‘Dark Night’ Reality

As a Chinese-American, I must disagree with Sheila Benson’s review of “Dark Night,” one of the best and most important Chinese movies to play in American theaters (“ ‘Dark Night’ Tends to Be a Sleepy One,” June 11).

The movie accurately reveals the reality of changing relationships among the new wealthy class in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Though many people may not like to face these truths, the film courageously and artistically presents them as they really are.

It’s rare that Americans ever have the opportunity to experience a film that depicts the struggle between traditional Chinese morals and the more liberated attitudes of modern times--the new Chinese experience.

It’s a shame that Benson decided to belabor such trivial, silly and petty points as the fact that a male character had put on his bikini underwear after a love interlude.

I can remember dozens of movies where people had made passionate love and when finished, they put their underwear back on before getting out of bed--even in “Last Tango in Paris”--even in real life (I speak personally). Some of us, no matter how liberated, still experience a slight awkwardness after the heat of passion has subsided--prudish, but real.

EDWARD GEE

Los Angeles