Bill Withers was a songwriter, guitarist, pianist and sometime drummer. Above all that, he was one of my favorite singers. His songs went anywhere from the top of the charts to completely ignored, but he sang every single one of them with style and dignity. Even the most jaded critics can never accuse him of selling out.
The worst thing about his career was that he was the opposite of prolific, only releasing 8 albums between 1971 and 1985. Fed up with record company executives, he retired and recorded absolutely nothing for the last 35 years of his life. He could have sold his soul to sell more records, but he chose integrity. We have less music from him, but it is all quality over quantity.
When I wake up in the morning, love
And the sunlight hurts my eyes
And something without warning, love
Bears heavy on my mind
Then I look at you
And the world's all right with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's going to be
A lovely day
When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way
Then I look at you
And the world's all right with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's going to be
A lovely day
When the day that lies ahead of me
Seems impossible to face
When someone else instead of me
Always seems to know the way
Then I look at you
And the world's all right with me
Just one look at you
And I know it's going to be
A lovely day
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Kenny Rogers
I can't remember when you weren't there
When I didn't care for anyone but you
I swear, we've been through everything there is
Can't imagine anything we've missed
Can't imagine anything the two of us can't do
Through the years
You've never let me down
You turned my life around
The sweetest days I've found
I've found with you
Through the years
I've never been afraid
I've loved the life we've made
And I'm so glad I've stayed
Right here with you
Through the years
I can't remember what I used to do
Who I trusted, who I listened to before
I swear, you've taught me everything I know
Can't imagine needing someone so
But through the years it seems to me
I need you more and more
Through the years
Through all the good and bad
I know how much we had
I've always been so glad
To be with you
Through the years
It's better every day
You've kissed my tears away
As long as it's okay
I'll stay with you
Through the years
Through the years
When everything went wrong
Together we were strong
I know that I belong
Right here with you
Through the years
I never had a doubt
We'd always work things out
I've learned what love's about
By loving you through the years
Through the years
You've never let me down
You've turned my life around
The sweetest days I've found
I've found with you
Through the years
It's better every day
You've kissed my tears away
As long as it's okay
I'll stay with you
Through the years
Sunday, March 22, 2020
Taipei Holiday – Trains & Bridges
Near Rainbow Bridge, but facing First MacArthur Bridge.
Chengmei Riverside Park
Every four months, it all gets whitewashed away.
Thursday, March 19, 2020
Taipei Holiday – Su'ao
Taken from Nanfangao Lookout
Taken from Nanfangao Lookout
Taken from Nanfangao Lookout
She protects Neipi Beach, for some reason.
Monday, March 16, 2020
Taipei Holiday – Liberty Square
Liberty Square
Liberty Square
Liberty Square
Liberty Square
Liberty Square
Liberty Square
Liberty Square
The tallest building in Taipei before Taipei 101.
Thursday, March 12, 2020
Taipei Holiday – 228
The temporary white structures are for the president's speech later that afternoon.
Tuesday, March 10, 2020
Soaking In Su'ao
On 29 February 2020, we went to Su'ao, for a few reasons. Someone told us that it was a quick and painless one hour bus ride from Nangang, the weather was good, and it was one of those situations that come up spontaneously that you either jump at or let pass by and know it will never come up again. Had we not gone to Su'ao on this trip, we would have probably lived the rest of our lives without ever knowing the place exists.
Su'ao is a tiny fishing village on the southern tip of Yilan County, which is to the immediate southeast of Taipei County. The road from Nangang to Yilan is entirely mountains. From the bus, we could easily see over the edge of the road, which was often suspended high enough between hilltops that crashing over would have made the evening news. Fortunately for everyone who drives back and forth between the two, Taiwan spent 15 years and a few billion dollars to dig a few tunnels through the mountains. The final tunnel, when headed south, is the longest tunnel in Taiwan. Apparently, the 30 minute drive from Nangang to Yilan took over two hours before they bore through the mountains.
Once out of the last tunnel, the mountains of Taipei County gave way to the open plains of Yilan County. But we could still see plenty of mountains. Yilan is bordered to the north, west and south by mountains. East of Yilan is the Pacific Ocean. The drive from the northern tip of Yilan to the south is another 30 minutes at practically sea level.
Though Yilan borders the ocean, Su'ao was the only coastal village anyone ever recommended we see. The Taiwanese, much like the Chinese, are not terribly impressed by waterfront property. The few people who live on the coast are usually too poor to afford a nice house deeper inland, where there are more pubs and far less parking. Su'ao was less Côte d'Azur and more Kat O.
Downtown Su'ao looked like downtown any city in Taiwan. I mean no disrespect to the people of Taiwan, but the cities are mostly drab, homogeneous and the opposite of photogenic. It is the natural side of Taiwan that makes the country beautiful.
The fishing village was small enough to walk around in an hour or less, at a leisurely pace. It had the usual temples, snack carts and about a million places to get a drink. One of the great things about Taiwan is that you are never more than a block away from food and drinks.
Just south of the fishing village was an observation platform built on one of the mountains. The climb up was not particularly steep. We saw no one else on the trail, and assumed the platform would be empty. Once there, we saw at least a hundred people on a wooden deck that was probably not built to withstand one hundred people. If the platform ever collapses, everyone on it will plunge straight down to their deaths. How everyone got there was a mystery. The tiny parking lot next to the platform could hold a dozen cars at most, and street parking on the winding road uphill was neither safe nor available.
The view from the observation platform was limited by geography. Directly west and south were hilltops. North was the fishing village, with smaller hills blocking any view farther north. East was a small beach with hard sand the color of concrete. It was a good day to go to the beach, but that beach did not look inviting to us. Beyond the beach was the Pacific Ocean, which always looks good on a clear day, but there were no waves to make it more interesting.
Though we decided not to go to the beach, the trail down from the observation platform led us pretty close, so we had a look. Had I been born and raised in a desert and never traveled, I might think this was a nice beach. As it is, I have been to Bali, Antibes, Hawaii, Florida, California, Tel Aviv and probably a hundred other places with nicer beaches. I assume Taiwan has nicer beaches somewhere. I think this is more of a problem with comparing unequal things than anything wrong with the beach itself. Similarly, people like to tell me about all the temples in Taiwan. But I have seen a million Buddhist, Hindu, Confucian, Taoist, Shinto temples and shrines in China, Thailand and Japan. After a while, they all start to blend together. It would be like taking a tour of Christian churches in the United States. The Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis is nice, but the First Church of Whatnot in Anytown, USA is probably nothing you spend much time photographing.
The two most popular activities in Su'ao are eating and bathing. Neither Lily nor I eat seafood. She is painfully allergic to shellfish. Going to a fishing village might not seem like a good idea, but her issue is nothing like some people with peanuts. She has to eat it to react. The mere sight or smell does not harm her.
Bathing, on the other hand, was something that caught our attention. Su'ao is home to Taiwan's only natural calcium carbon springs. They are supposed to have high sodium ion levels and the highest carbonic ion levels in the country. What that boils down to is that the springs are essentially carbonated water, without any of the sugar and syrups of pop. We were told that the water was perfectly safe to drink, but we were never about to try it. Some people even take the water, add various flavored syrups and sell homemade pop on the street. We did not try that either.
The Su'ao cold springs are not hot springs. They average around 22°C/72°F; far from freezing, but a bit of a shock when you first step in. That turned out to be good news for us. Regardless of the heat and humidity, this was still winter, and the Taiwanese are not about to go to a cold spring in the middle of winter. Like their cousins in China, they dress for the season, not the weather. No matter how hot it is, a cold spring is simply not a winter activity. Ironically, hot springs are popular in winter and summer.
This meant we had the place to ourselves. Since the springs are natural and flow in and around Su'ao, there were a few establishments available. Despite the season, they were all open, which means someone must use them in February. I doubt they stayed open on the off chance that some foreigners would happen to show up. The largest, most expensive and most popular cold spring in the middle of the year looked like some kind of ancient Roman bath. We did not use that one, mostly because it was the most expensive and they seemed pretty strict about their 40 minute time limit. The cheapest spring was little more than a stream next to the train tracks. We did not go there either. We wanted something in between.
We chose a mostly outdoor cold spring uphill but not deep into the mountains. All of the springs are natural, but the Taiwanese are capitalist enough that people learned long ago how to limit access and enclose the waters so others have to pay to get in. It was almost like a community swimming pool, except our surroundings were more natural than concrete and the water was nothing like a chlorinated pool/public toilet.
