The Woman of Wrath

In the heavy, rain-drenched atmosphere of a Taiwanese city, a woman returns to confront the ghosts of her past. Tseng Chuang-Hsiang crafts a tale of vengeance that defies simple moral binaries – his protagonist isn’t seeking justice but reclaiming something stolen from her long ago. Her fury isn’t a momentary outburst but a calculated force, leading her down a path where victims and perpetrators blur into one. Tseng masterfully builds tension with surgical precision, constructing a labyrinth of buried secrets and unspoken wounds. Sinister shadows, flickering neon lights, and claustrophobic interiors amplify the film’s emotional weight. Every frame pulses with suspense, and each of the woman’s choices inches closer to an inevitable tragedy – because in a world where no one is truly innocent, revenge doesn’t always bring redemption.

Tseng Chuang-Hsiang (b. 1947) is a Taiwanese director and actor, a key figure of the Taiwanese New Wave. He co-directed The Sandwich Man (1983), capturing the struggles of the working class in the 1960s. His segment, Vicki’s Hat, follows two salesmen trying to introduce Japanese pressure cookers to rural Taiwan. In The Woman of Wrath (1984), he adapted Li Ang’s novella, tackling domestic violence and women’s oppression. With its raw style and restrained storytelling, the film stands out in the Taiwanese New Cinema movement.