The reviews lean firmly positive, and the praise gathers in the same few places. Most critics admire Yang’s handling of light and darkness, which they read as carrying feeling and political weight together, alongside the spare, elegant compositions that go with it. Several are struck by how thoroughly the film’s world is built, with a large cast and a specific time and setting that make the protagonist’s slide towards violence feel earned rather than imposed. The way Taiwan’s political and social history runs through private lives is singled out more than any other quality.
Reservations are scarce and the spread is narrow. Length and pace are the only recurring notes: Time Out calls the approach slow, elliptical and understated before praising it anyway, and The Guardian finds the four-hour running time easy to follow. The one mixed mark comes from The New York Times, whose review cannot be read, so no complaint can be attached to it.