So I would rather go for that [and] forget about that Sunset Blvd idea. The only reason you have to make changes is the situation, the budget, and for [those] kinds of reasons. The other reason is that you feel like you can do something better. In that case, you should not feel afraid to make changes. That meant he was more flexible; we had worked together since our second film, so we knew each other very well.
The first part of the film takes place in Chungking Mansions, so we have Chungking. The second part of the story happens in this fast food stand called Midnight Express. In the camera frame you see her in this fast food stand. But behind the camera, there would be 50 or people watching. People would walk by and look right at her. So it was not a very easy challenge. She will feel much better. She is attracted to music, would pick up the rhythm for the music and feel much more confident.
When I was very young, my mom was a big fan of films, we spent almost every day in the cinema. I love being in the cinema, and in this kind of world. This is the reason that I love making films. The market is expanding, and that gives not only Chinese filmmakers, but Hong Kong and Asian filmmakers, more opportunities.
As I said to friends, twenty years ago as a young filmmaker you would try to find financing in Europe, but today the best place to get financing is in China.
The young filmmakers in China are extremely fortunate. The market is ready for them and there is money waiting for them to make their films. But it is not only Chinese filmmakers—I am producing young filmmakers from China, Taiwan, even from Thailand. We need to find new blood; each generation should have their vantage point, their perspective, their own ways to tell a story.
First of all, we all went through a process. We all learn most of our technique or skills from other filmmakers. Those two characters are there, forever young. Since the movie's release, it has earned global recognition and a cult following — promoted by none other than Quentin Tarantino, cited by Barry Jenkins as one of his influences for Moonlight , as well as Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation.
In many ways, the film is a time capsule, capturing magic and intimacy within the sprawling metropolis of a vintage Hong Kong. Let's take a look at the film's locations almost three decades later and relive the moments when we first watched the film.
By Tiffany Tsoi. It would be remiss not to feature the sprawling labyrinth which Chungking Express owes its name. One of Hong Kong's most infamous buildings, the Chungking Mansions is located in the low-rise area of Nathan Road and has a reputation to locals as a dark underbelly rife with crime, sex, and drugs.
Although initially designated as a residential complex, the building contains many food stalls and independent shops run by vendors from all over the world. Since the release of the movie, hundreds of security cameras have been installed in the building — covering 90 percent of the building's public spaces — leading to a decrease in crime, and also an increase in tourists. The striking diversity of people you will find within the building —including backpackers, locals, and refugees — has earned international attention — Time Magazine labelled it 'Asia's best example of globalisation in action', and The Economist compared it to the Mos Eisley cantina a tavern crowded with diverse races in the original Star Wars.
Chungking Mansions I Photograph: Shutterstock. Most of Chungking Express revolves around the Midnight Express, a late-night snack bar where Faye Wong's character works and the two policemen frequently visit.
Located smack in the centre of Lan Kwai Fong's D'Aguilar Street, the snack bar has since been replaced by none other than the infamous 'Club 7-Eleven' — where partygoers now mingle and buy cheap drinks on a Friday night. Steeped in memories, this is an iconic spot in Hong Kong's cultural landscape — whether you're on a night out with some friends, or watching Faye Wong dance to California Dreamin' under the neon glow of a bygone era.
The Central—Mid-Levels Escalator is famous for several reasons — one for being the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world, and another as a recurring film location in Chungking Express. Built in , the escalator had just opened at the time of filming, and no movie had been shot there yet, which sparked director Wong Kar-wai's interest. In his film, the escalator — basked in melancholy green light evoking a heavy sense of urban isolation — follows the lives of the characters as they navigate through heartbreak and everyday life.
Today, it has since become one of Hong Kong's busiest and most famous landmarks. The escalator carries almost 80, people to and from the Mid-Levels and downtown Central every day — making it a vital part of Hongkongers daily commute.
Just off the escalator is the Graham Street market in which multiple Chungking Express' scenes take place. We see Faye Wong's character run errands during the day, and our male protagonists wandering through its stalls late at night. Wedged between the wealthy and expatriate-filled thoroughfares of uptown Central, the market dates back more than years, and is a bustling microcosm of everything Hong Kong — the clash of East and West , prosperity and tradition, and the marriage of old and new.
Some thoughts after a tenth time with "Chungking Express": 1. The movie and my viewing of it make up a set of harmonious coincidences. First: According to what I have read, it was conceived and completed quickly when the director hit a two-month hiatus in the midst of another project.
Second: The movie treats the way chance encounters sometimes turn into things of great consequence. Third: I saw the movie on a hot summer afternoon in , also very much by chance when, while walking home from work, I suddenly wanted to spend a couple of hours in an air conditioned theater. I knew nothing about it before watching it. Fourth: And after seeing it and liking it very much, I pretty much forgot about it until seeing the Criterion DVD in — fifteen 15 years later.
This belated second viewing was the one that cast a spell. And it has become stronger with every repeat viewing. Maybe this ever growing affection for the movie parallels the developing relationship between the characters. Another comment on repeat viewings: I had never heard of any of the cast or crew of this movie before I saw it.
I think I experienced the first viewing without having to filter my impressions through the lens of the celebrity and stardom of the performers. Instead the people in the movie — at least the non-criminal ones — are people I have come to like very much, almost as friends. A strange effect, hard to describe. It may account for the many viewings, which are almost like visiting people I simply enjoy being with.
I'd be interested to find out if I'm the only one who has had this reaction. A date movie, yes, but a paradoxical one. Even though when I first saw this movie I was dating two women and recall taking one of them to another certifiable "date movie" during this period, I have never seen "Chungking Express" with anyone but myself. Maybe this is a good movie for people about to go on a date to see separately before going out, making this sort of a "pre-date" movie.
The cross currents of rejection and breaking up, with a cast of endearing solipsists searching for companionship and falling in love, albeit one-sidedly and with aching tentativeness, make this the only "date movie" I know of that can work its magic for me, anyway when enjoyed alone.
Eighteen years after its initial release the movie does not look terribly dated. Although at the time of release the impending reversion of Hong Kong to mainland control was three years away, the characters do not explicitly mention the subject. The prospective change of government, something "there" obliquely for my first viewing in , seems to have disappeared as a significant aspect of the movie.
The only obvious set of time markers is the use of pay telephones, answering services, and pagers. This retro ingredient is more than balanced by a prophetic use of abrupt, swooping, convulsive camera movements and step printing: although rooted in the world of MTV, the look of the film anticipates cell phone and You Tube video. The film offers a look at some of the things going on in the world of motion pictures in the early to mid's: international interest in Hong Kong cinema and Asian cinema generally; the influence of MTV-inspired film technique; a spike in the perennial popularity of romantic comedies; audience acceptance of combined stories with fragmented, braided narrative lines "Chungking Express" was released at about the same time as "Pulp Fiction".
In my nearly six decades of watching movies I can't remember any of them achieving in 90 minutes or more the truth and emotional power that "Chungking Express" manages to pack into its final 15 seconds. Details Edit. Release date March 8, United States. Hong Kong. Chinching Samlam. Jet Tone Production.
0コメント