Formosa Betrayed (film)

Last updated
Formosa Betrayed
Formosa Betrayed.jpg
Directed by Adam Kane
Written by Will Tiao
Katie Swain
Charlie Stratton
Yann Samuell
Brian Askew
Nathaniel Goodman
Produced byWill Tiao
Adam Kane
David Cluck
Starring James Van Der Beek
Wendy Crewson
John Heard
Will Tiao
Tzi Ma
Leslie Hope
Kenneth Tsang
CinematographyIrek Hartowicz
Edited byHoward E. Smith
Music by Jeff Danna
Production
company
Release dates
  • July 24, 2009 (2009-07-24)(New York Asian American FF)
  • February 26, 2010 (2010-02-26)(United States)
Running time
103 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$6 million
Box office$225,000

Formosa Betrayed is a 2009 American political thriller film directed by Adam Kane, written by Charlie Stratton, Yann Samuell, Brian Askew and Nathaniel Goodman, with a story by Will Tiao and Katie Swain and starring James Van Der Beek. Set in Chicago and Taiwan in the 1980s, the story follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent investigating the murder of a Taiwanese professor at a Midwestern college. The search for the killers takes the agent to Taiwan, where he discovers there is more involved in this murder than he ever anticipated. Although Formosa Betrayed has been regarded as a "pan-green movie," its writers say they did not take sides over the Pan-Blue/Pan-Green political divide. [1]

Contents

Formosa Betrayed opened in four cities the weekend of February 28, 2010: Boston, New York, Los Angeles, and the Bay Area. Eventually, it was released in 20-25 cities across North America.

Plot

Inspired by two actual events, one surrounding the death of Professor Chen Wen-chen of Carnegie Mellon University [2] in 1981, [3] and the other the 1984 assassination of journalist Henry Liu in California by Chen Chi-li and his fellow Bamboo Union members, Formosa Betrayed is the story of FBI Agent Jake Kelly's (James Van Der Beek) investigation of the murder of Henry Wen (Joseph Foronda), a Taiwanese professor in Chicago. With the help of partner Tom Braxton (John Heard) and a sharp Chicago police detective (Leslie Hope), Agent Kelly discovers that the murderers have fled to Taipei, capital of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Agent Kelly is sent overseas to assist the Taiwan government's search for the killers. Initially guided by an American diplomat (Wendy Crewson) and a Kuomintang official (Tzi Ma), he soon realizes that not only is he an unwelcome guest in a foreign land but that something more treacherous is happening beneath the surface.

With the help of Ming (Will Tiao), a Taiwanese activist, Agent Kelly discovers the unsettling truth about the island, once described as "Ilha Formosa" ("beautiful island") by Portuguese sailors, leading to dangerous and painful consequences. Agent Kelly finds himself on a collision course with the U.S. State Department, the Chinese Mafia, and ultimately the highest levels of the Kuomintang, where he discovers how a complex web of politics, identity, and power affects the lives and destinies of all the citizens.

Cast

Production

Filming began in March 2008 in Chicago, Illinois, and then moved overseas to Bangkok, Thailand, and finally Taiwan. Despite the film's events taking place in Taiwan, and in the face of some criticism from Taiwanese communities in America, the production chose to film in Thailand mainly due to its established infrastructure for shooting film and television. The availability of film equipment, crews, and sets offered the production a more cost-effective solution to filming than did Taiwan, where it would have been necessary to ship film equipment in from Japan. The producers also realized that present-day Taiwan no longer resembles Taiwan in the 1980s, so another major production cost relating to set design was avoided by shooting in Thailand.[ citation needed ]

Release

Festival screenings

Formosa Betrayed had its world premiere at the Asian American International Film Festival on July 24, 2009, to a completely sold-out theater. The film also screened at the 32nd Annual Montreal World Film Festival where scouts from Screen Media Films first saw the film.

In the rest of 2009, Formosa Betrayed screened at the 8th Annual San Diego Film Festival where the film won Best Film and Best Actor for James Van Der Beek's work. The film was also screened at the 10th Annual DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival, the 13th Annual Hollywood Film Festival, the 33rd Annual Sao Paulo Film Festival, and the 18th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival, and was featured as the centerpiece presentation at the 2nd Annual Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, where it was honored with the festival's Audience Award.

