Trailer k filmu mě navnadil na nejvyšší míru očekávání. Přesto, že příběh je dosti hluboký, celkové vyznění snímku na mě zapůsobilo o trošku méně, možná i kvůli mírné roztěkanosti zpracování. Oba herci postav v mladém věku byli moc sympatičtí a herecky na mě zapůsobil Edward Chen (A-han), kterému jsem nejvíce vše věřil. Ve svém mladém věku žil A-han v taiwanské temné době homosexuálů, přesto bojoval za své vlastní city a stal se jedním z těch, kteří proto přišli o své vlastní štěstí, a to si na tomto filmu cením nejvíce. Nutno ale říci, že Taiwan za tu dobu udělal velký krok kupředu v toleranci mužů, co mají rádi muže...
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What makes the film particularly touching is how it portrays the tension between personal desire and familial and social expectations. Every scene is filled with restrained emotions: furtive glances, letters written but never sent, and intimate moments that remain etched in the protagonists’ memories. The narrative captures not only the romance but also the melancholy of memories that leave an indelible mark on those who experience them.
Visually, the film is stunning; the cinematography uses warm, nostalgic colors that reinforce the feeling of a time that can never be recovered. The soundtrack perfectly complements the emotions, intensifying moments of joy and amplifying the sadness of farewells.
Your Name Engraved Herein is more than a love story: it is a testament to the struggle for acceptance and identity, a tale of how memories and emotions can remain engraved within oneself forever. It is a film that touches the heart, invites reflection, and leaves a lasting impression on those who watch it.
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Lingering Regrets
Well, that was depressing.So how do you differentiate BL from queer art? Because...I see people refer to LGBT films and shows from Asia as BL as if the type of queerness is different from Western ones?! That's a bit weird. Gay is gay everywhere, no?!
Anyway, this is a story of sexual awakening in a crappy era in Taiwan and it's appropriately heartbreaking. You can't really expect all daisies and roses from an era where political and social upheaval are piled on top of dominant prejudices. It's not a cute, fluffy story. So the plot and the characters' characterization are appropriately bleak and raw. It's tragic and heartbreaking, not just due to the circumstances but also because of the regrettable choices made by the characters that make life even harder for them. Then, it is no one's doing but theirs.
I enjoyed this but the experience is bittersweet as the implications of the timeline and the story speak of lost time, irreversible mistakes, and regrets that haunt the characters 30 years into the future. But it's done very well so it feels satisfying to watch the story develop.
That said, I did not love the movie from start to finish. I found the conversation scenes with the priest to be stilted and unnatural. They felt too much like preaching and it made the whole thing awkward. I also disliked the flash-forward in the end; not because of the positive or negative ending but because it felt like over-explanation in a way that was not very graceful. There seemed to be too much conversation. Or the camera was following where it was not meant to go? I don't know, it just didn't feel connected to the rest of the film. It felt like a totally different movie and while I liked the atmosphere and aesthetic of the past (not just visually but the cinematography and the direction choices too) the modern bit felt like your run-of-the-mill indie film...I just didn't like it. It felt like there was a break in the film's flow. Maybe if they had maintained the vibes, I would have liked it better.
The acting...well, actually I watched this because I liked Tseng Jing Hua in a different project and came here for that so I knew the acting was going to be good. But the rest of the cast was great too. I really liked Edward Chen. They kind of break your heart throughout the film.
Music is a big part of this film and so they paid special attention to it. It pays off.
Would I rewatch? I would rather not, to be honest. I hate stories about regret the most. They make me so anxious. So once is enough!
Overall: I guess you can watch it if you don't mind a little heartbreak. It's not a feel-good film but it's also not high-art...still, I think it's worth a watch, for sure. The quality is genuinely high, the story is touching and the acting is moving. You wouldn't feel like you wasted your time. It will be well-spent watching this.
P.S.: A bit of an unrelated tangent but this movie just proved to me once more that with proper crew and budget, Taiwan can save us from certain bad adaptations and censored content...just putting it out there.
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what can I say..
Damn…I like ,,sad,, movies/series a lot, I dont cry normally only If something really bad happens or I watch a sad movie soo you know what? I watched this around 4 times and I really bawled my eyes out do I need to say why😭? After I found out that it was a real story that happened and wasn’t written I lost my grip.
I have a big connection with this movie I dont know why but I just feel like it it’s really good movie really really the fact that is taiwanese is more stunning because if you’re into bls and you watched some of taiwanese bls yk that they’re not really good (not all vuz there are some good but yk..)
