Let The Wind Carry Me (DVD) (Taiwan Version) DVD Region 3

Directed by Taiwan filmmaker Chiang Hsiu Chiung and Hong Kong cinematographer Kwan Pun Leung, the film is handsomely shot in its own right, with more interesting photography and camera angles than your typical talking heads documentary. The talking heads, in this case, are renowned directors and actors sharing their thoughts about Lee. Some are more interesting and in-depth than others: Wong Kar Wai gets in an obligatory line and Kore-eda spends most of his short screentime talking about Hou Hsiao Hsien, while Jiang Wen, Sylvia Chang, and Shu Qi's small anecdotes are revealing about what makes Lee so great. What speaks for itself the most is the behind-the-scenes look at Lee working on set, seeing how his camera moves fluidly with the actors. Clips of the films he has lensed are interspersed throughout the documentary, demonstrating visually his flexible style and natural sense of light, color, shadow, and movement.

Let the Wind Carry Me provides an overview of Lee's career and work, but doesn't go into fine details about his life. Chiang and Kwan seem more interested in evoking images, like following Lee for a walk in the park, than reciting a biographical timeline. Lee actually does reveal quite a bit about himself in the course of the film, such as how he entered and learned the trade, his interest in pottery and leaves blowing in the wind, and his yearning for home and family. What the film captures about his relationship with his mother, in particular, is very personal.

Yet, Mark Lee the person remains slightly out of reach to the end. He may appear even more intriguing and larger than life after watching the documentary than before. Going into the film, you might not have a clear picture (or any idea) of who Lee is, but at the film's end, you'll remember him as a rugged and unruffled lone poet who moves with the wind. Though there will be audiences who prefer documentaries that tell all, this enigmatic image Mark Lee has going isn't a bad thing. If anything, it's very cinematic.