The most expensive cold spring had private cabins. Despite the time limit, we assumed we would have to use that one. Our hotel did not have a swimming pool, so we did not bring bathing suits to Taiwan. Taipei is not the kind of place you go swimming unless your hotel has a pool. The medium priced cold spring did not have private cabins, but the woman who ran the place told us we could wear whatever we wanted in the water. Since it was not a swimming pool, there were no filters to worry about clogging. She told us that most people wore shorts and t-shirts.
I am a firm proponent of swimming nude. But this was not swimming. At no point was the water deep enough to do more than soak. Lily was open to soaking nude. The only other person on the premises was the woman who operated the place. She was a small Chinese woman, somewhere on the border between middle age and elderly. She did not strike us as much of a threat to our safety.
We both wore shorts to Su'ao because it was a hot day and we knew there would be a lot of walking around and hiking. We had t-shirts in our backpacks because bringing extra clothes is always a good idea on any day trip in Taiwan or China. Changing out of our tops and into the t-shirts was an obvious decision. We had no bathing suits, but we had the cold spring uniform.
Lily was quick to point out that wet shorts never feel good while swimming, even if we were only soaking, and feel even worse after you get out of the water and walk around town. We both knew that the heat and oppressive humidity of Taiwan would dry our shorts in no time. We also knew how terrible it would feel between wet and dry. Livia's solution was to not wear shorts. She was willing to soak nude, so soaking in her underwear was not difficult. I wanted more protection. Not so much from prying eyes. There was no one else there. But I knew nothing about that water. Livia reminded me that it was potable. I told her that if she drank some, I would consider soaking nude. I would never walk down the street in what I wore in that cold spring, but no one got naked that afternoon.
Su'ao is a tiny fishing village on the southern tip of Yilan County, which is to the immediate southeast of Taipei County. The road from Nangang to Yilan is entirely mountains. From the bus, we could easily see over the edge of the road, which was often suspended high enough between hilltops that crashing over would have made the evening news. Fortunately for everyone who drives back and forth between the two, Taiwan spent 15 years and a few billion dollars to dig a few tunnels through the mountains. The final tunnel, when headed south, is the longest tunnel in Taiwan. Apparently, the 30 minute drive from Nangang to Yilan took over two hours before they bore through the mountains.
Once out of the last tunnel, the mountains of Taipei County gave way to the open plains of Yilan County. But we could still see plenty of mountains. Yilan is bordered to the north, west and south by mountains. East of Yilan is the Pacific Ocean. The drive from the northern tip of Yilan to the south is another 30 minutes at practically sea level.
Though Yilan borders the ocean, Su'ao was the only coastal village anyone ever recommended we see. The Taiwanese, much like the Chinese, are not terribly impressed by waterfront property. The few people who live on the coast are usually too poor to afford a nice house deeper inland, where there are more pubs and far less parking. Su'ao was less Côte d'Azur and more Kat O.
Downtown Su'ao looked like downtown any city in Taiwan. I mean no disrespect to the people of Taiwan, but the cities are mostly drab, homogeneous and the opposite of photogenic. It is the natural side of Taiwan that makes the country beautiful.
The fishing village was small enough to walk around in an hour or less, at a leisurely pace. It had the usual temples, snack carts and about a million places to get a drink. One of the great things about Taiwan is that you are never more than a block away from food and drinks.
Just south of the fishing village was an observation platform built on one of the mountains. The climb up was not particularly steep. We saw no one else on the trail, and assumed the platform would be empty. Once there, we saw at least a hundred people on a wooden deck that was probably not built to withstand one hundred people. If the platform ever collapses, everyone on it will plunge straight down to their deaths. How everyone got there was a mystery. The tiny parking lot next to the platform could hold a dozen cars at most, and street parking on the winding road uphill was neither safe nor available.
The view from the observation platform was limited by geography. Directly west and south were hilltops. North was the fishing village, with smaller hills blocking any view farther north. East was a small beach with hard sand the color of concrete. It was a good day to go to the beach, but that beach did not look inviting to us. Beyond the beach was the Pacific Ocean, which always looks good on a clear day, but there were no waves to make it more interesting.
Though we decided not to go to the beach, the trail down from the observation platform led us pretty close, so we had a look. Had I been born and raised in a desert and never traveled, I might think this was a nice beach. As it is, I have been to Bali, Antibes, Hawaii, Florida, California, Tel Aviv and probably a hundred other places with nicer beaches. I assume Taiwan has nicer beaches somewhere. I think this is more of a problem with comparing unequal things than anything wrong with the beach itself. Similarly, people like to tell me about all the temples in Taiwan. But I have seen a million Buddhist, Hindu, Confucian, Taoist, Shinto temples and shrines in China, Thailand and Japan. After a while, they all start to blend together. It would be like taking a tour of Christian churches in the United States. The Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis is nice, but the First Church of Whatnot in Anytown, USA is probably nothing you spend much time photographing.
The two most popular activities in Su'ao are eating and bathing. Neither Lily nor I eat seafood. She is painfully allergic to shellfish. Going to a fishing village might not seem like a good idea, but her issue is nothing like some people with peanuts. She has to eat it to react. The mere sight or smell does not harm her.
Bathing, on the other hand, was something that caught our attention. Su'ao is home to Taiwan's only natural calcium carbon springs. They are supposed to have high sodium ion levels and the highest carbonic ion levels in the country. What that boils down to is that the springs are essentially carbonated water, without any of the sugar and syrups of pop. We were told that the water was perfectly safe to drink, but we were never about to try it. Some people even take the water, add various flavored syrups and sell homemade pop on the street. We did not try that either.
The Su'ao cold springs are not hot springs. They average around 22°C/72°F; far from freezing, but a bit of a shock when you first step in. That turned out to be good news for us. Regardless of the heat and humidity, this was still winter, and the Taiwanese are not about to go to a cold spring in the middle of winter. Like their cousins in China, they dress for the season, not the weather. No matter how hot it is, a cold spring is simply not a winter activity. Ironically, hot springs are popular in winter and summer.
This meant we had the place to ourselves. Since the springs are natural and flow in and around Su'ao, there were a few establishments available. Despite the season, they were all open, which means someone must use them in February. I doubt they stayed open on the off chance that some foreigners would happen to show up. The largest, most expensive and most popular cold spring in the middle of the year looked like some kind of ancient Roman bath. We did not use that one, mostly because it was the most expensive and they seemed pretty strict about their 40 minute time limit. The cheapest spring was little more than a stream next to the train tracks. We did not go there either. We wanted something in between.
We chose a mostly outdoor cold spring uphill but not deep into the mountains. All of the springs are natural, but the Taiwanese are capitalist enough that people learned long ago how to limit access and enclose the waters so others have to pay to get in. It was almost like a community swimming pool, except our surroundings were more natural than concrete and the water was nothing like a chlorinated pool/public toilet.
The most expensive cold spring had private cabins. Despite the time limit, we assumed we would have to use that one. Our hotel did not have a swimming pool, so we did not bring bathing suits to Taiwan. Taipei is not the kind of place you go swimming unless your hotel has a pool. The medium priced cold spring did not have private cabins, but the woman who ran the place told us we could wear whatever we wanted in the water. Since it was not a swimming pool, there were no filters to worry about clogging. She told us that most people wore shorts and t-shirts.
I am a firm proponent of swimming nude. But this was not swimming. At no point was the water deep enough to do more than soak. Lily was open to soaking nude. The only other person on the premises was the woman who operated the place. She was a small Chinese woman, somewhere on the border between middle age and elderly. She did not strike us as much of a threat to our safety.
We both wore shorts to Su'ao because it was a hot day and we knew there would be a lot of walking around and hiking. We had t-shirts in our backpacks because bringing extra clothes is always a good idea on any day trip in Taiwan or China. Changing out of our tops and into the t-shirts was an obvious decision. We had no bathing suits, but we had the cold spring uniform.
