In The Mood For Love

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In The Mood For Love [2000]

Starring: Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Ping Lam Siu, Rebecca Pan

Direction by Wong Kar-wai

Language: Mandarin, Cantonese 


The vibrance and elegance of Hong Kong in the 1960s comes to full view in this stunning movie. I was born in Hong Kong, so I've always been interested in understanding more about the place I lived for the first few years of my life. I have often heard my parents talk about 'In the Mood for Love' and how it was one of the standout movies they can recall seeing. And whilst I don't have as strong an infatuation with this movie as my parents do, I can say that this was pretty impressive.

The main accomplishment of this movie was the narrative: the film was a selection of artistic scenes, stitched together in a sometimes painstakingly slow yet intensely moving way. If you know me, you will know that I tend to loathe movies that do not have a clear plot: a story that is, for the most part, easily digestible. However, it was the subtle intensity, these unspoken, little pieces of symbolism dotted throughout the movie.

What added to this subtle intensity was the remarkable chemistry between the two leads: Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai. One covert dilation of the eye between each other, and I feel like I've witnessed an entire love story. I realise that what I said may be difficult to understand, but the root of what I'm trying to say is that despite the fact that the movie did not rely on script or spoken word, even the tiniest aspects of physicality managed to fill the gaps left by writers. 

'He remembers those vanished years. As though looking through a dusty window pane, the past is something he could see, but not touch. And everything he sees is blurred and indistinct.'

In lieu of that beautiful quote from this movie, I have to point out that whilst there was not a lot of dialogue, the dialogue there was was so beautifully crafted. I watched this as somebody who can not speak Mandarin/Cantonese, and if the meaning came out this wonderfully in the translation, I can only imagine how moving it is to listen and understand as a native speaker.

The idea of unlikely friendship that manifests through mutual pain was written in such a tasteful and poignant way, and that comes through so brilliantly throughout the movie. 

Overall, if you're a person that likes movies crafted symbolically, where the cinematography and symbolism speaks for itself, this movie is for you. Whilst I can appreciate this, I tend to prefer movies that have a clearer narrative, and so I was bored. In my opinion, however, I feel like this is an example of a film that you can either love or hate, so it's really up to you to form a judgement. 

7/10

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