If you ask a cinephile to name the single most defining characteristic of Taiwanese master Hou Hsiao-hsien’s work, they will likely give you one answer: stillness . But in his 2005 masterpiece, Three Times (最好的時光), Hou redefined that stillness. He turned it into a kaleidoscope. The film is a triptych—three separate love stories set in three distinct eras of 20th-century Taiwan, each starring the same two actors (Shu Qi and Chang Chen) playing different lovers.
To watch one Hou Hsiao-hsien film is to adjust your pace. To watch three is to relearn how to see. Hou does not make movies that rush to meet you; he builds worlds that you must walk into, slowly, often from a great distance. For this review, we consider three pillars: A Time to Live, a Time to Die (1985), The Flowers of War (a common misnomer—correcting to is actually Zhang Yimou; Hou’s true historical masterpiece is A City of Sadness (1989)), and The Assassin (2015). three times hou hsiao hsien
The film is titled "The Best of Times" in Chinese, reflecting Hou’s exploration of how time and social environment shape human connection. Key Themes Narrative Style A Time for Love 1966 (Kaohsiung) Innocent, nostalgic love Features 1960s pop songs like "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes". A Time for Freedom 1911 (Dadaocheng) Social constraints, unrequited desire If you ask a cinephile to name the