Gianluca Gallucci

After finishing watching this film for the 5th time in about 6 days I can say that this film truly shows the struggles of a relationship and the tender moments that are shared between a couple as well as presenting the struggles faced during a time of social unrest and the struggles that a han and birdy’s love faces. The 5 times that I have watched this film (and the many more times to come) I always have a pain on my chest, a physical pain for the characters, for their pain, for their tribulations, for their never ending love for each other, for their separation but most of all for the time lost, lost that could have been gained had they been surrounded by encouragement and love and not shunned for simply loving each other, for wanting to share their lives together. The actors themselves definitely made us feel their yearning for each for other and their longing to be in a world better than the one they live in, similar to the world that tsai lan chin sings about in the song ‘this world’ about freedom to be who you want to be(a song that birdy gifts to a han). The interactions between a han and father Oliver also shows the furthest that a han’s love for birdy extends to and the struggles he face, these moments showing the raw emotion that only further drives the stake deeper into our hearts when we think of a han and birdy’s separation and the pain they felt because of it. Of course you couldn’t talk about this film if you weren’t talking about the telephone scene. This is a scene that always has me in tears and will always have me in tears no matter how many times I watch it. This specific interaction really peels back the facade from behind which birdy and a han have been hiding, even with each other, and displays their burning love for each other and how breathing is a luxury when you’re with someone that you can give your whole heart to, a last profession of love before the two part ways.