Lily was quick to point out that wet shorts never feel good while swimming, even if we were only soaking, and feel even worse after you get out of the water and walk around town. We both knew that the heat and oppressive humidity of Taiwan would dry our shorts in no time. We also knew how terrible it would feel between wet and dry. Livia's solution was to not wear shorts. She was willing to soak nude, so soaking in her underwear was not difficult. I wanted more protection. Not so much from prying eyes. There was no one else there. But I knew nothing about that water. Livia reminded me that it was potable. I told her that if she drank some, I would consider soaking nude. I would never walk down the street in what I wore in that cold spring, but no one got naked that afternoon.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Max von Sydow
Bara en mor
directed & written by Alf Sjöberg
starring Eva Dahlbeck, Ragnar Falck, Max von Sydow
Fröken Julie
directed & written by Alf Sjöberg
starring Anita Björk, Ulf Palme, Märta Dorff, Max von Sydow
Det sjunde inseglet
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson
Smultronstället
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Victor Sjöström, Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow
Nära livet
directed by Ingmar Bergman
written by Ulla Isaksson
starring Eva Dahlbeck, Ingrid Thulin, Bibi Andersson, Max von Sydow
Ansiktet
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Max von Sydow, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Naima Wifstrand, Bibi Andersson, Birgitta Pettersson
Rabies
directed by Ingmar Bergman
wriiten by Olle Hedberg
starring Bibi Andersson, Gunnel Lindblom, Max von Sydow
Jungfrukällan
directed by Ingmar Bergman
written by Ulla Isaksson
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom, Birgitta Pettersson
Såsom i en spegel
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow, Lars Passgård
Nils Holgerssons underbara resa
directed by Kenne Fant
starring Sven Lundberg, Max von Sydow, Annika Tretow
Älskarinnan
directed & written by Vilgot Sjöman
starring Bibi Andersson, Birgitta Valberg, Max von Sydow
Nattvardsgästerna
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Gunnar Björnstrand, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom, Max von Sydow
Nordisk kvadrille
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Allan Edwall, Karl Erik Flens
The Greatest Story Ever Told
directed & written by George Stevens
starring Max von Sydow, Charlton Heston, Claude Rains, José Ferrer, Telly Savalas, Martin Landau, Donald Pleasence, Roddy McDowall
The Reward
directed & written by Serge Bourguignon
starring Max von Sydow, Efrem Zimbalist, Yvette Mimieux, Henry Silva
Hawaii
directed by George Roy Hill
written by Dalton Trumbo
starring Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris, Carroll O'Connor, Bette Midler
The Quiller Memorandum
directed by Michael Anderson
written by Harold Pinter
starring George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow, Senta Berger
Här har du ditt liv
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall, Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand
Vargtimmen
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Naima Wifstrand, Ingrid Thulin
Skammen
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Birgitta Valberg
Made in Sweden
directed & written by Johan Bergenstråhle
starring Lena Granhagen, Per Myrberg, Max von Sydow
En passion
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson, Erland Josephson, Ingmar Bergman
The Kremlin Letter
directed & written by John Huston
starring Patrick O'Neal, Richard Boone, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, George Sanders, Micheál MacLíammóir, Orson Welles
Papegojan
directed by László Benedek
starring Max Von Sydow, Trevor Howard, Liv Ullmann
Utvandrarna
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall
Beröringen
directed, written & produced by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Elliott Gould, Bibi Andersson, Max von Sydow, Sheila Reid
Äppelkriget
directed & written by Tage Danielsson
starring Per Grundén, Gösta Ekman, Yvonne Lombard, Birgitta Andersson, Max von Sydow
Embassy
directed by Gordon Hessler
produced by Mel Ferrer
starring Richard Roundtree, Chuck Connors, Marie-José Nat, Ray Milland, Broderick Crawford, Max von Sydow
Nybyggarna
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall
The Exorcist
directed by William Friedkin
written by William Peter Blatty
starring Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Lee J Cobb, Mercedes McCambridge
Steppenwolf
directed & written by Fred Haines
starring Max von Sydow, Dominique Sanda, Pierre Clementi
Ägget är löst
directed & written by Hans Alfredson
starring Gösta Ekman, Max von Sydow, Birgitta Andersson
Three Days of the Condor
directed by Sydney Pollack
starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, Max von Sydow, John Houseman
The Ultimate Warrior
directed & written by Robert Clouse
starring Yul Brynner, Max von Sydow, Joanna Miles
Cuore di cane
directed & written by Alberto Lattuada
starring Max von Sydow, Eleonora Giorgi, Mario Adorf, Ilona Staller
Cadaveri eccellenti
directed by Francesco Rosi
starring Lino Ventura, Tino Carraro, Fernando Rey, Max von Sydow
Foxtrot
directed & written by Arturo Ripstein
starring Peter O'Toole, Charlotte Rampling, Max von Sydow
Il deserto dei Tartari
directed by Valerio Zurlini
starring Jacques Perrin, Vittorio Gassman, Fernando Rey, Max von Sydow
Voyage of the Damned
directed by Stuart Rosenberg
starring Faye Dunaway, Max von Sydow, Malcolm McDowell, Orson Welles, James Mason, Lee Grant, Katharine Ross, Ben Gazzara, Denholm Elliott, José Ferrer, Julie Harris, Fernando Rey, Victor Spinetti, Sam Wanamaker, Jonathan Pryce
Exorcist II: The Heretic
directed & produced by John Boorman
starring Linda Blair, Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher, Max von Sydow, Paul Henreid, James Earl Jones, Ned Beatty, Dana Plato
March or Die
directed by Dick Richards
starring Gene Hackman, Catherine Deneuve, Max von Sydow, Ian Holm
Gran Bollito
directed by Mauro Bolognini
starring Shelley Winters, Mario Scaccia, Max von Sydow
Brass Target
directed by John Hough
starring Sophia Loren, John Cassavetes, George Kennedy, Robert Vaughn, Patrick McGoohan, Bruce Davison, Edward Herrmann, Max von Sydow
Hurricane
directed by Jan Troell
written by Lorenzo Semple
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Jason Robards, Mia Farrow, Max von Sydow, Trevor Howard, Timothy Bottoms, James Keach
Death Watch
directed, written & produced by Bertrand Tavernier
starring Romy Schneider, Harvey Keitel, Harry Dean Stanton, Max von Sydow
Flash Gordon
directed by Mike Hodges
written by Lorenzo Semple
starring Sam Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Robbie Coltrane, Kenny Baker
Escape to Victory
directed by John Huston
starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Tim Pigott-Smith, Pelé
Conan the Barbarian
directed by John Milius
written by John Milius & Oliver Stone
starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Mako Iwamatsu
Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Göran Stangertz, Sverre Anker Ousdal
Hit Man
directed by José Antonio de la Loma
starring Jorge Rivero, Maud Adams, Max von Sydow, George Peppard, Chuck Connors
Strange Brew
directed & written by Rick Moranis & Dave Thomas
starring Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis, Max von Sydow, Paul Dooley, Mel Blanc
Never Say Never Again
directed by Irvin Kershner
written by Lorenzo Semple
starring Sean Connery, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Barbara Carrera, Kim Basinger, Rowan Atkinson, Max von Sydow, Edward Fox
Dreamscape
directed by Joseph Ruben
starring Dennis Quaid, Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Kate Capshaw, George Wendt, Eddie Albert
Dune
directed & written by David Lynch
starring Francesca Annis, Brad Dourif, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Siân Phillips, Paul Smith, Patrick Stewart, Sting, Dean Stockwell, Max von Sydow, Alicia Witt, Sean Young
Code Name: Emerald
directed by Jonathan Sanger
written by Ronald Bass
starring Ed Harris, Max von Sydow, Cyrielle Clair, Eric Stoltz, Patrick Stewart
Il pentito
directed by Pasquale Squitieri
starring Tony Musante, Franco Nero, Max von Sydow, Erik Estrada, Rita Rusic
Hannah and Her Sisters
directed & written by Woody Allen
cinematography by Carlo Di Palma
starring Woody Allen, Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Carrie Fisher, Barbara Hershey, Lloyd Nolan, Daniel Stern, Max Von Sydow, Dianne Wiest, Julie Kavner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Turturro, Richard Jenkins, Joanna Gleason, Sam Waterston, Tony Roberts
The Second Victory
directed & produced by Gerald Thomas
starring Anthony Andrews, Helmut Griem, Max von Sydow
Gauguin, le loup dans le soleil
directed by Henning Carlsen
starring Donald Sutherland, Max von Sydow
Duet for One
directed by Andrei Konchalovsky
