Chungking Express [1995]

The style of the film is very much indebted to the style of the French New Wave of the early 1960's, with Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle making great use of the available lighting and mobile, handheld cameras, to capture the action in a very fast, very kinetic kind of style. Thus, those only familiar with Wong's more recent films (which benefit from larger budgets and longer periods of production) might be surprised at how ramshackle and idiosyncratic this earlier work is... with Wong pretty much devising the whole film during a break in post-production on his epic historical piece, Ashes of Time, and apparently writing most of the scenes in the afternoons, then hitting the streets to film them that same night. As a result, the film moves at a breakneck pace and never once pauses to analyse it's inaccuracies or indeed, inconsistencies, which, at the end of the day, isn't really a problem... instead, like Godard, it's all part of the film's charm.

The first story of the two is probably the most exciting... tipping it's hat to Godard's À bout de souffle and Cassavetes's Gloria, with it's story of a lovesick cop trying to come to terms with a recent break-up, whilst simultaneously falling in love with a heartless hit-woman. Like most of the film, but more so than the second story, this segment never stops to take a breath, instead, we are continually propelled into the dingy underworld of the Chungking Mansions, with Wong and Doyle's camera (all hand-held intimacy and stroboscopic distortion) bobbing and weaving through crowds of people; snaking it's way around a labyrinth of market places, airport terminals and back street bars; and offering up a never-ending kaleidoscope of colours, speeds, movements, actions, and bursts of garish violence. The story hinges around a chance meeting - the use of the clock is an important visual reference point and the central character's obsession with tinned pineapples with an expiration date of May 1st - though it's easy to miss this within the melange of action, violence, and moody noir.

The second segment still has a fairly fast pace, but seems more relaxed and intimate in comparison to the first, with that great theme of Wong's - unrequited love - being established in the bizarre (though utterly charming) relationship between a recently heart-broken cop and the counter girl and the local Midnight Express take-away. This segment is much more playful than the first, with a nice integration of character, and a lighter tone, which is perhaps why most people consider it the most memorable segment of the two. For me, there are enough similarities and stark coincidences linking the two segments to make them work, with Wong as a director showing us his ability to switch from something as claustrophobic and action-packed as segment one, to the relaxed, charming, almost-comedic tone of the second. There's still the Godardian influence, only here it's more Une Femme Est Une Femme than À bout de souffle, whilst the use of music (trading the cool European synthesisers and multi-cultural mish-mash of sounds, in favour of the bouncing pop of the Mammas and the Pappas and a Cantonese cover of the Cranberries song, Dreams) helps to make the whole thing that little bit more enjoyable.

Overall, Chungking Express is a likable, frantic and somewhat off-the-wall (though I hate to use that expression) combination of noir-references, new-wave romance, and an experiment into the way that cinematic narrative can be developed... all captured with beautiful, stylistic flair by Kar-Wai and Chris Doyle. The performances from the four main leads are all exceptional, with Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung-Chiu Wai essaying the two love-struck cops, while Cantonese pop-star Faye Wong and the beautiful, bewigged, Brigitte Lin, portray the respective objects of their affections. Like the film it's self, the characters all have a charm and individuality about them, hinting at a deeper character with depth and back-story, even if we don't necessarily get to see the whole picture. Again, this is another trademark of Wong's... as the film really amounts to an accumulation of scenes, characters and moments that can be picked-over by the viewer and discussed until some greater sense of meaning becomes clear.

The ending of the film refuses to pander to the conventions of traditional Hollywood filmmaking and is all the better for it, with Wong instead further illustrating his theme of coincidence and dislocation - with the allusion to California, replayed by a character sitting in a bar called California - really highlighting the central notion of two entities existing at the same time, without any kind of awareness. Certainly, with its brisk-pace, seesawing plot and likable characters, this could be called the most accessible Wong Kar-Wai film - perhaps the best place to start for those new to his work - but of course, beneath all the new-wave references and self-consciously chic scenarios, this is still a pretty deep film about the nature of time, regret, memory, love, loneliness and, of course, the need to belong.


