This semester, OU’s Chinese Language Club hosted a screening of Wong Kar-Wai’s film Chungking Express. It was pretty convenient, given that I had to watch the same movie for my Chinese Cinema class, so I went to the screening (I also got to help pick the time, so at that point I really ought to go). There weren’t a lot of people there, in fact, it was just me, OU CLC’s president, one other person who just wanted to watch a movie, and a gigantic box of microwave popcorn. The perfect recipe for a good movie, if you ask me.
Wong Kar-wai is from Hong Kong, so the movie is was actually produced in Hong Kong, not China. (This means that I couldn’t understand any of the lines. It was still a great movie). The film follows two Hong Kong police officers who have recently broken up with their girlfriends as they struggle with loneliness, and eventually find new love. Both characters are extremely lonely and depressed, despite living and working in such a busy and energetic city.
The plot of the movie is a little bit difficult to follow, especially because it transitions abruptly to the second story. Honestly, the appeal of the movie isn’t really in the plot, but in the ways that Wong Kar-wai communicates the plot, and messes with the viewers head a little bit. There are a lot of blurred motion shots, where every sixth frame is extended to cover the next six frames, which makes it feel a bit frantic and crowded. The scenes are mostly at night, with bright signs flashing by against a dark background, which makes for some interesting visuals. There are also a few humorous pieces, but for the most part it’s a serious film.
Overall, it was a fairly good film — I would recommend it if you don’t mind a movie that’s a bit less traditional. Of course, it was also nice to watch with at least one CLC friend!