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This review may contain spoilers
"don't all homosexuals deserve to go to hell"
This movie was really beautiful to watch. It conveyed a very deep message and was a reminder of the pain and struggle homosexuals had to go through before 'being gay' was normalized. The impact was so deep that at a point i LITERALLY started worshipping and FRANTICALLY and HYSTERICALLY started thanking all the people in the past all the ancestors who fought and fought and fought helplessly against homophobia. Due to them we have a world which is at least a bit more accepting.i got into this movie knowing beforehand that it had a sad ending. I did not know how exactly it'd end but all i knew was that it's gonna be sad. The fact that i already knew the ending is sad made me more emotional (than i normally would've been )each time there was a sad scene coz i felt that this sad scene brings me a step closer to the doomed ending and it made me teary.
Hardly 10 minutes in the movie and i could already feel the chemistry between the two characters it was pure love. We could see their love for each other through their actions and their EYES,
The scene between jia chang and the priest screamed HEARTACHE.. The way jia chang was literally begging to be understood and accepted. The way he was LITERALLY suffering because he could not have the one he loved because it was a 'sin' to love a mann ahhhhh , The way he was begging to be sent to hell coz people would understand him there and also coz he would suffer less. As someome said in another review "how heartbroken you have to be to wish hell upon yourself" and that too JC was religious and a religious person longing for hell not heaven? Ah god how he must suffer....
The scene between birdy and jia chang at jia chang's house was my most favorite scene especially these particular dialogues
JC; "so we are only best friends now?"
B: "what do you want then?"
JC: ....
MOM: blah blah
B: " what if he never has a girlfriend?"
JC: "WANG po te..... stop being an asshole. How is it your business if i get a gf or not?"
B: " so who doesn't have the balls now huuh?.............. can you stop bothering me?"
I love this scene the most because it clearly shows where they are standing rn. Birdy is trying to show JC that they cant be together. He challenges JC to reveal that he is gay (twice) before his parents, knowing that JC wont do it thus he will be able to show JC that they should not take it any further coz its 'wrong' and coz they simply CANNOT
I SHATTERED at the scene in their old age when the priest said "you look alike. your smiles and the things you like." ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh shiballlllllllll that really hurttttt
This was the very first movie.. rather first piece of entertainment media (out all manhwa manhua manga anime and other dramas movies ive watched) that i consumed where i literally analyzed every second, every scene of the movie. I literally tried to deconstruct analyze every scene because i knew it'd be heartbreaking and i wanted to make sure that my heart not just breaks but SHATTERS into pieces.
This movie has basically left a deep impact on me and i dont have words to express my feelings (im bad at doin tht anyway)
about the ending, ngl it was a bit meh i like the fact that they reunited after so many years
Also i'd like to mention that the timeline of the story was quite hard to understand i was always confused, wondering wether its the past or present. And there were also manny random cuts between scenes which made it even more difficult.
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don't watch with close minded people the first time you watch it.
How can they be gay at such a time. How can they defy the church and society. Why would they defy that. How can people not understand that it's not a disease? How could you not believe such love? Why would they want to be gay at such time? How can people say it's not real? these are the type of questions that ran through my mind during the credits. If by then, you still think their emotions aren't real, they you might just be a dense idiot. Hell might just be a wonderful place if it accepts such love.The acting was really great, the actors are so talented(except maybe the western extras. no offense).
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This review may contain spoilers
It is a good movie!
I had been putting off watching Your Name Engraved Herein for way too long. I’d seen some spoilers on TikTok a couple of years ago, so I was kind of hesitant to watch it because I knew it would be emotional and heartbreaking. And yeah, it totally lived up to that. But honestly, I’m really glad I finally gave it a chance.The plot itself is pretty straightforward, but it’s the way the story unfolds that really gets you. It’s set in Taiwan during the late ’80s when being openly gay was still super taboo, and it follows two high school boys, Jia-han and Birdy, as they try to figure out their feelings for each other. The whole time, they’re battling their own fears and the pressure from society around them, and you can just feel how heavy that weight is.
The acting was hands-down one of the best parts. Edward Chen and Tseng Jing-hua really nailed their roles. They brought so much depth to their characters, and even though the movie is only about an hour and a half long, I felt really connected to them. They made the emotions feel real, especially during the more intense scenes.
Speaking of which, the shower scene and the beach scene? Wow. Both were beautifully shot, and you could feel how desperate and scared they both were. In the shower scene, the tension between them was so thick, and you could see how badly they wanted to reach out to each other but were terrified of what that would mean. Then, in the beach scene, it was like all those feelings were on full display — the love, the fear, the confusion. It was heart-wrenching but also really powerful.
