Wong Kar Wai

February 16th, 2024 (8 months ago) • 2 minutes

I am back after a 7 day hiatus to just spend time with family and to think ahead for the year. Happy Chinese New Year everyone!

Chunking Express by Wong Kar Wai

I recently watched some 1990s movies by Wong Kar Wai and I am surprised.

Wong Kar Wai is known for his unique style of storytelling and cinematography. They all seem dreamy and unlike usual storytelling, there are lots of minute details to notice and think about. Some shots are blurry, some are with unstable camera movement, but these all make his movies unique and memorable.

In each of his movies, he prioritizes a lot about time. In a short 1 hour and 30 minutes, there may be up to 60 main events that happen in the movie, as with In the Mood for Love. That said, clock are a recurring theme in his movies, and it is a symbol of time. I always think that he celebrates life as a reflection of the past, a nostalgic one. Chungking Express is another movie that is a good example of this.

Unlike usual movie storytelling, his movies have limited characters in play, but their character development is very deep. How they think, how they feel, and grow based on the events are clearly depicted in each scene so you can follow along.

Place is another important theme in his movies. Two scenes captured 30 minutes apart at the same place tell a different meaning when linked together.