Lonely Seventeen

The story of Lonely Seventeen centers on Tan-mei, a seventeen-year-old high school girl who comes from a wealthy family. The film begins with Tan-mei inviting her cousin, who is also her sister’s fiancé, Feng Tse (Ke Jun-Xiong), to come over to her place on a rainy night. However, Feng Tse secretly visits his mistress first and gets seriously wounded after a fight with the woman. When he tries to make a second stop at Tan-mei’s place, he loses control of his car and is killed in a car accident. After the death of Feng Tse, Tan-mei and the mistress start to behave strangely, and both of them are sent to the same mental health institute after their emotional breakdown.

Directed by Pai Ching-jui, Lonely Seventeen leans on a strong ensemble — Tang Pao-Yun, Ko Chun-Hsiung, Hsiang Li — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1967.