That being said, there were a couple of things that didn’t quite work for me. The pacing felt a bit off in some parts. I wish they had spent more time diving into Jia-han’s family dynamics and Birdy’s struggles with dating a girl. These were touched on, but I feel like they could have added more layers to the story if they had been explored further.
One thing I have to mention is the music. The song “Your Name Engraved Herein” was absolutely perfect for the movie. It’s haunting and beautiful, and every time it came on, it added so much emotion to the scenes. It’s one of those songs that stays with you, just like the movie.
All in all, I really enjoyed Your Name Engraved Herein. Yes, it’s sad and heartbreaking, but it’s also so raw and honest. The ending is bittersweet, but it feels real like it fits with the journey the characters went through. If you’re in the mood for something emotional that will leave you thinking about it long after it’s over, this movie is definitely worth watching.
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My favorite movie
This movie is so beautiful i keep on talking about it to my friends and the fact that its based on true events makles the movie more beautiful. They should make more movies like this one. Don't forget the acting!! The actors did an amazing job they made the story feel like i was in the movie myself. The song thats in thye movie makes me cry every time i keep on listen to it right now as i write this im listing to it.Was this review helpful to you?
A roller coaster of emotions beautifully crafted
Based on the director’s own life growing up closeted though has been done many times but this one I believe is the best one. For those of us who grew up during times in Asia where loving another of the same sex was taboo this one really hit hard. I felt like it was my story when I was a teenager. It made me go through that roller coaster of emotions, the happy times, the painful goodbyes, and the haunting music that lives with you forever. And yes when you meet later in life that friendship never changes, the bond losses a lifetime even when your both pulled apart. Your first love can be your last even later in life. The cinematography was beautiful, acting was incredible, you forget it’s a BL and more focused on the development of their friendship. Just like the priest was a pivotal role in Les Miserables (if you read the book) here the priest was also pivotal. Growing up catholic you carry that guilt and a healthy discussion and argument with God as well. When I want to feel good about myself and my past I would rewatch this movie. And reach out to an old friend just to say hello, how are you? Because til now his name is engraved in my heart.Was this review helpful to you?
WATCH IT!!!!
Everything about this movie was perfect. I really like shows and movies which have angst in them and this did not disappoint. From the acring to the vusuals and the background music were amazing. The movie made me feel sad not only due to the bittersweet ending but also for the fact it made me think about all the people who could not truly express themselves due to the fear of being shunned and ridiculed by the society. What more heartbreaking is that this predijuce still prevails in our society even now. I just find so hard to understand why out of everything we could hate and dispice as a society we chose love. And the movie portrays all these emotions beautifully. I recommend everyone watch it, not just BL fans as its a story that needs to experienced by everyone.Was this review helpful to you?
So realistic
I'm watching this movie for the third time and still amazed me... this is one of the most realistic LGBTQ+ story, acting I've ever seen.....💙💙💙This is more than worth watching..........
The actors also conveying their emotions, suppression, just wow... I feel like I can feel what are they feeling.
This kind of love, suppression, this happened in most of the gay people... Even now not all family or friends accept this thing openly which is why this movie is realistic and relate to most of the failed love.
sorry english isn't my first language and this is my first time writing review here ~
ENJOY ~
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This review may contain spoilers
Gay people having a sad story once again
Coming into this film I knew that it’s not going to be some wholesome movie where two gay guys fall for each other and live a happy life. So a story between these two ensues and it’s extremely sad, and it delivers it well!Though I was confused sometimes if Birdy was gay at all or not, he just seemed to be a lil too comfortable with his friends (it’s confirmed he’s gay later though).
The movie wasn’t anything special in my opinion, I’ve seen plenty stories where two guys are in an environment where they can’t be who they are so an angsty romance story starts between them.
However the movie is really beautiful and well done in showing their love story. The one thing I liked most is how music is what connected them most and their song in the movie is actually the title of the movie (or just a lyric i’m not sure) but the song is beautiful and i’m definitely adding it to my spotify playlist.
I also appreciate how they made a timeskip and made their older versions reunite, it makes me hope that they continued their love- maybe not since they were hesitant with each other but I think in the end they did try again. Love never expires and i’m sure both of them were waiting to find each other again even after all the years that passed.
Anyway the story is really beautiful, I unfortunately have a very short time span so I kept pausing and stopping the movie which led me to finish it in 2 days so I couldn’t exactly bond with the characters on the level where I would cry on their sad scenes but watching the sad scenes I kept thinking to myself how hard I would cry if only I had connected to them better. Their sad scenes really do tug on your heartstrings.
So sad how love in different forms isn’t accepted. Beautiful film.
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