Sunday, April 29, 2018

In The Mood For Love (2000) Chinese film review

April 29, 2018
Film Review: Wong-Kar-Wai is a Hong Kong second wave filmmaker. He wrote screenplay, produced and directed together 'In The Mood For Love' in 2000.Though the introduction of the film starts with some of the common scenes, he creates some extra-ordinary scenes and makes the film extra-ordinary with his skills. Introduction,naming and accessory discussion:- Hong Kong Filmmaker Wong-Kar-Wai directed some other films before. As a result of getting successful of those films, he starts to direct his 'In The Mood For Love'. At first, he gave a Chinese name of the film ''the age of blossoms'' or ''the flowery years'' which is derived from a song of a same name by Zhou Xuan from a 1946 film. The English Title of the film derived from the song "In The Mood For Love''. At first, Wong-Kar-Wai kept it secrets but after listening the song from the film he selected the title and gave the name ''In The Mood For Love''. It was one of the great films of 2000s. Besides, it is one of the important and noticeable films in Asia. It is also the second part of his 'Trilogy'. The first part or film is 'Days of Being Wild' (1990) and the last part is ''2046'' released in 2004. Plot of the film: Hong Kong-1962: The event of the film takes place in 1962. There are two main characters. Chow-Mo-Wan and Su Li-zhen. Mr. Chow is married and a reporter of a Newspaper. His office is in Hong Kong. On the other hand, Su Li-zhen is also married. She works at a shipping company as a secretary. Both Mr. Chow and Su Li-zhen simultaneously come to rent their different flats. But they rent their flats alongside. Sometimes, Su comes down from flat to buy food. As both of them stay at the second floor, sometimes when they come down and go on at the stair, they meet and say 'Hi', 'Hello'. Both of them simultaneously come to home from their jobs and they meet for a very short time. Su's husband Mr. Chan is in Japan for business. On the other hand Mr. Chow's wife is also in abroad for business. Both of them are busy with their deeds. So, they can't come to home such that. Meanwhile, there is made a relationship between Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan (Su). They start their conversation at a hotel about tie and vanity bag. Chow says, 'Your bag is very beautiful and extra ordinary. Where have you bought it? A bag is needed for my wife too.' Su says, 'Her husband has taken it from abroad.' But she adds that Mrs. Chow also uses this kind of a bag. Mr. Chow says 'Yes'. He says her boss has given it to her. On the other hand, Su says, 'your tie is very beautiful and attractive. From where have you bought it? Mr. Chow says, ‘My wife has taken this buying from abroad. This kind of tie is unavailable without abroad.’ But Su knows her husband sometimes wears this kind of tie by borrowing. She tells about this to Mr. Chow. Thus a relationship is made up between them. After few days, they can know that their husband and wife have a different relation, besides business, and Mrs. Chow is also in Japan with Mr. Chan. Who knows how much deep their relationship is! But thinking about these matters, when Mr. Chow and Su fall in love, they are able to know this latter. Chow feels sick. Su cooks for him secretly. Even the owner of the flat of Chow, Mr. Koo also can’t know. On the other hand, the owner of the flat of Mr. Chan, Mrs. Suen and her family can’t know about their relationship and their deeds. The relationship of them becomes deeper. But they admit that their relationship is not like them (Mrs. Chow and Mr. Chan). They won’t vitiate their pure love. Su regularly watches film. On the other hand, Chow writes ‘Martial Arts’ for the paper. But Su like to read this. Once, both of them write discussing it. There is no lack of