Special screening for United States Members of Congress

On September 14, 2009, Formosa Betrayed was screened for members of the United States Congress and their staffs at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. Presented by the Formosa Foundation, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), Congressmen David Wu (D-OR), and Michael McCaul (R-TX) presented remarks. Congressmen Al Green (D-TX) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), as well as congressional and professional staff from various House of Representatives and Senate committees, were also in attendance.

Formosa Foundation Executive Director Terri Giles said, "Taiwan's democratization is not a 'miracle,' but rather a result of great human sacrifice by many whose stories inspired the film." Giles added, "This screening is designed to raise awareness among Congressional members of the historic and ongoing struggle of the Taiwanese people to build a democratic society."

"Although the film is set in the 1980s in an era known as the 'White Terror,' its underlying theme of human rights and democracy remains relevant today," producer Will Tiao told the audience. "The film provides a critical analysis of the relationship between the U.S. and Taiwan, as well as current U.S. foreign policy toward this country."

While praising Taiwan for building a prosperous democracy, Senator Brown voiced concern that closer ties with the People's Republic of China could put this progress at risk. "The United States has an interest to help the Taiwanese keep their democracy and freedom," stated Brown.

Distribution

It was announced on October 29, 2009, that Screen Media Films had acquired worldwide rights in all media to Formosa Betrayed. The film was to be released in theaters in February 2010 in 15-20 North American cities.

Reception

Formosa Betrayed received mixed reviews upon its release. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported that 34% of critics have given the film a positive review based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 4.99/10. The site's critics consensus reads, "Though the real-life drama it was inspired by could certainly form the basis for a worthwhile political action thriller, Formosa Betrayed isn't it." [4] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 51 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [5]

Blake French of AMC's filmcritic.com praised the film as "a proficient, focused thriller, it begins as a cookie-cutter whodunit and evolves into an informative, interesting interpretation of the complex Taiwan-China relationship." He goes on to describe director Adam Kane's handling of the film as "directed with skill and precision, Formosa Betrayed never feels like a heavy-handed history lesson, mostly because Kane treats the film like a thriller, not as a political drama." [6]

Tim Cogshell of Boxoffice Magazine remarked on the "exceptional" work of Tiao and all the Asian actors in the cast. [7]

The Wall Street Journal said "the movie is a sturdy entry in the paranoid-thriller genre, and raises some interesting issues about our relationship with the country we used to call China." [8]

Slant Magazine commended the movie for its in-depth view into international politics stating "Though it's set in 1983, Formosa Betrayed's an appropriate movie for America's current political climate, in which the audacity of hope has turned into a self-involved kind of frustration and despair." [9]

The Hollywood Reporter placed value on its historical significance: "At its plainspoken best, the U.S.- and Thailand-shot film is an eye-opening history lesson more than an atmospheric thriller. It's nonetheless chilling as it exposes the machinations between countries with no official relationship." [10] The Hollywood Reporter also wrote, "At the heart of the film is the affecting performance of Will Tiao, who also produced and co-wrote the story." His performance represents "the emotional toll on native Taiwanese struggling to be free of foreign control." [10]

The New York Times had great things to say for Wendy Crewson's role, calling it "the film’s strongest performance." [11]

The Boston Globe applauded the film for its unique take on storytelling: "As a political thriller, "Formosa Betrayed has enough suspense and intrigue to pull viewers along willingly. It doesn’t try too hard, which is refreshing." [12]

The San Francisco Chronicle had a lukewarm review, citing "viewers with a passionate interest in the political history of Taiwan are probably the main audience for Formosa Betrayed. Others will find a competently made but heavy-handed film that's almost sure to remind them of TV fare." [13]

The Los Angeles Times saw it as "a mostly pedestrian political thriller ... sans thrills". [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Democratic Progressive Party</span> Taiwanese political party

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a Taiwanese nationalist and centre to centre-left political party in Taiwan. It is currently the major ruling party in Taiwan, controlling both the presidency and the central government, also the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">February 28 incident</span> 1947 uprising in Taiwan

The February 28 incident was an anti-government uprising in Taiwan in 1947 that was violently suppressed by the Kuomintang–led nationalist government of the Republic of China (ROC). Directed by provincial governor Chen Yi and president Chiang Kai-shek, thousands of civilians were killed beginning on February 28. The incident is considered to be one of the most important events in Taiwan's modern history and was a critical impetus for the Taiwan independence movement.

