Goodbye, Dragon Inn 2004

The Fu He Grand Theater, a dilapidated movie palace located in Taipei, is on the brink of closure. With its leaky roof and unkempt bathrooms, it only employs a couple of dedicated staff members: a male projectionist and a female ticket attendant. Interestingly, this venue is widely recognized as a gay cruising location in the city, a fact reflected in its almost deserted halls. On its final day of operation, the theater plays host to a screening of the legendary 1967 film, Dragon Inn, directed by King Hu, yet the event goes largely unnoticed, with little to no audience to celebrate the occasion.

The ticket attendant, portrayed by Kuei-Mei Yang, gingerly navigates her way through the damp hallways to deliver a steamed bun to the projectionist, played by Chao-jung Chen. When she arrives at the projection room, she finds herself alone. Tempted to leave the bun on the table for him, she ultimately decides against it and walks away with the treat in hand.

Meanwhile, a Japanese tourist, who appears eager to engage with others in the theater, tries his luck at cruising both in the seating area and the men’s bathroom. Despite encountering a few patrons, he finds no success in his pursuits. He follows Chen into a storage room, seeks camaraderie by offering a light for his cigarette, and learns from Chen that the theater is haunted. When the tourist suggests a more intimate encounter, Chen politely declines.

In a nearly vacant theater, a lone female patron tries her best to remain discreet as she makes her way through the aisles. She awkwardly situates herself next to the tourist, who has resigned to watching the movie after giving up on cruising. However, her noisy eating soon becomes a distraction, prompting the tourist to abruptly depart.

As the plot of Dragon Inn builds tension toward its climax, we briefly shift focus to former stars of the film, Miao Tien and Shih Chun (both played by talented actors). Miao spends time with his grandson, while Shih becomes visibly emotional, reflecting on the nostalgia tied to the film.

Once the movie concludes, the diligent ticket attendant returns to her duties, switching on the lights and meticulously sweeping the floor. The camera remains fixed on the now-empty theater for several poignant moments, capturing a sense of profound loss. Miao and Shih chat about the fading interest in cinema and how memories of the past slowly vanish into obscurity.

As the evening draws to a close, the projectionist and ticket attendant begin the closing process. They rewind the last reel of film, clear out the trash, and empty the rainwater collecting in buckets — all actions steeped in the reality that the theater will never again welcome an audience. Lost in their thoughts, the ticket attendant gazes at a poster reading “Temporarily out of business” and gives her booth a final, lingering glance before departing. She leaves the steamed bun for the projectionist, who is seen driving away into the night. From the shadows, she watches him go, holding onto a bittersweet sentiment as she walks home alone in the rain.