money of Mr. Chow and Su. But they can only talk with each other sometimes at stair, sometimes at the street. But no other can talk at home. If the owners of those flats are able to know about their relationship, for this, they sometimes talk at stair, sometimes at the street, sometimes going to buy foods. Once, Mr. Chow rents a room at a hotel. Both of them congregate at the hotel room. They talk about their matters, they talk about their wife and husband. They try to have food which their wife and husband like to eat, though it was a very difficult task. During eating at the hotel, Su says, ‘Tell, do you have a relation with a mistress or a woman?’ Chow is in this scene. But they do rehearsal purposing Mr. Chan. Su lonely weeps not to able to keep secret her sorrows before Chow. Chow consoles her. Thereafter, they simultaneously, are coming back from office. It is raining. Chow takes an umbrella for Su. But Su says, ‘you go home taking the umbrella. If I take this, they will suspect me.’ Thus they express their love. But once, Chow tells Su, ‘Could you purchase a ticket for Singapore?’ He has got a job there. He will go there. Latter, Chow tells her to purchase another ticket for her so that she also can go with him. But before reaching of Su at the hotel, Mr. Chow goes to Singapore alone. Singapore:-1963Su comes to Singapore after one year. Chow works at ‘Singapore Daily’. Su phones there but without talking with Chow, she phones off. Mr. Chow can know that Su came there looking the cigarettes packet and lipstick. Chow meets his friend Ping at a hotel. ‘Hi, Ping, if anyone’s past life is hidden with such a big secret, is it shareable with anyone?’ ‘What do you say?’ Ping does not say anything. There is no idea of him. Chow replies himself he should go to hill. After whispering these secrets into any whole the whole should be closed with mud. The secrets will prevail there forever. Ping says, ‘What a sorrow! He tells Chow to express clearly.’ But Chow won’t talk to anybody. Chow gets a phone of Su. Then he goes Hong Kong. Hong Kong:-1966Chow goes to Hong Kong after three years. After reaching there, he can know that the owner of his home, ‘Koo family’ has gone to Indonesia and also can know that the owner of Su’s home, Suen family has gone to the U.S.A. Mr. Chow , showing Su’s home to a person says, ‘ who stays there?’ The person says, ‘a woman and her cute baby.’ After that Mr. Chow goes to Cambodia. But he doesn’t know that Su and her baby are at the house. Cambodia:-1966 Mr. Chow comes to Cambodia in the same year. He comes to a ruined monastery at Angkar Wat in Seim Reap, Cambodia. He whispers for sometimes into a hollow in a ruined wall, before plugging that with mud. He remembers all about his and Su’s past moment of love and the events. Incidental discussion and Conclusion: ‘In the Mood for Love’ (2000) is simultaneously written, produced and directed by Wong Kar-Wai. The film is starred by the famous actor and actress Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung. The acting of the main two characters is acted by them. The best work of the film is its background music composed by Michael Galasso and Shigaru Umebayashi. The cinematography of the film is executed by Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping Bin. The film is edited by William Chang and distributed by Universal Pictures. In this film, Wong Kar-Wai, actually has given the importance of love and the narratives between a lonely married woman and a lonely married husband. Their wife and husband have an unethical relationship. But their (Chow & Su) relationship is not unethical, it is pure. They have come closer. But they have defeated to ethics. The director has pointed out and expressed this narrative to the audiences skillfully.
A still picture from In The Mood For Love (2000)

