An Analysis of Character Design and Plot in the Taiwan Crime Film “The Pig, The Snake, and The Pigeon”

Abstract

The film “The Pig, The Snake, and The Pigeon” has gained a huge response in East Asian film circles. This paper examines the characterization and narrative construction of the film. The characterisation and narrative construction of the film incorporate the ritual dogmas of “Tan”, “Chen”, and “Chi” of traditional religious culture in East Asia, and not only that, but the film symbols also that are implied by these dogmas will be used by the film making. The film's metaphorical film symbols will be analysed. This film is an important representative work of Taiwan's realist cinema in recent years. The director presents the struggles and sufferings of the marginal characters in Taiwan's existing society through the realist method of black humour, which to a certain extent unveils the problems and contradictions in the existing society. The film has a profound value for examination and analysis. This paper might offer some lessons for examining realist cinema in Taiwan.