In the Mood for Love

Film Notes

They are in the mood for love, but not in the time and place for it. They look at each other with big damp eyes of yearning and sweetness, and go home to sleep by themselves. Adultery has sullied their lives: his wife and her husband are having an affair. “For us to do the same thing,” they agree, “would mean we are no better than they are.” The key word there is “agree.” The fact is, they do not agree. It is simply that neither one has the courage to disagree, and time is passing. He wants to sleep with her and she wants to sleep with him, but they are both bound by the moral stand that each believes the other has taken.

You may disagree with my analysis. You may think one is more reluctant than the other. There is room for speculation, because whole continents of emotions go unexplored in Wong Kar-wai’s “In the Mood for Love,” a lush story of unrequited love that looks the way its songs sound. Many of them are by Nat King Cole, but the instrumental “Green Eyes,” suggesting jealousy, is playing when they figure out why her husband and his wife always seem to be away at the same times.

His name is Mr. Chow (Tony Leung Chiu-wai). Hers is Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk). In the crowded Hong Kong of 1962, they have rented rooms in apartments next to each other. They are not poor; he’s a newspaper reporter, she’s an executive assistant, but there is no space in the crowded city and little room for secrets.

Cheung and Leung are two of the biggest stars in Asia. Their pairing here as unrequited lovers is ironic because of their images as the usual winners in such affairs. This is the kind of story that could be remade by Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, although in the Hollywood version, there’d be a happy ending. That would kind of miss the point and release the tension, I think; the thrust of Wong’s film is that paths cross but intentions rarely do. In his other films, like “Chungking Express,” his characters sometimes just barely miss connecting, and here again key things are said in the wrong way at the wrong time. Instead of asking us to identify with this couple, as an American film would, Wong asks us to empathize with them; that is a higher and more complex assignment, with greater rewards.

The movie is physically lush. The deep colors of film noir saturate the scenes: Reds, yellows, browns, deep shadows. One scene opens with only a coil of cigarette smoke, and then reveals its characters. In the hallway outside the two apartments, the camera slides back and forth, emphasizing not their nearness but that there are two apartments, not one.

The most ingenious device in the story is the way Chow and Su play-act imaginary scenes between their cheating spouses. “Do you have a mistress?” she asks, and we think she is asking Chow, but actually she is asking her husband, as played by Chow. There is a slap, not as hard as it would be with a real spouse. They wound themselves with imaginary dialogue in which their cheating partners laugh about them. “I didn’t expect it to hurt so much,” Su says, after one of their imaginary scenarios.

Wong Kar-wai leaves the cheating couple offscreen. Movies about adultery are almost always about the adulterers, but the critic Elvis Mitchell observes that the heroes here are “the characters who are usually the victims in a James M. Cain story.” Their spouses may sin in Singapore, Tokyo or a downtown love hotel, but they will never sin on the screen of this movie, because their adultery is boring and commonplace, while the reticence of Chow and Su elevates their love to a kind of noble perfection.

Their lives are as walled in as their cramped living quarters. They have more money than places to spend it. Still dressed for the office, she dashes out to a crowded alley to buy noodles. Sometimes they meet on the grotty staircase. Often it is raining. Sometimes they simply talk on the sidewalk. Lovers do not notice where they are, do not notice that they repeat themselves. It isn’t repetition, anyway–it’s reassurance. And when you’re holding back and speaking in code, no conversation is boring, because the empty spaces are filled by your desires.

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times, February 16, 2001

Although In the Mood for Love isn’t in the mood for action, it dazzles with everything but. As mood goes, this reticent, remembered romance is quietly erotic, probing all those ”almost” spaces in an almost love affair. As cinematography goes, it’s luscious.

