In the bustling urban epicentre of Hong Kong, two lonely
cops embark on quests of the heart. The first is detective 223: recently out of
a 5-year relationship, he vows to find a new girlfriend before the expiration
date on 30 arbitrary cans of pineapple. When it seems that his love it about to
expire, he crosses paths with a mysterious woman drug dealer searching for a
lost shipment. The second is beat cop 633 who attracts the eye of a counter
girl at his regular eating spot who becomes frustrated with his obliviousness
about her infatuation and sneaks into his apartment to rearrange it and exist,
temporarily, within his world. Who knows, love might bloom.
This is a really
mesmerising and compelling film! A display of cinematic love, auteurism, and
just clever filmmaking in general, Chungking
Express is a comedic, romantic, and dramatic exploration into the themes of
love and time: two themes that are closely linked by numerous motifs within the
film. It’s clever, it’s poetic, it’s refreshing, and I loved it.
In the
bustling urban epicentre of Hong Kong, two lonely cops embark on quests of the
heart. The first is detective 223: recently out of a 5-year relationship, he
vows to find a new girlfriend before the expiration date on 30 arbitrary cans
of pineapple. When it seems that his love it about to expire, he crosses paths
with a mysterious woman drug dealer searching for a lost shipment. The second
is beat cop 633 who attracts the eye of a counter girl at his regular eating
spot who becomes frustrated with his obliviousness about her infatuation and
sneaks into his apartment to rearrange it and exist, temporarily, within his
world. Who knows, love might bloom.
Whilst the stories may seem a little bland
and recognisable, the desire to keep watching comes from director Wong Kar-wai’s
and cinematographer Christopher Doyle’s depiction of Hong Kong. The world in
which the audience is drawn into is one of vibrancy, neon, and constant
movement. Hong Kong is depicted in fast-forward track shots with central
characters remaining stationary whilst the rest of the world whizzes about them
in disjointed, distorted images of hustle and bustle. It’s a most effective
mode of filmmaking, bringing the audience right into the world. Seriously, you
can feel the buzz!
Contrasting against
the frantic hustle and bustle of Hong Kong is the themes of love and time that
shape the two separate stories. A beautiful element of the poetic is injected
into the film here as numerous motifs float about the place carrying with them
strong poetic meaning. We’ve got the expiration dates on the cans of pineapple,
which not only mean the fruit will expire; it’s a symbolic reference to the
idea that 223’s love will also expire. In 633’s local restaurant haunt, the
counter girl is always listening to ‘California Dreamin’ and the song carries
with it multiple meanings of travel, escape, new frontiers, etc.
I want to also
just mention one really gorgeous little scene where cop 633, in a romantically
depressed state actually begins talking to his household items: saying the soap
is getting too thin, the rain-soaked tea-towel has to stop crying… little
comedic elements like these are sprinkled throughout the film and it makes it
all the more lovely and enjoyable, adding another layer to an already
beautifully laden film.
Starring Brigitte Lin, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi
Kaneshiro, Faye Wong, Valerie Chow, Chen Jinquan, Huang Zhiming, Liang Zhen,
and Zuo Songshen, Chunking Express is
a gorgeous film that’s filled with love, drama, poetry, music, and comedy, and romance.
I adored it!
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