Film #5: In The Mood For Love (2000)

Introduction

In the Mood for Love (2000, Wong Kar Wai)

The purpose of this essay is to analyse the traits of French Impressionism found in this film.

Theory Discussion

According to Meglio (2016), French Impressionism or French impressionist cinema is also referred as the first avant-garde or narrative avant-garde which is a term applied to a group of French films and filmmakers working from 1918-1929. Film scholars had faced difficulties in defining this movement or deciding whether it should be considered as a movement at all. According to Bordwell and Thompson (2013), World War I struck a serious blow to the French film industry.The film explores psychological causes; gives narration considerable consciousness, concerns mental states, dreams or fantasies. It also manipulates the plot time and subjectivity, for example, showing flashback or memories. There is also visual depiction of mental states via cinematography and editing. For example, the use of irises, superimpositions and masks to indicate the characters’ inner thoughts and feelings. Visuals will be distorted or filtered camera movements to show dizziness or drunkenness. Point of view and rhythmic editing is to show the characters’ experience of particular situations. Camera movements is smooth due to frame mobility, for example, camera tied to cars, wheels, bobsleigh, cables and etc. Films such as The Smiling Madame Beudet, Napoleon and La Femme du nelle part contains characteristics of French impressionism. Young directors that emerged this movement includes Abel Gance, Louis Delluc, Germaine Dulac, Marcel L' Herbier, and Jean Epstein. This movement may be ceased by 1929 but the influences of Impressionist form were more long lived. 

The lighting in this film shows more of a gloomy mood, dark colors. It shows that in the 1960s, there is not much night life like clubs. Less light at the streets. All they do is work, eat, sleep or sometimes go for a movie night. Since it is in the 1960s, the actors are dressed more of traditional costumes. For example, women wear cheongsam and men wear suit and tie. The setting or location of the film is mostly in the apartment, their rented rooms, restaurant and a hotel room which Mr Chow rented. The behavior portrayed by Mrs Chan are reserved, classy, and sometimes expressionless.

Synopsis

In the Mood for Love is a romantic Hong Kong film written, produced, and directed by Wong Kar Wai in the year of 2000. In the 1960s, a married man named Mr Chow and a married woman named Mrs Chan who lives next to each other. Their spouses are often working late at night or working abroad. Their spouses are having an affair with each other behind their back. Mr Chow and Mrs Chan’s loneliness soon draw them together and slowly developed feelings for each other after spending time eating dinner and writing a martial art serial together.

Film Analysis

Firstly, it is rhythmic editing. There are multiple shots of Mrs Chan going up and down the stairs, walking back and forth the hallways, it shows that Mrs Chan is having struggles whether she should meet Mr Chow in the hotel room.

Secondly, it is superimpositions. There is a scene when Mr Chow smokes cigarette in the office, the smoke of the cigarette was focused for a few seconds and then later the back of Mr Chow with the cigarette in his hand, supporting the head. This shows that Mr Chow is having disturbing or conflicting thoughts about his spouse having an affair behind his back and his hidden feelings towards Mrs Chan. Another scene is when Mr Chow and Mrs. Chan are in front of a mirror. Mr. Chow is looking at Mrs Chan through the mirror and Mrs Chan is looking at Mr Chow through the mirror, smiling happily. Mrs Chan was so happy in that scene even though when Mr Chow is talking, she is just smiling from ear to ear. One more scene where Mr Chow is standing at the hallway alone, hoping and waiting for Mrs Chan to come with him to Singapore. Then later, it shows the empty hallway with the curtains flowing with the wind. It is a sign of emptiness inside Mr Chow.

Thirdly, it is POV editing. Scenes which like there are people monitoring their actions or spying on them whenever Mr Chow and Mrs Chan are together. It shows that they are slowly becoming like their spouse (having an affair). There are two scenes where Mr Chow and Mrs Chan are having rehearsals on how Mrs Chan would face her husband, asking whether is he having an affair. Another scene is where they rehearse of them “breaking up”. Mrs Chan is crying and this shows that she is deeply sadden of that situation. They even held hands in the car which in the previous scene, she was reluctant to hold hands

Fourthly, there are scenes showing the clock is ticking. It is the manipulation of the time. It shows that how much time has passed during scenes of them repeating what they do in their daily lives which is Mrs Chan going to buy dinner and Mr Chow going out to eat dinner. On her way home, Mrs Chan and Mr Chow always walk past each other. There is another scene where Mr Chow had went to Singapore, asking his landlord who had went into his room because he has lost something. Soon, he saw a lit cigarette with lipstick marks on his ashtray. He was stunned for a moment. Later, it shows that Mrs Chan went to his room, lit up a cigarette and she was reaching for a pair of slippers which was hers. This makes us assume that Mr Chow is looking for those slippers.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this film is not just a typical romantic film. It is more than a romantic film. This film is dearly loved by my lecturer, Joe. According to Gonzalez (2001), "In the Mood for Love is Wong Kar Wai's ravishing evocation of a unconsummated romantic relationship". I would recommend this to people who are fans of Maggie Cheung, who plays the character of Mrs Chan.

References: 

1) Lathrop, G & Sutton, D. (n.d). Elements of Mise-en-scene. Retrieved from http://www.proseproductionsink.com/1102_Licata_Elements_of_Mise-en-scene_modified.pdf

2) Karisma. (August 6, 2016). In the Mood for Love. Retrieved from https://laadolcevitablog.wordpress.com/2016/08/09/in-the-mood-for-love-french-impressionism/

3) Gonzalez, E. (May 2, 2001). In the Mood for Love. Retrieved from https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review/in-the-mood-for-love

4) Bordwell, D & Thompson. (2013). Film Art: An Introduction, Tenth ed. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

5) Meglio, Vince. (2016). Film Movement - French Impressionism (1918-1929). Retrieved from https://letterboxd.com/vince_dimeglio/list/film-movement-french-impressionism-1918-1929/