starring Julie Andrews, Alan Bates, Max von Sydow, Rupert Everett, Liam Neeson
Pelle Erövraren
directed by Bille August
starring Max von Sydow, Pelle Hvenegaard, Astrid Villaume
Ved vejen
directed by Max von Sydow
written by Klaus Rifbjerg
starring Tammi Øst, Ole Ernst, Kurt Ravn, Erik Paaske
Ghostbusters II
directed & produced by Ivan Reitman
written by Harold Ramis & Dan Aykroyd
starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol, Max von Sydow
Mio caro dottor Gräsler
directed by Roberto Faenza
starring Keith Carradine, Miranda Richardson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Max von Sydow
Una vita scellerata
directed by Giacomo Battiato
written by Vittorio Bonicelli
starring Wadeck Stanczak, Max von Sydow, Pamela Villoresi, Ben Kingsley, Sophie Ward
Father
directed by John Power
starring Max von Sydow, Julia Blake, Carol Drinkwater
Awakenings
directed by Penny Marshall
written by Steven Zaillian
starring Robin Williams, Robert De Niro, Julie Kavner, Penelope Ann Miller, John Heard, Max von Sydow, Anne Meara
A Kiss Before Dying
directed & written by James Dearden
starring Matt Dillon, Sean Young, Max von Sydow, Diane Ladd
Europa
directed & written by Lars von Trier
starring Max von Sydow, Jean-Marc Barr, Barbara Sukowa, Udo Kier, Lars von Trier
Until the End of the World
directed, written & produced by Wim Wenders
starring Solveig Dommartin, Eddy Mitchell, William Hurt, Sam Neill, Max von Sydow, Jeanne Moreau
Oxen
directed, written & cinematography by Sven Nykvist
produced by Jean Doumanian
starring Stellan Skarsgård, Ewa Fröling, Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann
Den goda viljan
directed by Bille August
written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Pernilla August, Max von Sydow, Ghita Nørby, Mona Malm, Lena Endre
Morfars resa
directed by Staffan Lamm
written by Staffan Lamm & Lars Forssell
starring Max von Sydow, Mai Zetterling, Marika Lagercrantz
Needful Things
directed by Fraser C Heston
starring Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer, JT Walsh, Valri Bromfield
Judge Dredd
directed by Danny Cannon
starring Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Rob Schneider, Diane Lane, Jürgen Prochnow, Max von Sydow, Joan Chen, James Earl Jones, Adrienne Barbeau
Hamsun
directed, written & cinematography by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Ghita Nørby, Anette Hoff
Jerusalem
directed & written by Bille August
starring Ulf Friberg, Maria Bonnevie, Pernilla August, Lena Endre, Mona Malm, Max von Sydow, Olympia Dukakis
Enskilda samtal
directed by Liv Ullmann
written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Pernilla August, Max von Sydow, Samuel Fröler, Anita Björk
What Dreams May Come
directed by Vincent Ward
written by Ronald Bass
starring Robin Williams, Annabella Sciorra, Cuba Gooding Jr, Max von Sydow, Rosalind Chao, Werner Herzog
Snow Falling on Cedars
directed by Scott Hicks
written by Ronald Bass & Scott Hicks
starring Ethan Hawke, James Cromwell, Richard Jenkins, James Rebhorn, Sam Shepard, Max von Sydow
Non ho sonno
directed by Dario Argento
written by Dario Argento & Franco Ferrini
starring Max von Sydow, Stefano Dionisi, Chiara Caselli
Druids
directed, written & produced by Jacques Dorfmann
starring Christopher Lambert, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Max von Sydow, Inés Sastre
Intacto
directed & written by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
starring Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, Mónica López, Max von Sydow
Minority Report
directed by Steven Spielberg
starring Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Samantha Morton, Colin Farrell, Neal McDonough, Jessica Capshaw, Lois Smith, Peter Stormare, Jessica Harper, Tim Blake Nelson
Heidi
directed by Paul Marcus
starring Emma Bolger, Max Von Sydow, Geraldine Chaplin, Diana Rigg
L'inchiesta
directed by Giulio Base
starring Daniele Liotti, Dolph Lundgren, Mónica Cruz, Ornella Muti, F Murray Abraham, Max von Sydow
Rush Hour 3
directed by Brett Ratner
starring Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Max von Sydow, Hiroyuki Sanada, Zhang Jingchu, Tzi Ma, Roman Polanski, Philip Baker Hall, Dana Ivey
Emotional Arithmetic
directed by Paolo Barzman
starring Susan Sarandon, Christopher Plummer, Gabriel Byrne, Max von Sydow
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon
directed by Julian Schnabel
starring Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Anne Consigny, Max von Sydow
Solomon Kane
directed & written by Michael J Bassett
starring James Purefoy, Max von Sydow, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Pete Postlethwaite, Alice Krige
Shutter Island
directed by Martin Scorsese
written by Laeta Kalogridis
starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, John Carroll Lynch, Robin Bartlett
Robin Hood
directed by Ridley Scott
written by Brian Helgeland
starring Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Max von Sydow, Léa Seydoux
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
directed by Stephen Daldry
written by Eric Roth
starring Thomas Horn, Max von Sydow, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Viola Davis, John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright
Branded
directed, written & produced by Jamie Bradshaw & Aleksandr Dulerayn
starring Ed Stoppard, Leelee Sobieski, Max von Sydow, Jeffrey Tambor
Dragons 3D
directed & written by Marc Fafard
starring Max von Sydow, Laurence Leboeuf, Serge Houde
The Letters
directed & written by William Riead
starring Juliet Stevenson, Rutger Hauer, Max von Sydow
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
directed by JJ Abrams
written by Lawrence Kasdan, JJ Abrams, Michael Arndt
starring Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Max von Sydow
Les Premiers, les Derniers
directed & written by Bouli Lanners
starring Albert Dupontel, Bouli Lanners, Suzanne Clément, Max von Sydow
Kursk
directed by Thomas Vinterberg
starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Léa Seydoux, Colin Firth, Max von Sydow
directed & written by Alf Sjöberg
starring Eva Dahlbeck, Ragnar Falck, Max von Sydow
Fröken Julie
directed & written by Alf Sjöberg
starring Anita Björk, Ulf Palme, Märta Dorff, Max von Sydow
Det sjunde inseglet
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Gunnar Björnstrand, Bengt Ekerot, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson
Smultronstället
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Victor Sjöström, Bibi Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow
Nära livet
directed by Ingmar Bergman
written by Ulla Isaksson
starring Eva Dahlbeck, Ingrid Thulin, Bibi Andersson, Max von Sydow
Ansiktet
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Max von Sydow, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnar Björnstrand, Naima Wifstrand, Bibi Andersson, Birgitta Pettersson
Rabies
directed by Ingmar Bergman
wriiten by Olle Hedberg
starring Bibi Andersson, Gunnel Lindblom, Max von Sydow
Jungfrukällan
directed by Ingmar Bergman
written by Ulla Isaksson
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Max von Sydow, Birgitta Valberg, Gunnel Lindblom, Birgitta Pettersson
Såsom i en spegel
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Harriet Andersson, Gunnar Björnstrand, Max von Sydow, Lars Passgård
Nils Holgerssons underbara resa
directed by Kenne Fant
starring Sven Lundberg, Max von Sydow, Annika Tretow
Älskarinnan
directed & written by Vilgot Sjöman
starring Bibi Andersson, Birgitta Valberg, Max von Sydow
Nattvardsgästerna
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Gunnar Björnstrand, Ingrid Thulin, Gunnel Lindblom, Max von Sydow
Nordisk kvadrille
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Allan Edwall, Karl Erik Flens
The Greatest Story Ever Told
directed & written by George Stevens
starring Max von Sydow, Charlton Heston, Claude Rains, José Ferrer, Telly Savalas, Martin Landau, Donald Pleasence, Roddy McDowall
The Reward
directed & written by Serge Bourguignon
starring Max von Sydow, Efrem Zimbalist, Yvette Mimieux, Henry Silva
Hawaii
directed by George Roy Hill
written by Dalton Trumbo
starring Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow, Gene Hackman, Richard Harris, Carroll O'Connor, Bette Midler
The Quiller Memorandum
directed by Michael Anderson
written by Harold Pinter
starring George Segal, Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow, Senta Berger
Här har du ditt liv
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall, Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand
Vargtimmen
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Naima Wifstrand, Ingrid Thulin
Skammen
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Liv Ullmann, Max von Sydow, Gunnar Björnstrand, Birgitta Valberg
Made in Sweden
directed & written by Johan Bergenstråhle
starring Lena Granhagen, Per Myrberg, Max von Sydow
En passion
directed & written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson, Erland Josephson, Ingmar Bergman
