OVERLAY REPORT

In Edward Yang’s 1996 film *Mahjong*, there is no single protagonist; instead, the film follows an ensemble of characters whose goals and obstacles intersect in the hyper-capitalist, cynical landscape of 1990s Taipei. However, the narrative primarily centers on a "gang" of four young men, with **Red Fish** and **Luen Luen** serving as the primary figures whose conflicting goals drive the plot. ### **The Main Characters' Goals** 1. **Red Fish (The Leader):** * **Goal:** His primary objective is to survive the fallout of his father's massive financial crimes while proving his father’s "social Darwinian" philosophy correct. He wants to manipulate everyone around him to avoid being a "fool." * **Secondary Goal:** He specifically seeks revenge against a woman named Angela, whom he blames for his father’s downfall. 2. **Luen Luen (The Newcomer):** * **Goal:** Unlike the cynical Red Fish, Luen Luen’s goal is to find genuine human connection. After meeting **Marthe**, a French woman who has just arrived in Taipei, his goal becomes protecting her and securing her affection. 3. **Marthe:** * **Goal:** She travels from Paris to Taipei to find her British lover, **Markus**, hoping to resume their relationship. --- ### **Specific Obstacles They Face** The characters face a combination of physical dangers, financial debts, and a soul-crushing urban environment. #### **1. The Underworld Debt (30 Billion TWD)** The overarching obstacle for Red Fish is his father, Winston Chen, a tycoon who has disappeared after accruing a **30 billion TWD debt** to the underworld. Because his father is missing, mob enforcers (led by a veteran mobster played by Wu Nien-jen) are hunting Red Fish and his gang to extract the money or information on his father's whereabouts. #### **2. Mistaken Identity and Kidnapping** The lack of communication and the chaotic nature of the city lead to a significant obstacle: a rookie gangster mistakenly identifies Luen Luen as Red Fish. This leads to the **kidnapping** of both Luen Luen and Marthe, putting their lives at risk and forcing Luen Luen to navigate a world of violence he is ill-prepared for. #### **3. The "Crooks and Fools" Mentality** The film's central thematic obstacle is a philosophy articulated by Red Fish: *"There are only two types of people in this world: crooks and fools."* * **For Red Fish:** This worldview is an obstacle to his own happiness; he is so obsessed with not being a "fool" that he destroys his own relationships and eventually descends into violent despair when he realizes his father's philosophy has left him empty. * **For Luen Luen:** His obstacle is the corruption of the people around him. He must actively fight against his own friends, particularly Red Fish and Ginger (an expat pimp), who attempt to **scam Marthe or sell her into prostitution.** #### **4. Western Exploitation (Markus)** For Marthe, the primary obstacle to her goal is the cold reality of globalized Taipei. Her lover, Markus, is a cynical interior designer who views the city solely as a place to make money. He represents the **neocolonialist exploitation** of the city; he has no interest in Marthe's love and views her presence as a nuisance, eventually abandoning her. #### **5. The Urban Disconnect** The physical environment of Taipei itself acts as an obstacle. Edward Yang portrays the city as a "kaleidoscopic hodgepodge" of neon lights and vacant apartments where people speak different languages (Mandarin, English, Hokkien) but fail to understand one another. This **alienation** makes Marthe and Luen Luen's simple goal of finding each other in the crowd nearly impossible until the film's final moments.