[Chinese] Green Hat - Fendou Liu (2004)

The Green Hat deals with the interesting subject of marital adultery and ‘a green hat’ is a Chinese metaphor and slang expression for a woman who cheats on her husband. The main story (that begins to unfold about halfway) is about a man who is deceived by his wife, when she has found a lover who is better at satisfying her sexual needs.

This Chinese production starts off somewhat awkwardly, as it seems its director, Liu Fendou, shifts to and fro between genres, before finally getting to the core issue: the ancient question of infidelity and disloyalty. But before Liu tackles the main issue he starts off with a heist/crime setting with characters that later appear irrelevant to the story. But when the main issue has arrived, there are several breathtaking scenes that give an intimate insight into how people can get alienated within a relationship. There is, for instance, the scene in which the main character confronts his wife’s lover with their affair, which keeps you at the edge of your seat