Review: In the Mood for Love

In the Mood for Love is a highly stylised film 

VIFF, a local film organisation, has started showing the 20 best films ever, and one on the list is In the Mood for Love, Wong Kar-wai's outstanding film imbued with a lot of meaning through its cinematography, colour and music.

I watched the showing of the film this morning and the the theatre was almost full -- half with cinephiles, the other the Chinese diaspora who are thrilled to watch this cinematic gem again, 23 years since it was released.

The story is straight forward -- set in 1962 Hong Kong, two couples move next door to each other and Mrs Chan (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) and Mr Chow (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) find out their spouses are cheating on them. But what happens after isn't so clear.

The characters feel repressed in their emotions

Mrs Chan and Mr Chow are drawn closer together physically and emotionally. At a Hong Kong-style restaurant, she orders Mr Chow what her husband would eat, while he orders her beef with spicy mustard on the side to give her an idea of what his wife is like. It's one of the few scenes that give a bit of levity.

The other is when Mrs Chan's husband brings back a modern rice cooker from Japan and everyone marvels over this amazing invention in the kitchen.

Otherwise most of the time In the Mood for Love has a lot of tension between the two main characters, the world they inhabit and social mores. This is felt through them being forced into small, cramped spaces, be it in hallways or stairwells. There is a lot of framing from mirrors, seeing the couple through gauzy drapes, or even shadows. The sudden heavy rains are also a catalyst that results in them meeting as they wait out the rain.

The small spaces not only makes them feel repressed and have difficulty in revealing their true emotions, but also self-conscious, always worrying about what others think, as there is a lot of gossiping in the background of others.

Meanwhile colour is vividly used in this film -- whenever Mrs Chan and Mr Chow are together, the colours become brighter, but when they are alone it's almost monochromatic. Her various high-collared cheung-sams are gorgeous, many of them floral designs, but she is restricted in them. When wearing these form-fitting dresses, one must have proper posture, and in turn act more ladylike, a role that may or may not be authentic.

The colours are richer when they are together

The theme music has a haunting tune that is repeated over and over, and after the screening someone in the audience suggested the plucking of the strings was similar to heart beats. Analysing the film could go on forever, trying to figure out the meaning of every scene!

Nevertheless In the Mood for Love is a story that many can relate to, unrequited love, the inability to express true emotions, being careful with words and actions to avoid gossip, and the challenges of being in a marriage.

The stylised look of the film heightens these themes further, with the careful framing of shots, and long, lingering scenes, the sumptuous use of colour and dramatic lighting all come together seamlessly with the brilliant acting of both Cheung and Leung for their subtle facial expressions and sparse dialogue.

Perhaps the only jarring scene is the end, where Mr Chow is somehow in Cambodia. The film was co-production with Hong Kong and France, but it still seems strange to see him there for no particular reason... unless someone can enlighten me?

In the Mood for Love

Directed by Wong Kar-wai

Stars Maggie Cheung Man-yuk, Tony Leung Chiu-wai

98 minutes