Taiwan’s jewel! A critically acclaimed and commercial success that exceeded expectations. Starting as “coming of age” ending up gangster, “Monga” takes you back from “The Outsiders (1983)”, to “Goodfellas (1990)” and “The Departed (2006)”.
Accurate depiction of Taiwan in the ’80s, “Monga” is traveling you through youngsters wanna turn gangsters, the relationship and clash between Mainlanders and Islanders, loyalty, bloody violence, vulgar language, family, betrayal, status quo, rejection… By the end of it, we are left with bitter-sweet feelings that make us reminisce about our own aspirations and dreams, and the harsh reality that faced them.
Fun facts:
- Banned in China – which made it even more famous.
- Language: Mandarin (mostly).
- Certain actors had to learn Taiwanese Hokkien as they grew up from mainland China to the UK and the US.
- Its undeniable success became a topic for a Ph.D. thesis.
You can find it here: https://amzn.to/350ofDR
Never watched it but I definitely will now