Days of Being Wild - Wong Kar Wai

[pmw]

Just got a hold of this dvd and thought Id see if anyone has any thoughts on it. Actually, Im kind of stalling - hoping that it will work on my dvd player but guessing that it wont...

[oscar jubis]

In my opinion, Wong Kar-Wai, along with Stanley Kwan and Hou Hsiao-Hsien, are gaining the kind of worldwide recognition enjoyed by the french New Wave directors in the 60s and 70s. At least I hope they do because these auteurs truly deserve it. DAYS OF BEING WILD is a film about disillusioned youth in 1960 Hong Kong and features performances by Leslie and Maggie Cheung and cinematography from the brilliant Chris Doyle. It is a masterpiece, yet I happen to prefer ASHES OF TIME. I would normally prefer the more psychologically detailed and accessible DAYS to the Art School/Samurai fantasy ASHES. But ASHES' images demand play over and over like a favorite 45 rpm single from the glory days.

Did you get to see "Days" pmw? The dvd I have is released by Mega Star Video, NTSC all region, anamorphic widescreen format.

[Ilker81x]

I haven't been able to find a copy of "Days of Being Wild," but I have seen the man's three later films, "Chungking Express," "Fallen Angels," and "Happy Together." I think the man is a genius at romantic storytelling. His visuals are incredible, and the emotions he conveys in his films feel very genuine. I like the fact that the relationships between characters are dealt with in a non-conventional way (or non-conventional by mainstream standards). The first time I saw "Chungking Express," with Takeshi Kaneshiro's character, how he kept buying the pineapple, how he handled his odd relationship with Brigitte Lin...it fascinated me because it didn't play out like a typical romance story would. Yet, it felt more satisfying than anything I'd seen...I honestly felt this man and this woman had shared a special kind of love in that single night together. He was content to take care of her for one night, knowing he'd probably never see her again, and she knowing that no man would ever do for her what he did...those fleeting moments of Urban plight...I find it very poetic and beautiful. Same for Faye Wong and Tony Leung...the way they flirted without flirting and how she felt closer to him by sneaking into his apartment. Talk about unconventional romance. I loved it. Same could be said for "Fallen Angels" and "Happy Together." I just love Wong Kar-Wai's way of telling a story and his style of directing, both visually and in terms of his ability to capture genuine emotions. I rented all three films at once and watched them back to back, so I'm sure I'd have a more drawn out opinion if I watched them some more and allowed more time to think about them, but I do think the man is a great talent in modern filmmaking. I love his soundtracks too, BTW. :)

[oscar jubis]

Wong Kar-wai films, particularly the ones you mention, gain added heft and resonance when you consider the socio-political context in which they were made. The narratives provide a canvas for Kar-wai's comments and feelings regarding Hong Kong's reincorporation into China and the anxiety and identity dislocation of HK residents in the mid 90s.

[Ilker81x]

Interesting point oscar jubis. I hadn't thought of that...I'm curious to hear more of what you have to say about his movies being commentaries on socio-political change. I can understand how certain themes of identity and change, but what was it that made you think they were connected to anxiety about Hong Kong's reincorporation? Not that I disagree, I think it's a very interesting observation, and now that I look at those films I can understand what you mean. What I wonder is how you came to this realization? When you watched these movies, how did you make that connection?

[oscar jubis]

Familiarity with recent history and current events helps to consider socio-political context. Since 1984, when the U.K. agreed to return the island to China on 12/31/96, the media has reported the anxiety and doubt of H.K. residents as the date got closer. The Tianamen Square incidents heightened the tension.

To answer your question, remember one of the cops in the first of the three movies you mentioned, Chungking Express, being obsessed with the expiration date (May 1st) on pineapple cans? I recall thinking that Kar-Wai was referencing H.Kong's expiration date, particularly since May 1st is a big holiday in communist China (Workers' Day, equivalent to our "Labor" Day).

The film that directly and explicitly deals with the plight of H.K. residents under the threat of communist takeover is Happy Together. The gay couple are exiled in Buenos Aires ,like many residents who temporarily relocated to Australia, the U.S. West Coast, Japan, etc., in case the Chinese failed to keep their benign promises. There's constant talk between the gay couple about renewal and starting over as the Brits hand H.K. back to China. Lai(Mr. Leung) ponders whether it's wise to return to the island.

Kar-Wai's films satisfy on purely visual terms and succeed as narratives about urban youth trying to connect within an alienating high-tech environment. But even when set in Argentina, his films are also about Hong Kong. Familiarity with its history deepens the viewing experience.

[Chris Knipp]

A propos of DVD's of Wong Kar-Wai, I got his movies on Chinese videos when they first came out; Hong Kong videos or those anyway had English subtitles as well as Chinese ones (Mandarin?). Trying to read them with their bad English and sudden disappearances is half the fun. I did get Chungking Express in the nicer version that Tarentino's US distribution of it brought about, with clearly readable subtitles. But then you lose the flavor and stop savouring the pure "style". Argh! Surely Wong is an instant cult director and I adore him and the dreamy sentimental romanticism of his movies pulls them together and keeps them from being just arty nonsense, but as hastily thrown together as they are, I question reading a great deal of symbolic meaning into them. I understand that the expiration date idea was a gimmick Wong borrowed from Chinese popular sentimental novels. Considering that, a reference to the turnover of Hong Kong to China may be reading too much into it, though it's certainly an interesting idea. I bought the art book on Wong, but found its essays largely boring and impenetrable, while his films are anything but. The stills included seem rather arbitrary too; a bit of a disappointment all round.

[Ilker81x]

Thank you oscar jubis. Very interesting indeed. :)