How do you cope with heartbreak or loneliness? Dating apps or attending offline gatherings? If you could travel back to Taipei over 30 years ago when the internet was not yet widely accessible, what would you do then?
Returning to the blind date scene in 1989, a woman who is an eye doctor and lost her beloved one posted a matrimonial ad in the newspaper. As expected, she met a variety of men from all walks of life. Each man unfolds their own story. Egomaniac, pimp, mama's boy, even a lesbian… These scenes are present in a documentary-like film. Through her encounters with these men, the woman’s loneliness and longing gradually intensify, culminating in a collapse after an intimate encounter with a stranger. The film reveals the harsh realities of loneliness and the human desire for connection.
The Personals directed by Chen Kuo-fu, starring Rene Liu as the female lead. This is a Taiwanese film released in 1998 and mainly represented in dialogue way, making this film natural and close to reality life. From these men, most of them are insincere, and some only want to fulfil their sexual desires. This mirrors the experiences many faces today, where dating apps often become a space for individuals to seek solace from emotional or physical loneliness. Just as the woman in the film navigates these encounters, modern dating apps often present similar challenges, where sincerity is rare, and loneliness prevails. The woman in the film uses“Miss Wu" to go on blind dates. While she never explicitly states the type of person she seeks, it becomes evident that her true search has always been for herself. It reminds us of the importance of maintaining self-identity while pursuing a relationship.
Rene Liu played the lead role
I first encountered The Personals in an English composition class, where my professor introduced the film and assigned us to write a review. That's one of the reasons why I used English to rewrite this article. In addition, I am pretty indulged in the atmosphere in this film, the contrast between green and red under the gloomy tone. Bring us back to 1989, Taipei. Furthermore, the contrast between a straightforward portrayal of men in reality, and an exquisite depiction of a woman's inner world. In the final scene of the film, the woman receives a call from her beloved man's fiancée, and everything finally shatters. Her disillusionment tells us that-In many ways, the search for love is also a search for self.
The Personals film still