Avant garde filmmaker Wong Kar-wai sets his story in 1962, among decorous Shanghainese living close together in a Hong Kong apartment building. Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung, breathtaking in a luxe wardrobe of tight, high collared cheongsam dresses) is usually alone in her rented room because her husband is so often away on business. Dapper Mr. Chow (Tony Leung, who has also appeared with Cheung in two other Wong films including Days of Being Wild), in the flat next door, is similarly abandoned by a traveling wife. And the two beautiful, lonely, faithful, longing adults draw vertiginously closer when they realize their spouses are having an affair.

In some films Wong goes for artful, chopped up, cinematic jazz. Here, working once again with his favorite cinematographer, Australian Christopher Doyle, he cuts, reorders, and pastes slivers of time, moments of being, with a delicious languor, fetishizing the most mundane acts — smoking a cigarette, dining on noodles. With sex in the air, these chaste would be lovers eat. The effect is just this side of frustrating stasis; it’s also as tantalizing as an itch. B+

 Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly, February 16, 2001 

What you thought about In the Mood for Love

Film Responses

Collated Response Comments

135 members and guests attended this screening. We received 74 responses delivering a Film Score of 3.76 and a hit rate of 55%.  This score ties with The River for least popular film of the season so far. The most popular is still The Holdovers. Thank you all for your comments they are much appreciated.

All of your observations are collected below.

“An exquisite compilation of the moments of awkward, fumbled emotion that are happening somewhere off screen in most romances. Lush cinematography and gorgeous actors build a febrile atmosphere which owes much to film noir, one suspects David Lynch may have been taking notes”.

“Exquisite. Two great leads, fabulous haunting music, and sad sad sad. Not lost its power after 25 years and those sashays in tight dresses and high heels. To buy noodles”.

“The film was visually stunning, with captivating music (albeit repetitive) and a mesmerising use of silence and pauses. Obscuring the unfaithful spouses was effective. Like 'Brief Encounter', the film portrays unrequited love shaped by social expectations, personal ethics, and the fear (of becoming like those who betrayed them). The protagonists' intense dilemma--torn between primitive desire and the pursuit of human superiority--was depicted well. This contrast is further highlighted by her boss and a comic relief character, both indifferent to such social concerns. Their presence reminded me of how differently people handle desire, much like certain subplot characters in 'Brief Encounter' and some 'Shakespearean plays'. After watching the film, I was left with many unanswered questions and wished I knew more about Chinese culture, history, and philosophy. The film is rich with symbolism--patterns in clothing, objects, and shoes--along with references to other films and plays. Many questions remain, with several pieces of the puzzle left to fill. While the title sounds romantic and the cinematography is beautiful, the underlying theme is, sadly, domestic and emotional violence, as well as narcissistic abuse, of which the heroine is a victim. Coming from Shanghai, her exquisite dresses may have been expensive, hand-stitched, and tailored--perhaps gifts from her family, suggesting she was valued by them. She appears well-read, highly educated, and, despite the communist setting, from an upper-class background. Her intelligence and possible family connections enable her to find work, which is significant in Asian culture. Yet, she is not treated well by her husband--expected to cook for him when he is around and relegated to a grotty, noisy apartment on her own. She doesn't even complain. She thought she loved him, but she has been mistreated. Meanwhile, while she works hard, her husband cheats--a form of emotional abuse, sexual harassment, and domestic violence. Beneath the beautiful façade, she is indeed a victim of profound domestic abuse. (Adultery itself is classified as domestic violence in Policing Domestic Violence by Dr. Laura Richards (2008, OUP)). When the opportunity for infidelity arises for her, however, what should she do? Will she succumb to it? The English title suggests a whimsical, fleeting affair, but I found it somewhat misleading. Curious, I checked the original Chinese title: Huāyàng Niánhuá, which translates to "blossom fully like a flower, as the beautiful days of youth have limits" (similar perhaps to "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may"). She is indeed a beautiful rose, but while she holds strong moral principles, I wonder whether this proverb also weighs on her mind. She has an opportunity with a dashing man with whom she connects emotionally and intellectually. She is already stepping into an emotional affair--but is it truly okay to betray herself the same way? To degrade herself to the level of the perpetrators? Having studied psychology, domestic violence, and narcissistic abuse, I recognised how easily one can be drawn into trauma bonding in vulnerable situations--something I saw in the protagonists. The ending is open to interpretation, and part of me wants to believe they both found a fresh start and led happy lives. Naïve as it may sound, I'd like to think they never crossed the boundary, and their integrity was rewarded. I hope they healed from narcissistic abuse and now live fulfilling lives--something that is a basic human right for all. This film appears to be part of a sequence, making me eager to watch the others to complete the puzzle. Thank you”.

