Wayne Wang's 'Mad Old Man' Review Finds Boredom in Sex and Death

Director Wayne Wang's latest feature, "Diary of a Mad Old Man," adapted from Jun’ichirō Tanizaki’s 1961 novel, explores the themes of sex and death through the lens of a post-stroke retiree. The film's premise, which involves the retiree deriving sexual pleasure from his daughter-in-law, presents inherently perverse qualities, as noted in the original novel. However, by contemporary standards, Tanizaki's work is not considered particularly explicit. Wang's directorial approach in this film, his first since 2019, initially deviates from a more explicit interpretation, leading to an unintentional exploration of boredom within these profound themes. The narrative centers on an aging man grappling with physical decline and a persistent, yet ultimately unfulfilling, desire.

Fan Bingbing stars as the daughter-in-law, a character whose presence becomes central to the protagonist's psychological and physical landscape. The film attempts to capture the internal world of the aging man, whose perceptions and desires are amplified by his physical limitations and his fixation on his daughter-in-law. This fixation, intended to be a source of perverse vitality, instead becomes a conduit for the pervasive sense of ennui that permeates the film. The review suggests that Wang's direction, while perhaps aiming for a nuanced portrayal of aging and desire, inadvertently highlights the mundane and the uninspired aspects of these experiences. The juxtaposition of intense desire with a palpable lack of fulfillment is a key element that the film, according to the review, stumbles upon rather than deliberately crafts.

The adaptation faces the challenge of translating Tanizaki's complex psychological and sensual explorations to the screen. The novel, known for its exploration of obsession and the darker aspects of human nature, is interpreted by Wang in a manner that, as the review posits, strips away much of its intended shock value and replaces it with a more subdued, almost listless, depiction of the protagonist's final years. The film's focus on the protagonist's internal monologue and his increasingly detached observations of the world around him contributes to this atmosphere of boredom. The sexual encounters, central to the novel's exploration of the protagonist's vitality, are presented in a way that emphasizes their lack of genuine connection or passion, further underscoring the theme of existential weariness.

Ultimately, "Diary of a Mad Old Man" is critiqued for its unintentional success in portraying the boredom that can accompany both extreme desire and the contemplation of mortality. Wang's directorial choices, coupled with Fan Bingbing's performance, create a cinematic experience that, while dealing with potent subject matter, leaves the audience with a sense of the tediousness of the protagonist's existence. The film’s exploration of sex and death, rather than being titillating or profound, becomes a testament to the quiet desperation and monotony that can define the end of life. The review concludes that the film's strength lies not in its explicit depiction of taboo subjects, but in its inadvertent revelation of the ennui that can overshadow even the most intense human drives.