The Kremlin Letter
directed & written by John Huston
starring Patrick O'Neal, Richard Boone, Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, George Sanders, Micheál MacLíammóir, Orson Welles
Papegojan
directed by László Benedek
starring Max Von Sydow, Trevor Howard, Liv Ullmann
Utvandrarna
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall
Beröringen
directed, written & produced by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Elliott Gould, Bibi Andersson, Max von Sydow, Sheila Reid
Äppelkriget
directed & written by Tage Danielsson
starring Per Grundén, Gösta Ekman, Yvonne Lombard, Birgitta Andersson, Max von Sydow
Embassy
directed by Gordon Hessler
produced by Mel Ferrer
starring Richard Roundtree, Chuck Connors, Marie-José Nat, Ray Milland, Broderick Crawford, Max von Sydow
Nybyggarna
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann, Eddie Axberg, Allan Edwall
The Exorcist
directed by William Friedkin
written by William Peter Blatty
starring Ellen Burstyn, Jason Miller, Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Lee J Cobb, Mercedes McCambridge
Steppenwolf
directed & written by Fred Haines
starring Max von Sydow, Dominique Sanda, Pierre Clementi
Ägget är löst
directed & written by Hans Alfredson
starring Gösta Ekman, Max von Sydow, Birgitta Andersson
Three Days of the Condor
directed by Sydney Pollack
starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway, Cliff Robertson, Max von Sydow, John Houseman
The Ultimate Warrior
directed & written by Robert Clouse
starring Yul Brynner, Max von Sydow, Joanna Miles
Cuore di cane
directed & written by Alberto Lattuada
starring Max von Sydow, Eleonora Giorgi, Mario Adorf, Ilona Staller
Cadaveri eccellenti
directed by Francesco Rosi
starring Lino Ventura, Tino Carraro, Fernando Rey, Max von Sydow
Foxtrot
directed & written by Arturo Ripstein
starring Peter O'Toole, Charlotte Rampling, Max von Sydow
Il deserto dei Tartari
directed by Valerio Zurlini
starring Jacques Perrin, Vittorio Gassman, Fernando Rey, Max von Sydow
Voyage of the Damned
directed by Stuart Rosenberg
starring Faye Dunaway, Max von Sydow, Malcolm McDowell, Orson Welles, James Mason, Lee Grant, Katharine Ross, Ben Gazzara, Denholm Elliott, José Ferrer, Julie Harris, Fernando Rey, Victor Spinetti, Sam Wanamaker, Jonathan Pryce
Exorcist II: The Heretic
directed & produced by John Boorman
starring Linda Blair, Richard Burton, Louise Fletcher, Max von Sydow, Paul Henreid, James Earl Jones, Ned Beatty, Dana Plato
March or Die
directed by Dick Richards
starring Gene Hackman, Catherine Deneuve, Max von Sydow, Ian Holm
Gran Bollito
directed by Mauro Bolognini
starring Shelley Winters, Mario Scaccia, Max von Sydow
Brass Target
directed by John Hough
starring Sophia Loren, John Cassavetes, George Kennedy, Robert Vaughn, Patrick McGoohan, Bruce Davison, Edward Herrmann, Max von Sydow
Hurricane
directed by Jan Troell
written by Lorenzo Semple
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Jason Robards, Mia Farrow, Max von Sydow, Trevor Howard, Timothy Bottoms, James Keach
Death Watch
directed, written & produced by Bertrand Tavernier
starring Romy Schneider, Harvey Keitel, Harry Dean Stanton, Max von Sydow
Flash Gordon
directed by Mike Hodges
written by Lorenzo Semple
starring Sam Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Robbie Coltrane, Kenny Baker
Escape to Victory
directed by John Huston
starring Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine, Max von Sydow, Tim Pigott-Smith, Pelé
Conan the Barbarian
directed by John Milius
written by John Milius & Oliver Stone
starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sandahl Bergman, James Earl Jones, Max von Sydow, Mako Iwamatsu
Ingenjör Andrées luftfärd
directed, written, cinematography & edited by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Göran Stangertz, Sverre Anker Ousdal
Hit Man
directed by José Antonio de la Loma
starring Jorge Rivero, Maud Adams, Max von Sydow, George Peppard, Chuck Connors
Strange Brew
directed & written by Rick Moranis & Dave Thomas
starring Dave Thomas, Rick Moranis, Max von Sydow, Paul Dooley, Mel Blanc
Never Say Never Again
directed by Irvin Kershner
written by Lorenzo Semple
starring Sean Connery, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Barbara Carrera, Kim Basinger, Rowan Atkinson, Max von Sydow, Edward Fox
Dreamscape
directed by Joseph Ruben
starring Dennis Quaid, Max von Sydow, Christopher Plummer, Kate Capshaw, George Wendt, Eddie Albert
Dune
directed & written by David Lynch
starring Francesca Annis, Brad Dourif, José Ferrer, Linda Hunt, Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Siân Phillips, Paul Smith, Patrick Stewart, Sting, Dean Stockwell, Max von Sydow, Alicia Witt, Sean Young
Code Name: Emerald
directed by Jonathan Sanger
written by Ronald Bass
starring Ed Harris, Max von Sydow, Cyrielle Clair, Eric Stoltz, Patrick Stewart
Il pentito
directed by Pasquale Squitieri
starring Tony Musante, Franco Nero, Max von Sydow, Erik Estrada, Rita Rusic
Hannah and Her Sisters
directed & written by Woody Allen
cinematography by Carlo Di Palma
starring Woody Allen, Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Carrie Fisher, Barbara Hershey, Lloyd Nolan, Daniel Stern, Max Von Sydow, Dianne Wiest, Julie Kavner, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Turturro, Richard Jenkins, Joanna Gleason, Sam Waterston, Tony Roberts
The Second Victory
directed & produced by Gerald Thomas
starring Anthony Andrews, Helmut Griem, Max von Sydow
Gauguin, le loup dans le soleil
directed by Henning Carlsen
starring Donald Sutherland, Max von Sydow
Duet for One
directed by Andrei Konchalovsky
starring Julie Andrews, Alan Bates, Max von Sydow, Rupert Everett, Liam Neeson
Pelle Erövraren
directed by Bille August
starring Max von Sydow, Pelle Hvenegaard, Astrid Villaume
Ved vejen
directed by Max von Sydow
written by Klaus Rifbjerg
starring Tammi Øst, Ole Ernst, Kurt Ravn, Erik Paaske
Ghostbusters II
directed & produced by Ivan Reitman
written by Harold Ramis & Dan Aykroyd
starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Annie Potts, Peter MacNicol, Max von Sydow
Mio caro dottor Gräsler
directed by Roberto Faenza
starring Keith Carradine, Miranda Richardson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Max von Sydow
Una vita scellerata
directed by Giacomo Battiato
written by Vittorio Bonicelli
starring Wadeck Stanczak, Max von Sydow, Pamela Villoresi, Ben Kingsley, Sophie Ward
Father
directed by John Power
starring Max von Sydow, Julia Blake, Carol Drinkwater
Awakenings
directed by Penny Marshall
written by Steven Zaillian
starring Robin Williams, Robert De Niro, Julie Kavner, Penelope Ann Miller, John Heard, Max von Sydow, Anne Meara
A Kiss Before Dying
directed & written by James Dearden
starring Matt Dillon, Sean Young, Max von Sydow, Diane Ladd
Europa
directed & written by Lars von Trier
starring Max von Sydow, Jean-Marc Barr, Barbara Sukowa, Udo Kier, Lars von Trier
Until the End of the World
directed, written & produced by Wim Wenders
starring Solveig Dommartin, Eddy Mitchell, William Hurt, Sam Neill, Max von Sydow, Jeanne Moreau
Oxen
directed, written & cinematography by Sven Nykvist
produced by Jean Doumanian
starring Stellan Skarsgård, Ewa Fröling, Max von Sydow, Liv Ullmann
Den goda viljan
directed by Bille August
written by Ingmar Bergman
starring Pernilla August, Max von Sydow, Ghita Nørby, Mona Malm, Lena Endre
Morfars resa
directed by Staffan Lamm
written by Staffan Lamm & Lars Forssell
starring Max von Sydow, Mai Zetterling, Marika Lagercrantz
Needful Things
directed by Fraser C Heston
starring Max von Sydow, Ed Harris, Bonnie Bedelia, Amanda Plummer, JT Walsh, Valri Bromfield
Judge Dredd
directed by Danny Cannon
starring Sylvester Stallone, Armand Assante, Rob Schneider, Diane Lane, Jürgen Prochnow, Max von Sydow, Joan Chen, James Earl Jones, Adrienne Barbeau
Hamsun
directed, written & cinematography by Jan Troell
starring Max von Sydow, Ghita Nørby, Anette Hoff
Jerusalem
directed & written by Bille August
starring Ulf Friberg, Maria Bonnevie, Pernilla August, Lena Endre, Mona Malm, Max von Sydow, Olympia Dukakis
Enskilda samtal
directed by Liv Ullmann
written by Ingmar Bergman
cinematography by Sven Nykvist
starring Pernilla August, Max von Sydow, Samuel Fröler, Anita Björk
What Dreams May Come
directed by Vincent Ward
written by Ronald Bass
starring Robin Williams, Annabella Sciorra, Cuba Gooding Jr, Max von Sydow, Rosalind Chao, Werner Herzog
Snow Falling on Cedars
directed by Scott Hicks
written by Ronald Bass & Scott Hicks
starring Ethan Hawke, James Cromwell, Richard Jenkins, James Rebhorn, Sam Shepard, Max von Sydow
Non ho sonno
directed by Dario Argento
written by Dario Argento & Franco Ferrini
starring Max von Sydow, Stefano Dionisi, Chiara Caselli
Druids
directed, written & produced by Jacques Dorfmann
starring Christopher Lambert, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Max von Sydow, Inés Sastre
Intacto
