Do you have a film that you would call a "life movie"?

Sometimes, while watching a movie, I find myself thinking about this.

How on earth was such a film made?

A movie with a great story, excellent acting, and perfectly fitting music.

It seems that you can't achieve this feeling with just one good element.

It appears that such works are born when the director, screenplay, actors, and music come together as if they had made a pact.

In my life, there are exactly two films that fit this description.

One is Sound of Music, and the other is the Hong Kong film Comrades: Almost a Love Story.

They are different genres and from different eras, yet strangely, both films evoke the same kind of emotion.

I first saw Comrades: Almost a Love Story when I was living in New York. I think it was around the time my immigrant life was just beginning.

A strange city, a strange language, a strange atmosphere. I watched Comrades: Almost a Love Story during that time, and not long after the movie started, I began to cry. It wasn't even a particularly sad scene.

Looking back now, I think I understand why.

It touched on the emotions of an immigrant so accurately.

This film is not just a simple romance. It tells the story of people living in a city, wandering and surviving.

Life flowing from China to Hong Kong, and then to New York. It's the story of people who have to endure and survive in a new city.

The most powerful element of this film is undoubtedly the music. The songs "Comrades: Almost a Love Story" and "The Moon Represents My Heart" by Teresa Teng envelop the entire film.

Even though both are sung in Teresa Teng's clear voice, they have a strangely lonely quality.

Especially during the moments when the scenes of the film overlap with the song "The Moon Represents My Heart," a poignant feeling arises.

And one unfortunate fact - Teresa Teng passed away at a very young age. Perhaps that's why her songs sound even more special.

These days, the film industry is technically amazing. The CGI is excellent, and the filming techniques are astonishing.

But I wonder why it's so hard to find works where music, story, and actors come together perfectly like in older films.

Living in Philadelphia, there are nights when I find myself watching movies alone again.

On those nights, I often rewatch Comrades: Almost a Love Story. Strangely, the emotions I felt before come rushing back.

They say everyone has at least one life movie. For me, it's Comrades: Almost a Love Story. A film with no scenes to discard and no music to overlook.

Will I be able to encounter such films again in the future? Honestly, I don't know.