USA Films Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and
Maggie Cheung star in the Wong Kar-wai film "In
the Mood for Love."
By David Holmberg
Daily Bruin Contributor
The passion of unrequited love becomes a visual emotion in but a
momentary pause and a fleeting glance in Kar-wai Wong’s
newest film, “In the Mood for Love.”
This new Chinese movie intertwines flirtatious images and
alluring music to pour love onto the screen in a way that proves
love is a truly universal emotion.
It is virtually impossible not to be immediately enchanted with
Wong’s latest film about two married couples that
simultaneously move into neighboring apartments in 1962 Hong Kong.
Only one member of each relationship, however, is ever seen
onscreen.
The woman is Mrs. Chan, played by a seductively restrained
Maggie Cheung. In quiet angst Tony Leung Chiu-Wai plays the husband
of the second couple, Chow Mo-wan.
Together, the two learn of an affair between their spouses, and
despite attempts to become just friends and avoid the inevitable,
they fall in love.
If this were an American-made Hollywood movie, a fairy tale
ending would surely be in store. The two unhappy couples would
separate, switch partners, and perhaps even remain next door
neighbors.
UPN and the WB would probably even fight over rights to produce
it as a television series.
“In the Mood for Love,” however, is a film that
reflects Chinese culture. Not only do Chan and Mo-Wan keep silent
about the discovery of their partners’ infidelity, but they
also will not even acknowledge to each other, nor themselves, their
true feelings.
Hollywood, on the other hand, would have had this forbidden
couple in the sack in less than half an hour.
Deepening the cultural divide is a richly diverse soundtrack
featuring music from across time and the world. Throughout the
film’s scenes involving the two lovers is a wonderfully
ephemeral string piece by Shigeru Umebayashi, entitled
“Yumeji’s Theme.” The music perfectly builds on
the pensive and restrained passion that is mounting between them,
but does not do so forcibly.
Additionally, several songs in Spanish, most notably Nat King
Cole’s “Quizas Quizas Quizas,” help reinforce
this universality of unobtainable love.
Visually, the film seduces with powerful colors and frame
compositions so romantically precise that any still could be
satisfactorily framed and hung on a living room wall. Slow motion
glances and cigarette smoke creeping into the air suggest the
contemplativeness of a forbidden love.
A single touch of hands is more meaningful and moving in this
film than the most passionate of kisses in standard Hollywood
fare.
The awe-inspiring images and transcendent music, combined with
the restrained performances by Cheung and Chiu-Wai, form a world of
passion that cannot exist in reality, but instead only within the
heart.
Unfortunately, the film’s power as a romantic spectacle
can not be sustained, and soon it starts to unravel.
The unfulfilled desire of the film’s first half propels
the story and its characters into uncharted territory. Few movies
in the past have so sensually dealt with unrequited love, and this
keeps everything interesting.
Of course, as this inevitably comes to an end, so does the
intrigue of the film. Making matters worse is that the film does
not end with their union, but continues on to span several more
years, other countries and a final unsatisfactory conclusion
involving a “secret” and an unexplained temple in 1966
Cambodia.
Part of the film’s failing lies in its over extension of a
rather simple plot. At over one and a half hours, the film is short
by comparison to most American films, but nevertheless is too long
for the story it tells. As a consequence, uninteresting dialogue
about the unhappiness and rigidity of married life is added, as are
a surprising number of scenes consisting primarily of eating
noodles.
To be fair, their conversations do bring up one interesting
point. At the inception of their “friendship,” the two
lovers decide not to let themselves become like every other
affair.
They ultimately realize they have failed, which poses the
question as to whether or not men and women can remain in strictly
platonic friendships.
The answer forces this film to be compared to such classics as
“When Harry Met Sally” in its assertion that no
friendship can last because sex always gets in the way.
Lovers may leave and relationships eventually fall apart, never
to be the same again. While “In the Mood for Love” may
not present the most optimistic take on romance, the power of its
visual seduction is at least enough to make anyone fall in love
with this flawed but still rewarding film.
FILM: “In the Mood for Love” is now
playing at the Academy 6 located at 1003 East Colorado Boulevard in
Pasadena. For more information call (626) 229-9400.