directed & written by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
starring Leonardo Sbaraglia, Eusebio Poncela, Mónica López, Max von Sydow
Minority Report
directed by Steven Spielberg
starring Tom Cruise, Max von Sydow, Samantha Morton, Colin Farrell, Neal McDonough, Jessica Capshaw, Lois Smith, Peter Stormare, Jessica Harper, Tim Blake Nelson
Heidi
directed by Paul Marcus
starring Emma Bolger, Max Von Sydow, Geraldine Chaplin, Diana Rigg
L'inchiesta
directed by Giulio Base
starring Daniele Liotti, Dolph Lundgren, Mónica Cruz, Ornella Muti, F Murray Abraham, Max von Sydow
Rush Hour 3
directed by Brett Ratner
starring Jackie Chan, Chris Tucker, Max von Sydow, Hiroyuki Sanada, Zhang Jingchu, Tzi Ma, Roman Polanski, Philip Baker Hall, Dana Ivey
Emotional Arithmetic
directed by Paolo Barzman
starring Susan Sarandon, Christopher Plummer, Gabriel Byrne, Max von Sydow
Le Scaphandre et le Papillon
directed by Julian Schnabel
starring Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Anne Consigny, Max von Sydow
Solomon Kane
directed & written by Michael J Bassett
starring James Purefoy, Max von Sydow, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Pete Postlethwaite, Alice Krige
Shutter Island
directed by Martin Scorsese
written by Laeta Kalogridis
starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow, Michelle Williams, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, John Carroll Lynch, Robin Bartlett
Robin Hood
directed by Ridley Scott
written by Brian Helgeland
starring Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, William Hurt, Mark Strong, Oscar Isaac, Danny Huston, Max von Sydow, Léa Seydoux
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
directed by Stephen Daldry
written by Eric Roth
starring Thomas Horn, Max von Sydow, Sandra Bullock, Tom Hanks, Viola Davis, John Goodman, Jeffrey Wright
Branded
directed, written & produced by Jamie Bradshaw & Aleksandr Dulerayn
starring Ed Stoppard, Leelee Sobieski, Max von Sydow, Jeffrey Tambor
Dragons 3D
directed & written by Marc Fafard
starring Max von Sydow, Laurence Leboeuf, Serge Houde
The Letters
directed & written by William Riead
starring Juliet Stevenson, Rutger Hauer, Max von Sydow
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
directed by JJ Abrams
written by Lawrence Kasdan, JJ Abrams, Michael Arndt
starring Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Andy Serkis, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, Max von Sydow
Les Premiers, les Derniers
directed & written by Bouli Lanners
starring Albert Dupontel, Bouli Lanners, Suzanne Clément, Max von Sydow
Kursk
directed by Thomas Vinterberg
starring Matthias Schoenaerts, Léa Seydoux, Colin Firth, Max von Sydow
Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Peddling Down the Keelung
On 28 February 2020, I went to Taipei with my sister, Lily. We had both been to Taipei, but never on a holiday. February 28 is a public holiday in Taiwan, commemorating the 228 massacre. As such, we went to the 228 Peace Memorial Park, a block from the Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall. We had been there before, but never on 2/28. If you want to go to 228 Peace Park, that is really the day to go. It was something different.
More often than not, the park is a quiet little place to get away from the traffic of Taipei. It is small, so you can hear the city wherever you are in the park, but there are no cars or scooters allowed inside. That makes it much safer. On 2/28, it gets busy.
The current president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing Wen, gave a speech. I don't know anything about her or her policies, but I like how she broke a lot of the rules. Not only does she not have a penis, she does not have a husband, did not climb up the traditional ladder of political power, and she is the only president of Taiwan to have any native Taiwanese ancestry. She was elected with 56% of the votes in a three way race. That's pretty good. The KMT candidate came in second with 31%. Also, she was named after the English language. That beats the previous president, whose name literally translates to Nine English Horses. More importantly, Tsai has always been an outspoken critic of the government handling of the 228 aftermath. Previous presidents mostly said, “It was a terrible tragedy, but what can you do?” If you are going to watch any Taiwan president give a 228 speech, Tsai is the one.
Lily and I have been to Taipei a few times. I always tell people who go to Tokyo that they should concentrate on one neighborhood on each visit and go to a different neighborhood on the next visit, since the city is so large. I rarely take my own advice, however, and usually stay in Shibuya whenever I go. For Taipei, a much smaller city than Tokyo, I do it the Tokyo way. We and/or I have stayed in Xinyi, Zhongzheng, Da'an, Zhongshan and now Nangang.
Xinyi is just east of downtown, with most of the important commercial buildings. Zhongzheng is downtown, with most of the important government buildings. Da'an is downtown, with most of the educational institutions and more than a few night markets. Zhongshan is downtown, with most of the important brothels.
Nangang is nowhere near downtown and as far east as you can go without leaving Taipei. You have to climb mountains to get any farther east. Its claim to fame seems to be a large convention and exhibition center. What I liked about Nangang was all the transportation. The high speed train station, slow speed train station, MRT station and bus station are all in one large complex. Just outside the station were an endless line of taxis and a row of Youbikes. Lily and I both have MRT cards from a previous trip, with which we could rent bikes, ride trains and buses, and generally use like an Octopus.
We stayed at the Place Taipei, which was an unusually clean hotel. Probably because it opened in March 2019. It was yet another typical business hotel, something Taipei has in abundance, but the location was excellent. The Nangang super station was an easy 15 minute walk away, the Nangang Exhibition Center MRT station was five minutes away and the Nangang Software Park MRT station was across the street from the hotel. Most hotels in Taipei are surrounded by food, but this one was in a newer neighborhood, so most of the food was more upscale. Fortunately, this was Taiwan. Finding cheaper everyday food is always easy.
There were Youbike stations at Nangang Software Park, Nangang MRT and the shopping mall just south of the hotel. It was an easy neighborhood to walk around, but not particularly safe for bicyclists. We were never going to ride around the streets anyway. Two blocks from the hotel was the Keelung River, which has miles and miles of riverside parks with walking and bicycle paths.
From the Nanhu Bridge, we rode west along the north bank of the river. We passed a dozen playgrounds and athletic fields before we reached Zhongshan. We immediately recognized the Marriott, where we stayed on our last trip to Taipei. As the tallest building on the horizon, it was hard to miss. The last time we rode bikes east of that hotel, we had to turn around when the river paths ended somewhere in Neihu. Between then and now, they have extended the paths to at least Nangang. We did not even realize we were at the same place until we hit the Zhongshan path.
Now that we knew where we were, we knew that the bike path would continue into Shilin, so we kept riding west. The Zhongshan stretch of the river was easily the busiest part. There were more playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball diamonds and picnic grounds than at any other stretch of the river. More importantly, there were parking lots. I have no idea where anyone parks at other points along the river. Probably somewhere that cannot be seen from the river. But just south of the Marriott, they can park all along Meiti Park. Ample parking and the fact that this was the Sunday of a three day weekend meant this section of the river was far more crowded than any other. We could race at our top speeds in Nangang and Neihu, if we were so inclined. In Zhongshan, we had to slow down considerably for foot traffic, and often stop.
Past the tennis courts, the crowds disappeared. Possibly because there was no more parking that far west. More likely because the level road quickly became hilly. The downhill part was pretty easy. Uphill required more effort on a bicycle. Hitting the hill at speed was pretty much impossible because there was a sharp turn in the path just before the hill. You have no choice but to attack the hill almost at a standing stop. Beyond all that, it leveled off again as the river runs north. The change in direction also brought an added bonus of a nice breeze, at least both of the times I have ridden a bicycle along this river. Trees also provided the only shade along the paths, other than a few bridges passing overhead. This was Taipei, so it was never cold, but this was easily the coldest stretch along the riverside parks.
