本文首先以侯孝賢的台灣三部曲為中心，描述從《新電影之死》到《戲戀人生》的典範的轉移，但指出某些爭議的焦點，例如歷史電影是否反映真實的問題，並沒有因為承認歷史電影都是虛構的而消失。透過對《好男好女》的細讀，本文認為該片並不具有《悲情城市》眾聲喧嘩的特質，反倒是呈現一個線性的歷史敘事，指出美國介入韓戰，改變台灣歷史軌跡，也間接地影響了兩代好男好女的命運──導致政治受難者的死亡，台灣的快速資本主義化，以及社會主義理想在台灣的終結。《好男好女》透過對過去的探索與釐清，解釋了現在之所以為現在的理由。

Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s Taiwan Trilogy has been the locus of heated debates, as documented in two collections of critical essays—The Death of the New Cinema (1991) and Passionate Detachment: Films of Hou Hsiao-hsien (2000). Despite the paradigm shift from the critical theory of the former to the poststructuralism of the latter, such issues as historical authenticity and realistic representation have not been soundly dealt with by recognizing the fictional nature of all historical films. Through a reading of Hou’s film Good Men Good Women, this paper argues that it is far from enough to highlight the constructiveness of history and the self-reflexive, postmodern quality of this film. Lacking the heteroglossia of historical representation found in Hou’s earlier film The City of Sadness, Good Men Good Women instead presents a linear, progressive and monological history. But, more importantly, this film, like many other historical films, treats history as a form of thought whereby one asks questions and tries to answer them. By inquiring into Taiwan’s past, Hou Hsiao-hsien gives us a reason why Taiwan has come to its present state. Whether or not this film provides a satisfactory answer, this paper aims to reassert the importance of rethinking the authenticity of historical representation in all historical films, even though faithful representation is no longer possible.