Foreign films can be an enigma. Descriptions like off-beat, quirky, different, etc. may only be accurate from my point of view because of the very nature that they are foreign to me. In their native countries they may simply be that country’s version of a typical, formulaic film. Once in awhile, however, a film comes along that is unique and quirky simply because it is….regardless of its country of origin. Amelie is one of those movies and is one of my favorites from a director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, whose films have been magical to me. Chungking Express firmly belongs in that category.
Cameron is a friend whose passion for the films of Wong Kar-Wai reminds me of my passion for Jeunet. When you are passionate about something you want to share it with others and I am so glad Cameron chose to share Chungking Express with me. It seems wrong somehow to compare one foreign film to the next, especially from such diverse cultures as China and France, but the very things that make Amelie endearing are present in Chungking Express making it a must-share film. Both films are very different but share a common bond in that they are whimsically romantic.
Wong Kar-Wai is a director of much reknown in China whose cinematic vision has won him numerous awards. This being my first taste of Kar-Wai’s obvious genius I hesitate to talk too much about him as I cannot do him the justice that those more familiar with his work can. I will say, however, that I can see the potential for him to become another of an elite group of directors who I personally enjoy and whose films I can watch over and over again.
Chungking Express is a two part tale telling the somewhat melancholic stories of two police officers, Cop 223 (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and Cop 663 (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), both of whom have tasted of the bitter fruit of lost love and are not taking it particularly well. The first part of the film concentrates on Cop 223 who deals with his grief by eating pineapples with a May 1st expiration date and jogging to reduce the ability to cry.
Into his life comes a criminal, the blonde-wig-wearing Brigitte Lin, who looks to be the target of a drug deal gone bad.
The second half of the film follows Cop 663 as he lives day to day not coping with his flight attendant girlfriend’s departure. Cop 663 spends his days talking to the various inanimate objects in his apartment, convinced that they too are grieving her loss.
The element that ties these stories together is the restaurant, the Midnight Express deli. On his daily visits Cop 663 begins interacting with a young girl named Faye who likes listening to loud American music, particularly the Mamas and the Papas’ California Dreaming, and who obviously…at least to those of us watching the film…likes Cop 663.
The problem lies in the fact that Cop 663 truly cannot see the forest for the trees. Through an interesting set of circumstances Faye begins caring for Cop 663, cleaning his aparment, changing things, etc that Cop 663 remains sadly unaware of until it is possibly too late.
There are so many elements to this film that make it interesting and entertaining that its hard to know where to start. One of the most amazing things to know in watching this film is the way Chungking Express came into being. Wong Kar-Wai was filming his epic swordsman film, Ashes of Time, and decided he needed a break to recharge. Chungking Express became the project with which to renew his focus. One of Kar-Wai’s signatures is to film with very little scripting or pre-planning making it even more amazing to watch this film.
The camera work throughout the film is amazing. Early on in the film there are chase sequences that are shot in a frenetic stop-motion type technique that is very cool. Wong Kar-Wai used much of the natural lighting found on location to great effect, it illuminates the undercurrent of melancholy that runs throughout the film. The dialogue is suprisingly brief at times as Kar-Wai tells more with the shots and images in the film than he does with dialogue. That is not to say that the dialogue is weak, however. Kar-Wai uses every line to its fullest and in them lies some of the best comedy I have seen in a long time, comedy made even more poignant in that it is laced with sadness.
The actors and actresses in this film were phenomenal. Takeshi Kaneshiro, seen by me most recently in Hero and House of Flying Daggers, does a great job as Cop 223. His pineapple fixation alone made that character for me. Opposite him is Brigitte Lin, a superstar in China who has made over 100 films. There is a moment in the film where she drops her blonde wig that is fraught with meaning as Bridgette Lin retired after Chungking Express to pursue family life. Tony Leung Chiu Wai brings a dissociative sadness and humor to the role of Cop 663 and Faye Wongis marvelous as his secret admirer Faye.
It was these two characters, particularly Faye, who I gravitated to in the film. The quirky character of Faye and her intervention in Cop 663’s life is what drew the comparisons to Amelie for me. I enjoyed the way their relationship, and non-relationship, played out throughout the second half of the film.
I have mentioned several times that this film is both sad and funny. The brilliance of Chungking Express is that Wong Kar-Wai does not tell the viewer what he/she should get out of the film nor how one should feel watching it. The complexity of romance is right there on the screen with all its ups and downs and you can really get multiple meanings and feelings from watching this film. My characterization would be that the film has some of the slow, meandering conversational quality of The Station Agent combined with with the magic and whimsy of Amelie. Others may view it as a tragedy. Whatever you may get from Chungking Express I firmly believe that it is highly innovative filmmaking that simply must be seen. Chungking Express is a quaint, fun movie that is at times light, romantic, deep and tragic. I am so glad Cameron loaned this to me and would encourage you to get your hands on a copy and give it a try.
An interesting side note, Chungking Express is available in America thanks to the efforts of Quentin Tarantino and Rolling Thunder Pictures. On the DVD Tarantino briefly explains what he is trying to accomplish with Rolling Thunder Pictures and afterwards he has a short but very interesting and informative discussion about Wong Kar-Wai and Chungking Express. I think it is great that he is using his influence to bring back old cult films as well as bringing over foreign films that might not otherwise find their way into the American market.
