Chong qing sen lin
(Chungking Express, HK - 1995)
by Vanes Naldi
6/13/01
| Cast: |
Faye Wong, Brigitte Lin, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tony
Leung Chiu-Wai, Valerie Chow |
| Genre: |
Romance |
| Director: |
Wong Kar-Wai |
| Screenplay: |
Wong Kar-Wai |
| Cinematography: |
Christopher Doyle, Keung Lai Wai |
| Composer: |
Frankie Chan, Roel A. Garcia |
| Runtime: |
102 minutes |
This is not your usual Hong Kong John Woo flick with tons of action
and stylish cops. This is a film about romance in the life of average people:
two stories that focus on how people react to loneliness and depression.
The first part of the movie, the shorter one, focuses on a cop whose
girlfriend left him. He feels lonely and depressed, but expresses himself
by running rather than crying. He does this because running will drain
him of "all" the fluids necessary to cry, and that will make him feel happy
afterwards. He also buys pineapple cans every day, but only if they expire
by May 1st. If his girlfriend wouldn't come back by that date, he'd feel
their love, like the pineapples, was expired.
He suddenly decides to fall in love with the first woman who crossed
the door in a bar. The girl turns out to be a heroine smuggler always running
for her life. They meet each other and talk. Even if the girl isn't interested
in the cop's company, they end up drunk and the cop stares at her while
she's sleeping in his flat, eating and thinking about her. The day after,
she's gone.
While the first part focused on the darker side of love, the second
one completely counters it with a different, if not interlaced story. Another
cop who lost his girlfriend meets a girl, played by Hong Kong pop sensation
Faye Wong, in fast food joint. The girl seems to be really interested in
American culture and dreams of going to California (we're reminded of it with several repetitions of "California Dreamin' ").
She falls in love with the cop, and decides to keep a letter from his former
girlfriend that was intended for him. She reads it and finds the keys to
his apartment, so she starts going there every day: cleaning it, playing,
and having fun until the cop would come home. The cop's pathetic attention
for details doesn't allow him to notice that his house was changing. He
survives his loneliness by talking with objects: a soaking towel (he asks
her to not cry while the towel drips water from the extremities), a big
white stuffed peluche, and a bar of soap. He doesn't even notice big changes
like the peluche changing from a white bear to a big "Garfield" (he thinks
he's dirty, and tells him he's becoming "yellowy" and notices the black
lines behind his ears).
The cop keeps thinking about his girlfriend, that one day she'll come back,
but also starts knowing the fast food girl better. They meet at an outdoor
restaurant while the girl is carrying fruits from a market. Their friendship
becomes more important. Obviously, one day the cop comes home and finds the
girl in his house, and from there the romance begins.
Watching this movie only once doesn't make you understand it. It will
look confusing and won't make much sense for you. The fact is these stories
aren't told in the conventional way, and while they're smartly connected
with seemingly invisible transition, there's a theme. The chaos and confusion
is perfect because it shows how life is in Hong Kong. Amazing cinematography
and one of the most effective soundtracks even balance the confusing plot.
The use of freeze frame, blurred hand held shots, time-lapses where the
cop stands while in the background hundreds of people walk by at a different
speed let us learn that this movie focuses on the characters and the theme
(romance and loneliness in Hong Kong) more than a plot. It's really an
experience to see this creative way of filming, which adds to the movie
in such an effective way. The soundtrack does what every soundtrack should
do, lets us know how the characters are feeling at a certain moment.
There's also a perfect balance of Western world and Asian heritage that is
the heart of the Hong Kong culture. There's an American classic like "California
Dreamin'" and Faye Wong's version of Dreams. We know from the music what
the feelings of the girl and cop are, and this helps engage us in their little
dramas. This movie requires several viewings to fully understand its subplots
and manipulations, and how beautifully the soundtrack and stunning cinematography
add to the mix. I'm not sure I understand everything about it even after
watching it twice. Beautiful, beautiful romantic drama.
RATING:
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