Beautiful. Poignant. Moving. If you have know people and places like the ones in this film, you will know the Malle got it right.

Why did I wait so long to see this? Twas magnificent. I realized while watching it that this movie captures a major theme for me--the innocence of youth, lost. All the stories I want to tell with variations on the stories from my childhood. I can add ratcatcher to the list of films the explain the oddness of my soul.

The most profound moment of this film for me is the scene that closes the film. Chow whispers his secret love for Su into a hole in a tree, surrounded by ruins. He covers the hole with mud and stands there amidst the the ruins, the ruins of his love sick soul. Brilliant.

Man...I just love this movie.

I regret seeing this film. I was surprised at myself for this response, because I am usually pretty open. I think it was just to awful for me to behold. But, I will say, it is extremely bold, ambitious, and remarkably shot.

Raging Bull is probably his best film. It NEEDS to be on here.