Film Review: 
Wong-Kar-Wai is a Hong Kong second wave filmmaker. He wrote screenplay, produced and directed together 'In The Mood For Love' in 2000.Though the introduction of the film starts with some of the common scenes, he creates some extra-ordinary scenes and makes the film extra-ordinary with his skills.

Introduction,naming and accessory discussion:- 
Hong Kong Filmmaker Wong-Kar-Wai directed some other films before. As a result of getting successful of those films, he starts to direct his 'In The Mood For Love'. At first, he gave a Chinese name of the film ''the age of blossoms'' or ''the flowery years'' which is derived from a song of a same name by Zhou Xuan from a 1946 film. The English Title of the film derived from the song "In The Mood For Love''. At first, Wong-Kar-Wai kept it secrets but after listening the song from the film he selected the title and gave the name ''In The Mood For Love''. It was one of the great films of 2000s. Besides, it is one of the important and noticeable films in Asia. It is also the second part of his 'Trilogy'. The first part or film is 'Days of Being Wild' (1990) and the last part is ''2046'' released in 2004.

Plot of the film: 

Hong Kong-1962: 
The event of the film takes place in 1962. There are two main characters. Chow-Mo-Wan and Su Li-zhen. Mr. Chow is married and a reporter of a Newspaper. His office is in Hong Kong. On the other hand, Su Li-zhen is also married. She works at a shipping company as a secretary. Both Mr. Chow and Su Li-zhen simultaneously come to rent their different flats. But they rent their flats alongside. Sometimes, Su comes down from flat to buy food. As both of them stay at the second floor, sometimes when they come down and go on at the stair, they meet and say 'Hi', 'Hello'. Both of them simultaneously come to home from their jobs and they meet for a very short time. Su's husband Mr. Chan is in Japan for business. On the other hand Mr. Chow's wife is also in abroad for business. Both of them are busy with their deeds. So, they can't come to home such that. Meanwhile, there is made a relationship between Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan (Su). They start their conversation at a hotel about tie and vanity bag. Chow says, 'Your bag is very beautiful and extra ordinary. Where have you bought it? A bag is needed for my wife too.' Su says, 'Her husband has taken it from abroad.' But she adds that Mrs. Chow also uses this kind of a bag. Mr. Chow says 'Yes'. He says her boss has given it to her. On the other hand, Su says, 'your tie is very beautiful and attractive. From where have you bought it? Mr. Chow says, ‘My wife has taken this buying from abroad. This kind of tie is unavailable without abroad.’ But Su knows her husband sometimes wears this kind of tie by borrowing. She tells about this to Mr. Chow. Thus a relationship is made up between them. After few days, they can know that their husband and wife have a different relation, besides business, and Mrs. Chow is also in Japan with Mr. Chan. Who knows how much deep their relationship is! But thinking about these matters, when Mr. Chow and Su fall in love, they are able to know this latter. Chow feels sick. Su cooks for him secretly. Even the owner of the flat of Chow, Mr. Koo also can’t know. On the other hand, the owner of the flat of Mr. Chan, Mrs. Suen and her family can’t know about their relationship and their deeds. The relationship of them becomes deeper. But they admit that their relationship is not like them (Mrs. Chow and Mr. Chan). They won’t vitiate their pure love. Su regularly watches film. On the other hand, Chow writes ‘Martial Arts’ for the paper. But Su like to read this. Once, both of them write discussing it. There is no lack of money of Mr. Chow and Su. But they can only talk with each other sometimes at stair, sometimes at the street. But no other can talk at home. If the owners of those flats are able to know about their relationship, for this, they sometimes talk at stair, sometimes at the street, sometimes going to buy foods. Once, Mr. Chow rents a room at a hotel. Both of them congregate at the hotel room. They talk about their matters, they talk about their wife and husband. They try to have food which their wife and husband like to eat, though it was a very difficult task. During eating at the hotel, Su says, ‘Tell, do you have a relation with a mistress or a woman?’ Chow is in this scene. But they do rehearsal purposing Mr. Chan. Su lonely weeps not to able to keep secret her sorrows before Chow. Chow consoles her. Thereafter, they simultaneously, are coming back from office. It is raining. Chow takes an umbrella for Su. But Su says, ‘you go home taking the umbrella. If I take this, they will suspect me.’ Thus they express their love. But once, Chow tells Su, ‘Could you purchase a ticket for Singapore?’ He has got a job there. He will go there. Latter, Chow tells her to purchase another ticket for her so that she also can go with him. But before reaching of Su at the hotel, Mr. Chow goes to Singapore alone.

Singapore:-1963Su comes to Singapore after one year. Chow works at ‘Singapore Daily’. Su phones there but without talking with Chow, she phones off. Mr. Chow can know that Su came there looking the cigarettes packet and lipstick. Chow meets his friend Ping at a hotel. ‘Hi, Ping, if anyone’s past life is hidden with such a big secret, is it shareable with anyone?’ ‘What do you say?’ Ping does not say anything. There is no idea of him. Chow replies himself he should go to hill. After whispering these secrets into any whole the whole should be closed with mud. The secrets will prevail there forever. Ping says, ‘What a sorrow! He tells Chow to express clearly.’ But Chow won’t talk to anybody. Chow gets a phone of Su. Then he goes Hong Kong.

Hong Kong:-1966Chow goes to Hong Kong after three years. After reaching there, he can know that the owner of his home, ‘Koo family’ has gone to Indonesia and also can know that the owner of Su’s home, Suen family has gone to the U.S.A. Mr. Chow , showing Su’s home to a person says, ‘ who stays there?’ The person says, ‘a woman and her cute baby.’ After that Mr. Chow goes to Cambodia. But he doesn’t know that Su and her baby are at the house.

Cambodia:-1966
Mr. Chow comes to Cambodia in the same year. He comes to a ruined monastery at Angkar Wat in Seim Reap, Cambodia. He whispers for sometimes into a hollow in a ruined wall, before plugging that with mud. He remembers all about his and Su’s past moment of love and the events.

Incidental discussion and Conclusion:
‘In the Mood for Love’ (2000) is simultaneously written, produced and directed by Wong Kar-Wai. The film is starred by the famous actor and actress Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung. The acting of the main two characters is acted by them. The best work of the film is its background music composed by Michael Galasso and Shigaru Umebayashi. The cinematography of the film is executed by Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping Bin. The film is edited by William Chang and distributed by Universal Pictures.
In this film, Wong Kar-Wai, actually has given the importance of love and the narratives between a lonely married woman and a lonely married husband. Their wife and husband have an unethical relationship. But their (Chow & Su) relationship is not unethical, it is pure. They have come closer. But they have defeated to ethics. The director has pointed out and expressed this narrative to the audiences skillfully.



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