By 1994, Wong Kar-Wai was tired of making Ashes of Time, a warrior film that had been in production for two years. As compensation, the director decided to create something for pleasure, and thus “Chungking Express” was created. Four years later, in an interview for “”, he said that he was working on it as if he were working on a student film. It also turned out that the production itself, including the plot, took only six weeks.
Quentin Tarantino burst into tears after watching it
It was a dizzying pace that the director was not used to, and everything that happened after the premiere of this film turned out even more dizzying. In 1995, “Chungking Express” wins the “Best Film” award at the Hong Kong Film Awards, and Wong Kar-Wai receives the title of Best Director. As a result, the director was noticed in the international film community, and the American distributor Miramax introduced the title to cinemas in the United States.
When Quentin Tarantino first saw “Chungking Express”, he confessed that he just cried with happiness. The American director is probably not the only person who reacted in this way after seeing this film, which, despite being light and funny, touches on important and difficult topics. Contrary to stereotypes, the film does not show Hong Kong as a rich city of skyscrapers, but focuses on the mundane. The main place of action is the eponymous “chungking mansions”, which is a multifunctional facility combining service, residential and hotel functions. It is in its dark corridors and surroundings that most of the film, which consists of two novellas, takes place.
An oneiric story about the loneliness of millions
The heroes of both of them are Hong Kong policemen who have been abandoned by their partners and do not know what to do with themselves. The first of them, number 223, still believes that his beloved will return to him after a month of separation, and the second policeman, number 663, is so broken by the breakup that he does not notice that a new love is waiting right next to him. The film contains many funny metaphors and sudden twists that make it incredibly easy to watch. But also sadness and hope. Because the main theme of “Chungking Express” is loneliness in a big, multicultural city. And despite the fact that it will soon be 30 years since the premiere of the film, its subtle message is still valid.
Feelings during the screening are also intensified by the characteristic and fast editing, which makes the characters constantly in motion. In addition, extraordinary attention to detail, especially touching on the essence of time and its passing, which are of great importance in this film. All this, combined with dialogues that hit the nail on the head, makes for an extremely painterly and moving picture. Due to the technique used in it, it is still considered a reference point for many artists, especially music videos. And for all that, some critics consider it to be one of the most important titles in the history of cinema right now. Stephen Schneider included it in his book “1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die” and British Film Magazine “” ranked it 88th in its 2022 ranking of all-time movies.
“Chungking Express” opened the way for Wong Kar-Wai not only to reach an international audience, but also to create the kind of films he wanted to make himself. A year later, “Fallen Angels” premiered, which is in a way a continuation of the previous film, and in 1997, “Happy Together” is released in cinemas, a film about one of the most ironic titles in the history of cinema. It tells the story of two mismatched lovers, and the director wins the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival for this film. From now on, Wong Kar-Wai will be a regular guest at the Cannes festival of cinema, where in the following years he will pre-premiere “In the Mood for Love” and “2046”, and in 2006 he will be the chairman of the jury of the main competition. His last film “The Great Master” premiered ten years ago and did not arouse such emotions as previous great productions, but he is still considered one of the most important visionaries of modern cinema and very often advises other filmmakers on their productions.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
