Urban stories - power, poverty and conflict - How far should the films you have studied for this topic be seen in relation to their particular time and place?
Chungking Express, a film by Wong Kar-wai is filmed in loose, imprecise splashes of motion and colour. This element along with hand-held camera work are used to create an alluring portrait of Hong Kong in the 1990’s. The film, split into two sections involves two smitten cops along with two objects of desire (one a big-time heroin dealer in trouble with her boss, the other, a flaky waitress who mistakably gets hold of the keys to her admirer 's apartment). The first cop, 223 has broken up with his girlfriend and as a result goes on to purchase a tin of pineapple with an expiration date of 1ST May each day for a month with the expectation that either his lover will return to him or their relationship will, like the pineapples, expire forever. Meanwhile, cop 663 is also dealing with his breakup from his flight attendant girlfriend. He goes on to wallow by rarely making the effort to put on clothes and having short discussions with the furnisher in his apartment.
There is specific focus on the element of power throughout Kar-wai’s film, The Chungking express. It becomes relevant that the majority of the characters are or just feel powerless over their anxiety towards change (whether it be change of their lives or the general evolution of the city, Hong Kong). There is also a large emphasis on accepting and adapting to change. Faye is used in the second section of the film as cop 663’s facilitator for change. This comes about through 663’s fear of opening the envelope from his ex-girlfriend that holds the key to his apartment to avoid change. This anxiety ultimately powers Faye’s function in the film which is to bring 663 to the acceptance and realisation that change is going to happen and that it will be ok. Which is the message that I think Wong Kar-wai is trying to say about the city Hong Kong in general and its people, that it’s inevitable that change will happen, linking to the city reverting back to China from Britain during the Handover however it is going to
There is specific focus on the element of power throughout Kar-wai’s film, The Chungking express. It becomes relevant that the majority of the characters are or just feel powerless over their anxiety towards change (whether it be change of their lives or the general evolution of the city, Hong Kong). There is also a large emphasis on accepting and adapting to change. Faye is used in the second section of the film as cop 663’s facilitator for change. This comes about through 663’s fear of opening the envelope from his ex-girlfriend that holds the key to his apartment to avoid change. This anxiety ultimately powers Faye’s function in the film which is to bring 663 to the acceptance and realisation that change is going to happen and that it will be ok. Which is the message that I think Wong Kar-wai is trying to say about the city Hong Kong in general and its people, that it’s inevitable that change will happen, linking to the city reverting back to China from Britain during the Handover however it is going to