CHUNGKING EXPRESS - My favorite movie

[B-Independent.com]

http://www.netflix.com/StrangerReviews?prid=309588750&lnkctr=fs...

I've talked about my favorite movie, Chungking Express, numerous times on thsi forum. After watching it again on my birthday last week I decided to finally review it in hopes that some of you are up to discussing. Because of the limit imposed on us by Netflix, there's so much that I didn't even touch up.

[staahsha]

Chungking Express has been one of my favorites for awhile now, too. Not everything has to have a plot, I'm mean life doesn't have a plot. I love the lighting and the camera work, being inside the guy's head with voice-over, the dream-like pacing of some scenes, reverie-like, that's not a word, but the movie inspires neologisms. The movie is poetic and the repetitive use of California Dreamin' (CA is my birth and home land) is like a refrain. I love the way he bestows ordinary objects with such substance: rubber gloves, plastic model airplanes, wigs, cans of pineapple. It is a dreamy film about yearning and wanting is always better than having. Thanks for starting this topic! Enjoyed your review very much.

[B-Independent.com]

Enjoyed your review very much.


I'm glad you dug it! It's even better to see that it's inspired some discussion.

I love the use of plot in the first half of the movie - it's a red herring. Wong lets us follow this woman who has this amazingly exciting life, but that half of the movie is about the boring guy and how he instantly falls for this woman who exudes (sp?) more mystery than any 10 Sam Spade novels. Like the cop, we want ot know her backstory, and what happens next. Her story, alone, could have been a complete movie, and like the cop we're left wanting more.

I'm glad you mention Chris Doyle's camera work and lighting. I've listened to a comentary by him where he discusses his love for natural lighting, which reminds me of Nestor Almendros (DAYS OF HEAVEN). There's another great article where he talks about how he's bored with the step-printing that gave CHUNGKING that great, blurred look of excitement. He said he's been offered a number of jobs because of the the look, but if people just want to copy the style they can count him out. And you're right, that look adds a dream-like quality of surrealness.

I must have totally forgotten it since last year, but the woman in the first half of the movie has her own signature tune as well - that jazzy melody that's always played in the smokey bar. Kar-Wai indentifies his female leads with music which defines their characters. Bridget Lin's character is always on the seedier side of life, where Fay Wong's character has her head in the clouds. POSSIBLE SPOILERI love how Fay's character follows her dream in the end. Despite her attachment to Tony Leung, she knows she's hate herself, and eventually him, if she gave up her dream for him.

As for the pineapple and sardines, I couldn't explore them that capsul review because I ran out of space. I see them being metaphores for the consumption of/by our passions. One character fixates on the cans, where the other notices the switch after the fact but is pretty indifferent.

[staahsha]

DAYS OF HEAVEN=visual heaven. Still possibly, for me, the most visually beautiful film ever. And then there is the use of natural lighting and hand held camera work in THE CELEBRATION (FESTEN)! But I digress, we are talking Chungking Express! I know, I LOVE how Faye's character goes away for a year, too. I am feeling the need to educate myself as to how to speak about lighting and camera work from a more technical perspective, since they seem to be so important to me in a film. Can you recommend any good books for non-professionals? I'll have to watch again for the jazzy melody--I love jazz and I was just as riveted by this woman's life as he was! I love her deliciously fake-looking wig, dark glasses, make-up, trench coats--SO GLAM.

[B-Independent.com]

The easily accessible book is probably VISIONS OF LIGHT, if you want to get the Cliff's Notes version, check out the documentary based on the book that was released in the early 90's. I remember having to study both back in Cinematography class. Both are designed to educate. The doc is nice becased teh clips allow you to see the examples being spoken about. I'd love to see an updated version.....

Despite Bridget Lynn's deliberately fake looking disguise, she's probably the most open and honest character in the movie. She doesn't delude herself about her situation, nor does she hide exactly what's on her mind. She's also an interesting contradiction. While she's a smuggler and murderer, the kidnapping sequence reveals that she isnt' all bad. At a time when she shouldn't trust anyone, she's completely at ease in the cop's hotel room.

SPOILERS!!!

Faye's trip is such an interesting part of the movie. Both people, who have really only spent about an hour with each other in reality, have basically had their little adventures that led them back where they started. Faye would have had the chance to meet thousands of people, many of whom she could have clicked with. It's also interesting that she choose the profession of Leung's ex; is she trying to be more like someone he already has a clear desire for? Did she finally sell herself out, or was this just the easiest way for her to realize her dream? The same goes for Leung's character. What in the last year transpired to make him hinge his future on the one thing where he and Faye actually had any interaction?

[staahsha]

Thanks for the link to the doc, I added it to the top of my queue! I'm usually pretty sensitive to female characters giving up their identities for relationships and this film definitely did not raise those "hackles." WKW seems to just have a way of humanizing his characters so that self-righteous judgment of them by him or you as a viewer is just not meaningful in any way. The essay, btw, does a great job of discussing the way WKW moves through identity/interchangeability/oneness like a stream of water. It's very Eastern, very Dao. I like to think I am a Daoist, so it hits me on a very profound, spiritual level. Thanks so much for posting a link to that, too.

[B-Independent.com]

I generally focus on the second half of CHUNGKING, and that essay helped illuminate a few things I hadn't thought about regarding the first half of the movie.

I'm not familiar with Doaism, but I think I see where you're coming from. I'm curious to find out if WKW subscribes to that same philosophy.

[staahsha]

I have a feeling, even if he isn't, it just permeates some of his work because it is such an ancient, underlying part of Chinese culture. Yeah, it seems like we may be the only ones wanting to talk about this. Oh well, it's been enjoyable. Cheers!

[vjpurplequeen]

Interesting. I kind of felt just the opposite. Faye didn't seem to have much of an identiy until she fell for the cop. Then she spent most of her time trying to figure out how to be like the woman he seemed to love. I mean she was my favorite character, and actor, but I definitely got the feeling that her whole life revolved around Leung - in a really wierd and interesting way, yes - but still, the way I see it she became what he wanted. I'll have to check out the documentary later.

[B-Independent.com]

Leung's world was an escape for her. I agree that she didnt' have much going on, just her dream of California, but I dont' think she lacked an identity so much as a purpose. She's very much like the Gen X slackers I grew up with - just passing teh time until something happens.

I'm pretty sure she fell for Leung when she first met him. I see her actions as not just the only way to get close to him while he's in love with another woman, but as a way to subtlely direct his world towards her. Take that simple scene about the music disc in his apartment. He says it belonged to his girlfriend, she's thinks to herself that she knew it would be there because she put it there. It might be a bit of a reach, but, in a way, he's already thinking of her as his girlfriend...

The end is something that's always puzzled me, and I can see where you might think she sold herself out and molded herself into Leung's perfect woman by adopting his ex's career, but I see the job choice as an easy avenue to achieve her California goal. (we'll know who's more in tune with the filmmaker when Criterion releases their edition later this summer complete with commentary - woo hoo!!)

[staahsha]

omg, i can't wait. And yes, this is something a Daoist would do, don't confront only guide from behind the scenes.

[vjpurplequeen]

Is Daoism the same as Taoism? I very much enjoy learning about various religions and the ways people worship and or order their lives according to their beliefs. But I've never heard of Daoism, will look for it. Taoism I know. I haven't thought about that in watching the movie. When I watch it again, I'll be more aware.

[staahsha]

Daoism = Taoism. It is spelled both ways. I like to use Daoism because it makes sense phonetically but sometimes I use Tao too. ;o) I like reading your thoughts and look forward to more after you have a chance to see it again.