Friday, February 19, 2021

159. Chungking Express

Song - California Dreamin' (The Mamas & The Papas)

Movie: Chungking Express - Chung Hing sam lam (Wong Kar-wai, 1994)

I was not entirely surprised to discover that Faye Wong is Asia's greatest pop icon. Something would have to go terribly wrong if someone with such effortless cool and charisma, and talent for how to use it charmingly, doesn't become a superstar. And yet, I almost couldn't help but be disappointed by that discovery. This is the kind of film whose world you want to live in. Said world being one where the ordinary folks you meet at the snackbar at the corner turn out to be some of the coolest people on the planet. It's absolutely delightful, literally from the first until the last shot.

How can a film in which we see a heartbroken man consoling his furniture, while during his working shifts a 'quirky' woman sneaks into his apartment to rearrange it, be so incredibly good? Much of it has to do with the light touch, the warmth and spontaneity with which Wong films his characters and Hong Kong street life, the playful stylistic and narrative digressions, the palpable pleasure it takes in its own existence and the brilliantly uninhibited and earnest performances of every single actor in the film. But above all, the film has a sense of urgency, to express the joy and freedom of (living in) the world it depicts. It's about melancholic romantics seeking, and not always finding, love, joy and happiness. But there is a sort of understanding that having the ability and capacity to spend much of your time doing that, is a triumph worth celebrating in and of itself, regardless of the success rate. "Do you like pineapple?" is not a great opening line and most of the time it won't get you a partner, but isn't it awesome to be able to try anyway and see where it gets you? Chungking Express largely consists of a series of such impulsive acts, of which you can ask a similar question. Its answer is always affirmative, creating an exuberantly giddy mood, reflected by the restless, lively style of the film.

I am also a sucker for films in which people hang around after hours on the brightly lit streets of a buzzing metropolis and are swept up in that buzz along with the audience. Combine that with some fun dialogue, good music, a director drunk on style and a general vibe of camaraderie and I am all in. This is why After Hours (by a vibe of camaraderie I don't necessarily mean an optimistic vibe, rather one that communicates that we are all in this together) is probably my favorite Scorsese movie. Chungking Express is not as great as After Hours, but it comes really close, creating many moments whose magic can only be understood in the context of the film. It's impossible to explain in a short blog post (or in a longer one) how a shot of an airplane flying over a T-shirt drying on a clothesline can be both hilarious and melancholic. You will get it if you are on the film's wavelength, which should not scare anyone off. It's hard not to be on this film's wavelength. I suspect it will only grow in power. Its sense of urgency and its vision of freedom have been fully validated by current events, which include more than China's crackdown on the city. IMDb notes that the snackbar at the film's center has been transformed into a 7-11. 

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