In the Mood for Love was shown recently as part of ‘Starburst’: the free film series curated by Ruby Arrowsmith-Todd at the Art Gallery of NSW. ‘Starburst’ showcased various icons of Chinese cinema over the course of ten weeks through free film screenings at the art gallery. Although ‘Starburst’ has now passed, the gallery will be showcasing classics of Japanese cinema from the 3rd of October to 31st, as a satellite event alongside the Japanese Film Festival.*
Although action cinema is the Hong Kong film industry’s most popular genre, with a strong cult following, their romance dramas are equally deserving of attention—with Wong Kar-wai’s film, In the Mood for Love (2000) being an exemplar of this genre. Starring Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, In the Mood for Love portrays a sensual, tragic love story set it in 1960’s Hong Kong that has gained widespread recognition around the world—inspiring films like Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation (2003).
The story follows two married couples who coincidentally rent adjacent rooms on the same apartment floor. The film focuses on the husband of one couple, Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung), and the wife of the other, Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung). They eventually discover that their spouses are cheating on them with each other. Through the exploration of voyeurism and surveillance interwoven throughout a representation of an authentic Hong Kong, Wong Kar-wai observes how the two victims of infidelity find comfort within each other.
The complex observation of their tragic and twisted state of affairs is presented in a way that feeds our voyeuristic tendencies. Wong highlights the restricted environment of the two main characters’ homes, where they become the subject of constant observation, gossip and speculation among their neighbours—depicting how Hong Kong communities were deeply rooted in familial affairs during the 1960s. The relationship between Chow and Su is translated effortlessly through shots of their actions, glances and touches. The minimal dialogue in the film serves as a reflection of the constraint that plagues the protagonists’ lives. The constant surveillance from Chow and Su’s nosy landlady represents the dynamics between different generations within Chinese families, the constant threat of gossip and the value of one’s “face”.
Wong Kar-wai (王家衛) is a widely recognised director from Hong Kong—known for his unique, highly stylised, emotionally resonant work, and his realistic representation of Hong Kong throughout the 60s to 90s. Common themes of his work include: refusal, acceptance, loss, gain, forgetfulness and reminiscence. His films are exhilarating and vivid—varnished with a dreamy haze to emphasise the nostalgia and fantasia inherent in many of his works.
The sultry soundtrack and visuals are consistent and appear throughout the film as motifs. In the Mood for Love features only a few locations, each filmed from the same angle, to create familiarity and the experience of a circular effect of leaving and returning. The fixed background allows the audience to truly gain insight into the changing lives of Chow and Su as we observe small changes that occur throughout their day to day lives.
Their rendezvous occur in cramped alleyways, dilapidated buildings and daibaitongs—open-air restaurants where they frequently stop for noodles—providing the audience with a unique glimpse into an unglorified version of Hong Kong. On one hand, this dispels the façade of the vibrant cultural and urban scene of the burgeoning city, suggesting that the authentic lives of the common denizens of Hong Kong were far less aesthetically impressive than what was being perceived by popular culture. However, these modest depictions of Old Hong Kong gratify the nostalgia of moviegoers who are able to rediscover the idyllic past that highlights the humanist value of the couple’s love.
The costume design of the film is significant in reflecting the characters and the film’s context. Su’s cheongsams emphasise the restraint in her life as she faces patriarchal expectations. Moreover, they convey the cultural change that occurred in Hong Kong during 1950s and 60s as large waves of immigrants from mainland China sought refuge in the cosmopolitan city.
This dreamy film features key components of Wong Kar-wai’s style that allow him to transcend the traditional conventions of Hong Kong cinema and represent human emotions in their most vulnerable state. In the Mood for Love is a combination of sombre music, nostalgic visuals of traditional Hong Kong landscapes, and sequences of slow-motion and freeze-frame shots, that convey the enthralling, quiet and remorseful nature of Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chen’s painful yet beautiful fantasy.
*More details on Art Gallery NSW film program can be found on here.
Written by Bonnie (16) edited by Jessica Ellicott (as part of the Film in Revolt writing mentorship program).