The paths continued, but the parks ended at a smaller parking lot and tiny basketball court. Beyond the last parking lot, the parks started up again. They were smaller than the Zhongshan parks, but looked pretty much the same. As the Keelung River continues north, a tributary and the bike paths veer east. The parks pretty much ended for good at some kind of dyke/water pumping station. It was not all that scenic, but the paths continued, and so did we. The tributary was smaller than the river, as tributaries usually are, and the area became more industrial than green. We took that as our sign to turn around and head back. It looked like the bicycle path was going to end in about a kilometer anyway.
Before going back, we were headed east, but there was no way that path was going to get us back to Nangang. Not only does the river not flow in a circle, but there are mountains between Shilin and Nangang. The easiest ways to get back were either to return the bikes at the nearest Youbike station and take the MRT red line to the blue line to Nangang, or simply ride back whence we came. We had plenty of time, plenty of water and the weather was on our side.
According to Hong Kong Google, Taipei was going to rain all weekend. Friday started out cloudy, but quickly shifted to sunny and hot. Without a hat, I would have gotten sunburned. Saturday was pretty much the same as Friday morning. It was not until late Sunday afternoon that the clouds started to get gloomy. We headed to the airport before 17:00, so whether it was going to rain that night or not, it had nothing to do with us.
More often than not, the park is a quiet little place to get away from the traffic of Taipei. It is small, so you can hear the city wherever you are in the park, but there are no cars or scooters allowed inside. That makes it much safer. On 2/28, it gets busy.
The current president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing Wen, gave a speech. I don't know anything about her or her policies, but I like how she broke a lot of the rules. Not only does she not have a penis, she does not have a husband, did not climb up the traditional ladder of political power, and she is the only president of Taiwan to have any native Taiwanese ancestry. She was elected with 56% of the votes in a three way race. That's pretty good. The KMT candidate came in second with 31%. Also, she was named after the English language. That beats the previous president, whose name literally translates to Nine English Horses. More importantly, Tsai has always been an outspoken critic of the government handling of the 228 aftermath. Previous presidents mostly said, “It was a terrible tragedy, but what can you do?” If you are going to watch any Taiwan president give a 228 speech, Tsai is the one.
Lily and I have been to Taipei a few times. I always tell people who go to Tokyo that they should concentrate on one neighborhood on each visit and go to a different neighborhood on the next visit, since the city is so large. I rarely take my own advice, however, and usually stay in Shibuya whenever I go. For Taipei, a much smaller city than Tokyo, I do it the Tokyo way. We and/or I have stayed in Xinyi, Zhongzheng, Da'an, Zhongshan and now Nangang.
Xinyi is just east of downtown, with most of the important commercial buildings. Zhongzheng is downtown, with most of the important government buildings. Da'an is downtown, with most of the educational institutions and more than a few night markets. Zhongshan is downtown, with most of the important brothels.
Nangang is nowhere near downtown and as far east as you can go without leaving Taipei. You have to climb mountains to get any farther east. Its claim to fame seems to be a large convention and exhibition center. What I liked about Nangang was all the transportation. The high speed train station, slow speed train station, MRT station and bus station are all in one large complex. Just outside the station were an endless line of taxis and a row of Youbikes. Lily and I both have MRT cards from a previous trip, with which we could rent bikes, ride trains and buses, and generally use like an Octopus.
We stayed at the Place Taipei, which was an unusually clean hotel. Probably because it opened in March 2019. It was yet another typical business hotel, something Taipei has in abundance, but the location was excellent. The Nangang super station was an easy 15 minute walk away, the Nangang Exhibition Center MRT station was five minutes away and the Nangang Software Park MRT station was across the street from the hotel. Most hotels in Taipei are surrounded by food, but this one was in a newer neighborhood, so most of the food was more upscale. Fortunately, this was Taiwan. Finding cheaper everyday food is always easy.
There were Youbike stations at Nangang Software Park, Nangang MRT and the shopping mall just south of the hotel. It was an easy neighborhood to walk around, but not particularly safe for bicyclists. We were never going to ride around the streets anyway. Two blocks from the hotel was the Keelung River, which has miles and miles of riverside parks with walking and bicycle paths.
From the Nanhu Bridge, we rode west along the north bank of the river. We passed a dozen playgrounds and athletic fields before we reached Zhongshan. We immediately recognized the Marriott, where we stayed on our last trip to Taipei. As the tallest building on the horizon, it was hard to miss. The last time we rode bikes east of that hotel, we had to turn around when the river paths ended somewhere in Neihu. Between then and now, they have extended the paths to at least Nangang. We did not even realize we were at the same place until we hit the Zhongshan path.
Now that we knew where we were, we knew that the bike path would continue into Shilin, so we kept riding west. The Zhongshan stretch of the river was easily the busiest part. There were more playgrounds, basketball courts, tennis courts, baseball diamonds and picnic grounds than at any other stretch of the river. More importantly, there were parking lots. I have no idea where anyone parks at other points along the river. Probably somewhere that cannot be seen from the river. But just south of the Marriott, they can park all along Meiti Park. Ample parking and the fact that this was the Sunday of a three day weekend meant this section of the river was far more crowded than any other. We could race at our top speeds in Nangang and Neihu, if we were so inclined. In Zhongshan, we had to slow down considerably for foot traffic, and often stop.
Past the tennis courts, the crowds disappeared. Possibly because there was no more parking that far west. More likely because the level road quickly became hilly. The downhill part was pretty easy. Uphill required more effort on a bicycle. Hitting the hill at speed was pretty much impossible because there was a sharp turn in the path just before the hill. You have no choice but to attack the hill almost at a standing stop. Beyond all that, it leveled off again as the river runs north. The change in direction also brought an added bonus of a nice breeze, at least both of the times I have ridden a bicycle along this river. Trees also provided the only shade along the paths, other than a few bridges passing overhead. This was Taipei, so it was never cold, but this was easily the coldest stretch along the riverside parks.
The paths continued, but the parks ended at a smaller parking lot and tiny basketball court. Beyond the last parking lot, the parks started up again. They were smaller than the Zhongshan parks, but looked pretty much the same. As the Keelung River continues north, a tributary and the bike paths veer east. The parks pretty much ended for good at some kind of dyke/water pumping station. It was not all that scenic, but the paths continued, and so did we. The tributary was smaller than the river, as tributaries usually are, and the area became more industrial than green. We took that as our sign to turn around and head back. It looked like the bicycle path was going to end in about a kilometer anyway.
Before going back, we were headed east, but there was no way that path was going to get us back to Nangang. Not only does the river not flow in a circle, but there are mountains between Shilin and Nangang. The easiest ways to get back were either to return the bikes at the nearest Youbike station and take the MRT red line to the blue line to Nangang, or simply ride back whence we came. We had plenty of time, plenty of water and the weather was on our side.
According to Hong Kong Google, Taipei was going to rain all weekend. Friday started out cloudy, but quickly shifted to sunny and hot. Without a hat, I would have gotten sunburned. Saturday was pretty much the same as Friday morning. It was not until late Sunday afternoon that the clouds started to get gloomy. We headed to the airport before 17:00, so whether it was going to rain that night or not, it had nothing to do with us.
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
228
On 28 February 1947, the people of Taipei started protesting the Chinese military's strict occupation of Taiwan. The army responded violently, killing more than a few people. The protests spread throughout Taiwan at an impressive speed, considering the communication systems of the day, with protesters retaliating along ethnic lines. Taiwanese protesters attacked people who were born in Japan and China. The Chinese military attacked people who were born in Taiwan. When the provincial government in Taipei declared martial law, the violence spiraled out of control.
Much like modern Hong Kong protests, the Taiwan protesters had no single agenda. Some groups wanted democratic elections, some groups wanted complete independence from China. Some simply wanted to be treated with common decency. The big difference was in all the different governments.
Today's Hong Kong protesters are mostly Chinese people who consider themselves Chinese and citizens of China. They want freedom and/or respect from the People's Republic of China government in Beijing. The Taiwan protesters in 1947 were mostly Taiwanese people who considered themselves Taiwanese and not necessarily citizens of China. The Republic of China controlled Beijing and was given control of Taiwan after World War II. While today's Hongkongers were mostly born Chinese citizens under British colonial occupation, most Taiwanese in 1947 were born Taiwanese citizens under Japanese colonial occupation. Ironically, most of the Taiwanese, who were mostly descendants of people who came from China over hundreds of years, were happier as a Japanese colony than a Chinese province.
When the Republic of China sent more soldiers to enforce martial law in Taiwan, it was open season on anyone who was too Taiwanese, then on anyone not Chinese enough, and finally on pretty much anyone any soldiers saw on the streets. It took about a month for the army to crush the protests, by which time anywhere between 18,000 and 30,000 civilians were killed. To this day, no one knows how many people died.
