that the film found more success on international festival circuits than at
local box-office). As always, the glowing promises of revolution and change only
follows up with ‘economic miracles’ that demands conformity and to drool over
the empty, materialistic life. The ennui and existential woe Chi feels in her
30s despite making it big in America is painfully familiar. In a way, On
Happiness Road reminded me of two other spellbindingly nuanced animated dramas:
Marjane Satrapi’s adaptation of her own graphic novel 'Persepolis' (2007)’ and
Isao Takahata’s melancholic tale of an unmarried career woman in ‘Only
Yesterday’ (1991). If Persepolis demonstrated a country’s societal, political
oppression through the point-of-view of one family, Only Yesterday pays an endearing
tribute to girlhood dreams and subtly lays out the realities and
disappointments that impact a woman’s life. Similarly, Hsin-Yin Sung also sharply attunes
to the ‘Personal Is Political’ argument. In fact, this is a heavy subject to
tackle in a first film i.e., juggling between themes of women empowerment and
fraught national identity. Director Hsin-Yin does all this with a sincerity and
preciseness that never veers into outright melodrama.
If I am pressed to find some issues with On Happiness Road, it
solely belongs to the animated visuals. Unlike Studio Ghibli’s films or
Marjane Satrapi’s distinct aesthetics, Hsin-Yin’s pastel-colored world feels a bit
limited and monotonous after a time (especially in the second-half). Of course,
we could understand the budgetary constrains and the technical limitations since
this is neither a major studio project nor made by a seasoned animator.
Moreover, it’s a niggling issue when compared with Hsin-Yin Sung’s layered
story-telling abilities. Altogether, On Happiness Road (111 minutes) is an
engrossing, soulful tale of one lost woman finding the truth that the path to
happiness starts within us.
Trailer
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