Tsai Yang-Ming, the 2021 Golden Horse Lifetime Achievement Award winner, was
a leading Taiwanese film actor in the 1950s and 1960s, ultimately starring in over
150 films. After transitioning to directing, he used his sharp intuition and acute
vision to develop a style unique within Taiwanese commercial films. He challenged
contemporary censorship barriers and carved out a bold path for socially realistic
films. His celebrated “Gangster Trilogy” series earned him the title “Godfather of
Taiwanese Noir.”
This book, published jointly by the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute and Yuan-
Liou Publishing, draws on extensive first-hand interviews and a rich trove of visual
and textual materials. It delves deeply into decades of cinematic history, chronicling
Tsai Yang-ming’s legendary life and career while vividly reconstructing the social
and cultural landscape of his time. Featuring rare photographs, film posters, and
newspaper ads, the book offers both compelling storytelling and valuable archival
insight.