"We're all unlucky in love sometimes.When I am, I go jogging. The body loses water when you jog,so you have none left for tears"   October 16, 2006
Belen (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
11 out of 12 found this review helpful

"Chungking Express" is one of Wong Kar Wai's best-known films, and it is a good introduction to the work of this Chinese director. If you only like traditional movies, you will probably not appreciate "Chungking Express". On the other hand, if you are open to the unexpected, you may well fall in love with it.

This film has two different stories, connected by the fact that they are both about love, isolation, hope and despair. The stories are part of the plot, but the important thing here are the characters, and their feelings. You learn about them, and even begin to understand what they feel, thanks at least in part to the fact that you can hear their inner monologues.

The first story is about Cop 223, He Zhiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro), who has broken up with his long-term girlfriend May, and is terribly sad. He reflects on his love problems, saying that "We split up on April Fool's Day. So I decided to let the joke run for a month. Every day I buy a can of pineapple with a sell-by date of May 1. May loves pineapple, and May 1 is my birthday. If May hasn't changed her mind by the time I've bought thirty cans, then our love will also expire". What can you do, when you watch his character buy lots of cans of pineapple that expire on May 1, believing that doing that will help him to regain May's love? Or when he says things like "We're all unlucky in love sometimes. When I am, I go jogging. The body loses water when you jog, so you have none left for tears"? He is hopeful, but in despair, and the spectator cannot help but feel empathy.

The other story is about Cop 663, Chiu Wai (Tony Leung ), that broke-up with his flight attendant girlfriend (Valerie Chow), and sums up their relationship in a few words, saying "I thought we'd stay together for the long haul, flying like a jumbo jet on a full tank. But we changed course". He is so sad that he begins to talk to his furniture, and doesn't even realize that Faye (Faye Wong), the young woman that works at the deli where he buys his dinner, has fallen in love with him.

What will happen with these two men and the people their love, or that love them? To know that, you have to watch "Chungking Express". Please pay attention to the beautiful dialogue, and the kaleidoscopic filmaking. I promise "Chungking Express" will be many things, but never boring. Recommended :)

Belen Alcat


See it, even if it is out of pure curiosity.   October 9, 2003
7 out of 23 found this review helpful

I am not a fan of World Cinema, but being a Film Studies student I had to watch the film and I must say I was impressed with Chungking Express directed by Wong Kar-wai.

The film is interesting because of the use of effects Wong Kar-wai uses in each of the two stories within the film because the effects are different, almost making it two seperate films (in my opinion).

Chungking Express identifies the mixing of cultures in Hong Kong. For example it has the traditional Chinese food, as well as English food such as Fish and Chips. This shows how a culture can still retain what was brought upon it by the British Empire, even though it was returned to China. The film uses some metaphors to explain what it means, some of these are more hidden than others. Globalisation is also a key area of this film with continual visual contact with Coke signs. The soundtrack in the film is great too: California Dreaming.

In brief the film is about Hong Kong, uncertain love, uncertain feelings, travel (film has preoccupation with air travel), emotional dysfunction, mixing of cultures and globalisation.

It is well worth seeing at least once, even if just out of pure interest.

Will be of interest to those who are a fan of New-Wave Cinema.


One of the best films of the 90s   February 15, 2000
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

A brilliant film which manages to encapsulate the intensity and claustraphobia of one of the most exciting cities in the world - Hong Kong.

The film is divided into two short stories. The first story revolves around a heroin dealer and a heartbroken policeman who has lost his love - May (and spends a lot of time trying to overcome his heart ache through eating tinned pineapple). The second story is that of another heartbroken policeman and a waitress at the cafe where he eats each day who seems to be dreaming of being somewhere else entirely..

For many the appeal of this film lies in the cinematography - amazing shots that relay the intensity of a city where people hardly seem to notice whats going on around them (very much like some of the characters). Many of the shots inspired videos for people like Orbital and the film has a feel to it all of its own

Recently put forward as one of the most significant art house fims of the nineties by the Guardian many people probably don't realise that it is actually quite a funny film. The only problem is that really annoying song!

Highly recommended