秋決 (aka Execution In Autumn) (1972)

Set in the Han dynasty of China (206 BC-220 AD), a man (Ou Wei) from a wealthy family has been raised by his grandmother (Fu Pi Hui) who doted on him and never disciplined him. The end result is that he is to be executed for the murder of three people. His grandmother risks everything to save his life but must finally acknowledge that she created this selfish brute. Directed by Lee Hsing, a popular Taiwanese director not much known in the West and this is my first exposure to him. Movies about redemption can get icky but this one while often bordering on sentiment is very good. Ou Wei's redemption is not overnight, it's slow to come and when it does, it's believable as opposed to some deus ex machina that arrives to send us away feeling happy. Actions have consequences and true redemption includes acceptance of those consequences and the director understands that. Handsomely shot on a soundstage (including exteriors) by Lai Cheng Ying with some artful assistance by the lighting director Lee Ya Toung. The score by Saito Ichiro is too pushy. With the lovely Tang Pao Yun, Gu Hsian Ting and Han Su.