I like this movie. I agree with some people that the scene doesn't look like Taiwan in 80'. It should've been more modern look, but the story is just so good so I can forgive the settings. It reminds us not to forget that we are TAIWANESE, nothing to do with China. We have been using the name "Taiwan" for 100 years, and I am proud of it. We have our own culture, language, food, government, law system, not to mention democracy. How can you deny it is a country and very different from China. It is a shame that still some people don't recognize Taiwan as a independent country, even some Taiwanese, but I appreciate that a lot of people are trying to let people see us and value us.The acting and editing are excellent. Also, the music at the end "Desire for Spring Breeze", the traditional Taiwanese song, just makes me cry.

He discovers that this case is tangled up in a completely different and darker world of a nation's politics way beyond his control. Formosa Betrayed raises awareness of world issues through a look on historical tragedy.Formosa Betrayed is engaging and suspenseful. The narrative structure worked perfectly for the context, from the short, one-shot flashbacks to the overall cross-cutting between past and present. A little disorienting at first, the non-linear arrangement helped escalate the confusion and ignorance of the protagonist.Wendy Crewson delivers a great act as she juggles with her authority on the border of ignorance and indifference. James Van Der Beek illustrates vividly his character's crucial shift in perspective. The devastation of the character Ming is so heartfelt as performed by Will Tiao.Formosa Betrayed probes open lots of critical questions about the world we live in, and it left me thinking for a long time after I watched it. I enjoyed the adventure and dilemmas that each character was facing, and the intricate plot. The conspiracy depicted in Formosa Betrayed definitely made a lasting impression. This is a fast-paced, must-see political thriller!

When I saw a small advertising in my local paper for this movie, I had no idea what it was about. I thought it might be a documentary on Formosa before it became Taiwan. How wrong I was! I was totally blown away by its contents, the actors, and the cinematography. I had little knowledge of Taiwan's history prior to seeing this film. It was a real eye opener. I also didn't recognize most of the actors, except for John Heard. James Van Der Beek did an excellent job as the FBI agent Jake Kelly. I am really surprised that the film was shown in San Jose (CA) at all because it seems most viewers have seen 'Formosa Betrayed' at film festivals. This movie should get a wider distribution since, in my opinion, it is very important to let everyone know what happened. An absolute MUST-SEE!

This movie talks about many real events fighting for freedom and democracy in Taiwan in 1947 - 1981. Because this is just a movie, it mixes up the time-line of the real incidents to make the movie more entertaining. People who know the incidents may feel that this movie does not reflect the truth. People who do not know the incidents may not really understand the underlying meanings/incidents of the scene. I strongly recommend that people who do not know the incidents can see the movie first, and then try to search relevant real incidents (like 228 and Kaohsiung Incident), and then see the movie second time to understand and feel more about this movie.