Strawman (1987): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1987, Strawman is a comedy, drama and history film directed by Wang Tung, running about 96 minutes.

What it’s about. During the last years of Japanese occupation in Taiwan, as tenants from the preceding generation, the family of Chan brothers was suffering from poor harvest. With a deaf old mother, a mental disordered sister whose husband was killed in war, and a bunch of children, it was not hard to imagine that they were really poor. One day, a heavy unexploded bomb fell down from the sky on two brothers' farmland. The brothers brought the bomb to the Japanese police as a "gift for the Emperor of Japan". Unfortunately, the Japanese were frightened by the bomb and order them to throw it into the sea. They could do nothing but obeyed the order. The bomb exploded when thrown into the sea. A great number of dead fishes came out of the sea. The two brothers collected the fishes back home. When they saw their exciting family enjoy the fishes, they felt that God is fair.

Who’s in it. Strawman stars Yang Kuei-Mei as Wide Mouth Wife, Ko Chun-Hsiung as Landlord, Lin Mei-Chao and Wen Ying, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 7.2/10, Strawman has been warmly received by audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Strawman page.

If you liked it. Fans of Strawman tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.