“Despite not always being sure what was going on (and in some parts not really having a clue!) it was a somehow fascinating film to watch. I don't notice the score in many films but thought this one lent a lot to the atmosphere of the picture. A lot of unanswered questions were left hanging, but overall glad I watched it. Also thought the short was very amusing. Thanks”.

“I enjoyed the first half of the film and then I felt the plot lost direction. Beautifully styled but I found myself distracted by the constant change of dresses worn by Mrs Chan”.

“What a romantic, beautiful and nuanced film :) Both leads are exquisite, the cinematography sumptuous (as is the soundtrack) and although nothing much happens throughout the film it had me enthralled”.

“Atmospheric and beautiful to look at - especially the dresses. Held my attention until the end when it started to drag a tad. I was unclear about the purpose of the bit on Cambodia”.

“Barely average. I need to care what happens to protagonists but didn't really care. Short film excellent!”

“An interesting film. Somewhat confusing to begin with and as the 'story' unwound, it didn't quite hit the mark. Some amazing camera work and cinematography though”.

“Unique film, beautiful photography, very intense”.

“A sad ending. I enjoyed the romantic language of love and food. A lot said about cultural norms of that time. A stunning leading lady”.

“Wonderful imagery. Similar again would be great”.

“Stunning film”. “Such a wonderful poem of a film”.

“Very interesting”. Loved this film – music, photography and acting”.

“Atmosphere of its day, quite captivating and thought provoking”.

“Different to many movies”. “I enjoyed the short intro movie – it was funny”.

“Loved it – photography and music”. Very different. Unique, intense and gripping”.

“Lovely outfits!! But challenging”. “Visually beautiful”.

“Very interesting photography, but I could need help understanding if there had been a script”.

“Very different – good choice”. “Beautiful but empty”. “Lyrical and beautiful”.

“Interesting but very meandering. The introduction of his film making style was very helpful. Beautifully shot”.

“Beautiful cinematography and soundtrack – ran a little long”.

“Could have finished half hour sooner without losing much”. “Beautiful”.

“Charming but strange and inconclusive ending”.

“Beautiful dresses, evocative and international background music. Superb film shots. Brief Encounter”.

“A bit of a mixed bag – beautiful to look at, great music (but rather repetitive). Found it all a bit disjointed and confusing in places”.

“Beautifully shot. Poignant but occasionally confusing”.

“Too long and enigmatic. Why Cambodia?”

“A bit slow – confusing in places. Lovely music”.

“Beautiful to watch but unsure what happened”.

“A very strange film. I found it hard to follow. Why stand in the rain? Why the ed scenes in Ankor Wat, Cambodia? Lots of questions!”

“Loved the music – waltz. I expected to see waltzing. Bit slow”.

“Very boring. But great cinematography and actors”.

“Maybe I have had too sheltered a life, but I found it a bit confusing”.

“I need someone to explain some of it to me. What an inconclusive ending”.

“Brief Encounter without trains”.

“I felt as if it lasted 4 hours. Very tedious. Clever touches with mirrors and juxtapositions but no drive”.

“A bit strange and rather slow”. “Baffling – not greatly inspired”. “Weird in places”.

“Beautiful photography and great wardrobe for lady but all a bit confusing ad too long”.

“Too unstructured. Painfully slow, no subtlety”.

“I dint think the director knew where he was going – I certainly didn’t”.

“Dire”.