Wen Ho Lee or Li Wenho is a Taiwanese-American nuclear scientist and a mechanical engineer who worked for the University of California at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. He created computerized simulations of nuclear explosions for the purposes of scientific inquiry, as well as for improving the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chen (surname)</span> Surname list

Chen ( ) is a common Chinese-language surname and one of the most common surnames in Asia. It is the most common surname in Taiwan (2010) and Singapore (2000). Chen is also the most common family name in Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Macau, and Hong Kong. It is the most common surname in Xiamen, the ancestral hometown of many overseas Hoklo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy Crewson</span> Canadian actress

Wendy Jane Crewson is a Canadian actress and producer. She began her career appearing on Canadian television, before her breakthrough role in 1991 dramatic film The Doctor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Van Der Beek</span> American actor (born 1977)

James William Van Der Beek is an American actor. Known for his portrayal of Dawson Leery on The WB's Dawson's Creek (1998–2003), he also played a fictionalized version of himself on the cult ABC sitcom Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23 (2012–2013), starred on CSI: Cyber as FBI Agent Elijah Mundo (2015–2016), and appeared as Matt Bromley on the first season of the FX drama Pose (2018). His film credits include Varsity Blues (1998), Texas Rangers (2001), The Rules of Attraction (2002), Formosa Betrayed (2009), Labor Day (2013), and Bad Hair (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ming-Na Wen</span> American actress and model (born 1963)

Ming-Na Wen is an American actress and model. She is best known for playing Melinda May / The Cavalry in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013–2020). Wen made her breakthrough in The Joy Luck Club (1993) as June Woo. She also voiced the eponymous character in the animated film Mulan, its sequel, and reprised the role as Mulan in the video game. Additionally, Wen made a cameo appearance in the live-action remake of Mulan (2020).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World United Formosans for Independence</span> Organization promoting Taiwan independence

The World United Formosans for Independence (WUFI) is an organization promoting Taiwan independence. It was established in 1970 by like-minded organizations in Canada, the U.S., Japan, Europe, and Taiwan. Its aim is to establish a Republic of Taiwan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hou Hsiao-hsien</span> Taiwanese director, actor (born 1947)

Hou Hsiao-hsien is a retired Mainland Chinese-born Taiwanese film director, screenwriter, producer and actor. He is a leading figure in world cinema and in Taiwan's New Wave cinema movement. He won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1989 for his film A City of Sadness (1989), and the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2015 for The Assassin (2015). Other highly regarded works of his include The Puppetmaster (1993) and Flowers of Shanghai (1998).

<i>A City of Sadness</i> 1989 Taiwanese film by Hou Hsiao-hsien

A City of Sadness is a 1989 Taiwanese historical drama directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien. It tells the story of a family embroiled in the "White Terror" that was wrought on the Taiwanese people by the Kuomintang government (KMT) after their arrival from mainland China in the late 1940s, during which thousands of Taiwanese and recent emigres from the Mainland were rounded up, shot, and/or sent to prison. The film was the first to deal openly with the KMT's authoritarian misdeeds after its 1945 takeover of Taiwan, which had been relinquished following Japan's defeat in World War II, and the first to depict the February 28 Incident of 1947, in which thousands of people were massacred by the KMT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation</span>

Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation, is a state-owned manufacturer and distributor of cigarettes and alcohol, and also formerly a state-sanctioned alcohol beverage brewing and retailing monopoly, in Taiwan. Its most famous product is Taiwan Beer. Other products include wine, Japanese-style liqueurs, Chinese herb liqueurs, and various distilled spirits.

Will Tiao is a Taiwanese-American actor, producer, and real estate broker and investor.

<i>The Sun Also Rises</i> (2007 film) 2007 Chinese film

The Sun Also Rises is a 2007 film directed, produced and co-written by Chinese director Jiang Wen starring Joan Chen, Anthony Wong, Jaycee Chan, and Jiang Wen himself. This movie is the polyptych of interconnected stories in different time-zones, shifting between a Yunnan village, a campus, and the Gobi Desert. This movie was screened in competition at the Venice International Film Festival and nominated for Golden Lion but lost to Ang Lee's historical thriller Lust, Caution. This film also premiered at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, and was nominated for Achievement in Cinematography at the 2007 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Articles related to Taiwan include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huang Hsin-chieh</span> Taiwanese politician (1938–1999)