Not only did the Taiwanese protesters lose the battle, their lives were about to get even worse. When Chiang Kai Shek lost the Chinese Civil War to Mao Tse Tung, he retreated to Taipei and declared it the temporary capital of the Republic of China, which ruled over the Mainland and all of the islands, while Mao declared Beijing the capital of the People's Republic of China, which ruled over the Mainland and all of the islands, thus confusing people for decades to come. Chiang used the 228 massacre, and the civil war in general, as an excuse to continue martial law for the rest of his life. Taiwan – the Republic of China – was ruled by a single party – the Kuomintang – that did everything they could to make Taiwan less Taiwanese and more Chinese, including killing most of the Taiwanese leaders and intellectuals who opposed the KMT. Chiang wanted Taiwan to be a strong base of Chinese nationalists who could help him retake control of China, which never came even close to happening.
Martial law was lifted a decade after Chiang died, but the KMT still ruled Taiwan with as much malevolence as the CPC ruled China after Mao died. The funny thing about Chiang and Mao, as much as they hated each other and disagreed on every subject, they had pretty similar styles as brutal dictators. As older generations of patriots are replaced by younger generations with access to information, the people in both countries are starting to accept how horrible each was.
Most of today's adults in Taiwan never heard about the 228 massacre when they were children. It was never taught in schools and, much like Tiananmen Square, was not spoken of in public. The families of those who were executed without trial, shot on the streets or simply disappeared were not even allowed to talk about their relatives. After martial law was lifted and people started to learn more about what happened, it became a controversial subject. Too many people could not believe that their government did such a thing. When it was finally taught in schools in the 2000s, many parents objected. When the Taiwan government set up a fund to compensate families of victims, a little under 3,000 people filled out the forms. Only a few hundred Taiwanese have received any money from the government for the loss of a relative.
No one has been held accountable for the 228 massacre. The leaders responsible were all dead by the time anyone was allowed to discuss it. But at least one person got his comeuppance. Chen Yi, the governor in Taipei who originally declared martial law, was replaced a month after the massacre ended and appointed governor of Zhejiang, in eastern China. When he tried to defect to the Communist Party and surrender Zhejiang to Mao's forces, Chiang Kai Shek arrested Chen and had him executed. In Taipei.
When Taiwan finally had democratic elections in 1996, 20 years after Chiang's death, the people overwhelmingly voted for the KMT, the same party that had ruled over them for the past 50 years. In 2000, the people actually voted for a different party, the DPP, but then that president and his vice president were shot by a KMT agent one day before their reelection. They both survived and were reelected. When the KMT won the 2008 election, the DPP president was arrested for bribery, sentenced to life in prison and released in 2015. Since 2000, Taiwan has bounced back and forth between the KMT and DPP every eight years, currently on DPP and Taiwan's first female president. Whether she will be arrested when the KMT regains control remains to be seen.
Politically, Taiwan is an interesting place today. The ethnic divisions are not as obvious. China's constant threat to invade Taiwan for 50 years helped unify the people. It used to be that only those with a long ancestry in Taiwan called themselves Taiwanese. Now, there are people whose parents or grandparents were born in China that call themselves Taiwanese. And that is where the political divisions come out into the open. One side, the DPP, wants to sever connections to China and change the country's official name from the Republic of China to Taiwan. The other side, KMT, wants better relations with China, hoping to one day unify the two countries – assuming communism disappears. Everyone I have ever met from Taiwan takes one side or the other. You can call most of them Taiwanese, whether they are ethnically Taiwanese or not. But some of them are deeply offended if you call them Chinese, even though the vast majority of their ancestors came from China. In my experience, taxi drivers are especially forthcoming with their political opinions. Ask your driver where he stands and you will be at your destination before he finishes telling you.
Much like modern Hong Kong protests, the Taiwan protesters had no single agenda. Some groups wanted democratic elections, some groups wanted complete independence from China. Some simply wanted to be treated with common decency. The big difference was in all the different governments.
Today's Hong Kong protesters are mostly Chinese people who consider themselves Chinese and citizens of China. They want freedom and/or respect from the People's Republic of China government in Beijing. The Taiwan protesters in 1947 were mostly Taiwanese people who considered themselves Taiwanese and not necessarily citizens of China. The Republic of China controlled Beijing and was given control of Taiwan after World War II. While today's Hongkongers were mostly born Chinese citizens under British colonial occupation, most Taiwanese in 1947 were born Taiwanese citizens under Japanese colonial occupation. Ironically, most of the Taiwanese, who were mostly descendants of people who came from China over hundreds of years, were happier as a Japanese colony than a Chinese province.
When the Republic of China sent more soldiers to enforce martial law in Taiwan, it was open season on anyone who was too Taiwanese, then on anyone not Chinese enough, and finally on pretty much anyone any soldiers saw on the streets. It took about a month for the army to crush the protests, by which time anywhere between 18,000 and 30,000 civilians were killed. To this day, no one knows how many people died.
Not only did the Taiwanese protesters lose the battle, their lives were about to get even worse. When Chiang Kai Shek lost the Chinese Civil War to Mao Tse Tung, he retreated to Taipei and declared it the temporary capital of the Republic of China, which ruled over the Mainland and all of the islands, while Mao declared Beijing the capital of the People's Republic of China, which ruled over the Mainland and all of the islands, thus confusing people for decades to come. Chiang used the 228 massacre, and the civil war in general, as an excuse to continue martial law for the rest of his life. Taiwan – the Republic of China – was ruled by a single party – the Kuomintang – that did everything they could to make Taiwan less Taiwanese and more Chinese, including killing most of the Taiwanese leaders and intellectuals who opposed the KMT. Chiang wanted Taiwan to be a strong base of Chinese nationalists who could help him retake control of China, which never came even close to happening.
Martial law was lifted a decade after Chiang died, but the KMT still ruled Taiwan with as much malevolence as the CPC ruled China after Mao died. The funny thing about Chiang and Mao, as much as they hated each other and disagreed on every subject, they had pretty similar styles as brutal dictators. As older generations of patriots are replaced by younger generations with access to information, the people in both countries are starting to accept how horrible each was.
Most of today's adults in Taiwan never heard about the 228 massacre when they were children. It was never taught in schools and, much like Tiananmen Square, was not spoken of in public. The families of those who were executed without trial, shot on the streets or simply disappeared were not even allowed to talk about their relatives. After martial law was lifted and people started to learn more about what happened, it became a controversial subject. Too many people could not believe that their government did such a thing. When it was finally taught in schools in the 2000s, many parents objected. When the Taiwan government set up a fund to compensate families of victims, a little under 3,000 people filled out the forms. Only a few hundred Taiwanese have received any money from the government for the loss of a relative.
No one has been held accountable for the 228 massacre. The leaders responsible were all dead by the time anyone was allowed to discuss it. But at least one person got his comeuppance. Chen Yi, the governor in Taipei who originally declared martial law, was replaced a month after the massacre ended and appointed governor of Zhejiang, in eastern China. When he tried to defect to the Communist Party and surrender Zhejiang to Mao's forces, Chiang Kai Shek arrested Chen and had him executed. In Taipei.
When Taiwan finally had democratic elections in 1996, 20 years after Chiang's death, the people overwhelmingly voted for the KMT, the same party that had ruled over them for the past 50 years. In 2000, the people actually voted for a different party, the DPP, but then that president and his vice president were shot by a KMT agent one day before their reelection. They both survived and were reelected. When the KMT won the 2008 election, the DPP president was arrested for bribery, sentenced to life in prison and released in 2015. Since 2000, Taiwan has bounced back and forth between the KMT and DPP every eight years, currently on DPP and Taiwan's first female president. Whether she will be arrested when the KMT regains control remains to be seen.
Politically, Taiwan is an interesting place today. The ethnic divisions are not as obvious. China's constant threat to invade Taiwan for 50 years helped unify the people. It used to be that only those with a long ancestry in Taiwan called themselves Taiwanese. Now, there are people whose parents or grandparents were born in China that call themselves Taiwanese. And that is where the political divisions come out into the open. One side, the DPP, wants to sever connections to China and change the country's official name from the Republic of China to Taiwan. The other side, KMT, wants better relations with China, hoping to one day unify the two countries – assuming communism disappears. Everyone I have ever met from Taiwan takes one side or the other. You can call most of them Taiwanese, whether they are ethnically Taiwanese or not. But some of them are deeply offended if you call them Chinese, even though the vast majority of their ancestors came from China. In my experience, taxi drivers are especially forthcoming with their political opinions. Ask your driver where he stands and you will be at your destination before he finishes telling you.
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