blog




  • Essay / The city as a space of multiple, infinite relational possibilities in Chungking Express

    The city represented in “Chungking Express” by Wong Kar Wai invites viewers to reflect on the city as a setting of multiple, infinite and relational possibilities. Chungking Express is a film with two distinct plots, made up of chance encounters between characters, resulting from a common setting, such as the bar and Midnight Express. The characters are solitary and introspective, but following these encounters made possible by the random flow of the city, they form unlikely emotional bonds. It is through these connections and the relationships they establish that they are able to move on from their failed romances, discover new purpose, and accept change in their lives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay. Wong uses cinematography to capture the multiple psychic possibilities of a single setting. In a slow-motion shot, Agent 633 drinks his coffee, while Faye looks dreamily to one side. Meanwhile, the crowd outside Midnight Express rushes by. Here, a moment is captured between the two of them, even as the rest of the town walks by, oblivious to this moment. As a result, Wong is able to differentiate between the city's private and public space - the moment shared between Agent 633 brooding over his ex-girlfriend and Faye in a reverie is in slow motion, as he s This is a significant moment. which reflects the state of mind of the two characters. All of this happens while the crowd moves in rapid motion outside, indicating that moments like this are glazed, from the perspective of a passerby. The appearances of characters from different storylines suggest the possibility that all the characters could have met at some point. points of their lives, taking into account the shared spaces of a city. Officer 633, Faye, and Officer 633's stewardess girlfriend make fleeting appearances in the first storyline. Yet despite their appearances, what we know about them is very superficial, until the beginning of the second plot they are simply part of "so many people every day... that you may never know anything about" to which Qiwu referred to in his voiceover at the beginning. of the film. The idea of ​​“proximity without reciprocity” (Abbas 54) aptly captures the meaning of social spaces within Wong's Hong Kong. The use of a handheld camera in the introductory action sequences of Chungking Mansions draws attention to the heterogeneity of the city, as well as the idea of ​​"proximity without reciprocity". During the sequence, movements are blurred, as are the faces of the countless strangers in the street. Wong presents viewers with a rushed Hong Kong that barely has enough space to walk without rubbing shoulders with everyone, and yet their faces are simply shown as blurred. The possibilities for connections are endless, but it's only a limited number of these people that we actually make a meaningful connection with. The city is shared by people from all kinds of backgrounds, a cultural heterogeneity that is also highlighted by the different types of food sold at Midnight Express. The use of selective focus is also used to visually demonstrate the idea of ​​"proximity without reciprocity". Through the innovative use of focus, Faye and Officer 633 are literally 0.01 cm apart on screen. Yet he doesn't really tell her what he likes, not wanting to reveal his true feelings and emotions to an acquaintance, choosing instead to be comically melodramatic by telling her that he likes the chef's salad. Through this plan, Wong.