Huang Hsin-chieh was a Taiwanese politician, Taipei city council member, National Assembly representative, Legislative Yuan legislator, publisher of Formosa Magazine and Taiwan Political Theory magazine (台灣政論), senior Dangwai Leader, third chairperson of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and senior adviser to the president of the Republic of China. He was born on August 20, 1928, during the period when Taiwan was under Japanese governance also known to the Japanese as the Japan governance period of Taiwan and was fluent in Japanese and Taiwanese. He married Chang Yueh-ching (張月卿) in 1954 and had four children and adopted sons. They lived in a modest residence on Chongqing N. Rd in Datong District, Taipei City for over three decades.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Terror (Taiwan)</span> Period of martial law and political repression in Taiwan

The White Terror was the political repression of Taiwanese civilians and political dissenters under the Kuomintang (KMT)-ruled government. The period of White Terror is generally considered to have begun when martial law was declared in Taiwan on 19 May 1949, which was enabled by the 1948 Temporary Provisions against the Communist Rebellion, and ended on 21 September 1992 with the repeal of Article 100 of the Criminal Code, allowing for the prosecution of "anti-state" activities. The Temporary Provisions were repealed a year earlier on 22 April 1991 and martial law was lifted on 15 July 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anthony Chen</span> Singaporean film director (born 1984)

Anthony Chen is a Singaporean film director, screenwriter and film producer. He is known for directing the feature films Ilo Ilo (2013) and Wet Season (2019).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chen Wen-chen</span> Taiwanese mathematician alleged to have been murdered by KMT

Chen Wen-chen was a Taiwanese assistant professor of mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University who died on 3 July 1981 (aged 31) under mysterious circumstances. After the conclusion of his third year of teaching, he returned to his native Taiwan for a vacation. He was instructed not to leave Taiwan on his scheduled departure date. Members of Taiwan's secret police, the Garrison Command, detained and interrogated him for twelve hours on 2 July 1981, and his body was found on the campus of National Taiwan University the next day. The subsequent autopsy reported his death was due to a fall. Chen's death and the earlier massacre of Lin Yi-hsiung's family are cited as late examples of White Terror dissident suppression activities in Taiwan, although the case remains unsolved and the Garrison Command maintains it had nothing to do with his death. In 2020, the Transitional Justice Commission released a report concluding that Chen was most likely killed by state security agencies.

<i>Pali Road</i> 2015 film

Pali Road is a 2015 romantic mystery thriller film directed by Jonathan Lim, starring Michelle Chen as a young doctor who finds herself in a completely unfamiliar life after waking up from a car accident. The film co-stars Jackson Rathbone, Sung Kang and Henry Ian Cusick.

<i>The Falls</i> (2021 film) 2021 film by Chung Mong-hong

The Falls is a 2021 Taiwanese drama film directed by Chung Mong-hong and written by Chung and Chang Yao-sheng. It stars Alyssa Chia and Gingle Wang, with Sung Shao-ching, Liu Liang-tso, Lee Lee-zen, Yang Li-yin, Waa Wei, and Chen Yi-wen in supporting roles. It follows a mother and daughter who, after having to quarantine together during COVID-19, are forced to confront their personal obstacles and relationship tensions.

References

  1. "INTERVIEW: Producer brings Taiwan's history to the big screen". Taipei Times. 2013-09-15. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  2. "Carnegie Mellon News 8½ × 11 News: November 8, 2001". Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Carnegie Mellon University. 2001-11-08. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  3. "Professor Chen Wen". Chen Memorial Foundation. Archived from the original on 2013-09-26. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  4. "Formosa Betrayed (2010)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  5. "Formosa Betrayed Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  6. Archived March 1, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  7. Boxoffice Media, Llc (2010-02-15). "Formosa Betrayed —". Boxoffice.com. Archived from the original on 2010-03-11. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  8. Anderson, John (February 26, 2010). "'A Prophet': The Crime Epic Reborn". The Wall Street Journal.
  9. "The Crazies | Film Review". Slant Magazine. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 2013-09-22.
  10. 1 2 Linden, Sheri (October 14, 2010). "Formosa Betrayed -- Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter.
  11. Holden, Stephen (February 26, 2010). "When the Language of Diplomacy Includes 'Kapow!'". The New York Times.
  12. Page, Janice (February 26, 2010). "Formosa Betrayed". The Boston Globe.
  13. Addiego, Walter (January 7, 2011). "Review: 'Formosa Betrayed'". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  14. "'Easier With Practice' captivates". Los Angeles Times. February 26, 2010.