I could not for the life of me remember if I have ever seen In the Mood for Love before now. I know I've studied a couple of Wong Kar-Wai films in college, and had a suspicion that I've seen it before but couldn't remember anything about it. I still can't say for certain if this is my first or second watch, but I can definitively say it's a beautifully shot film. Let's discuss In the Mood for Love!
The Gist
Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) and her husband rent an apartment room next to Mr. Chow (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and his wife in 1962 Hong Kong. When the two realize their spouses are having an affair with each other, they commiserate together and vow to never be unfaithful like their spouses, despite their developing love for each other.
Check out the trailer:
MPAA Rating: PG
The Take
My favorite aspect of this film is the way it looks. The color saturation is amazing, much more akin to a 60s Technicolor film than a modern digital camera. In particular, the red accents throughout the story pop off of the screen, like the billowing red curtains that frame the Hong Kong hotel. It is especially striking when paired with Kar-Wai’s use of film noir-type lighting. Most of the time, these characters are half in shadow or seated in a darkened room, making these rich colors stand out even more. Even the cigarette smoke, which is a disgusting nuisance in reality, is shot in such an artful manner that it appears to be beautiful. Mrs. Chan’s wardrobe is the epitome of this cinematic feat; her bright, geometric or floral qipaos draw the eye to her time and time again.
I am obsessed with this outfit in particular!
Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow’s lives are intermixed even before they realize their spouses are cheating with each other; from the opening scene, they are trying to rent the same apartment, and the in the chaos of their move-in their belongings are constantly delivered to the wrong apartment. The neighbors are friendly with each other, so communal meals and mahjong games are constantly pressed onto the both of them. And these constant happenstances also help highlight their abject isolation in the first part of the film. They frequent the same noodle shop, yet are always eating alone. Their marriages are being betrayed in parallel, yet they bear the burden of loneliness solo. It serves as a message to the viewer that they have shared pain, and so they should share that pain with one another.
The story within this film is subtle and mostly implied, which at points was jarring and confusing. Mrs. Chan keeps a lot of her feelings close to the vest, primarily being shot as a woman full of poise and composure in her life, even though her husband is committing betrayal to their marriage. Even when she and Mr. Chow realize they both suspect the affair, no one comes out and says it directly until much later in their companionship. The spouses aren’t even seen face-on, but rather off-screen voices and backs of heads to highlight both how absent they are in their lives and how secondary they are to the overall story. Their role is to be the faceless villain in their marriage to launch Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow’s friendship and eventual love for one another.
This is about as much of Mrs. Chow as you get in the whole film.
My main issue with this story is the premise itself, the emotional affair the Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow engage in, despite their insistence not to sully their marriages like their spouses did. The sequence of events follows all of the same steps as a physical affair, including reliance on each other and complicated actions to avoid gossiping neighbors. Their friendship is borne out of shared loneliness because their spouses prioritize everything but them, and their bond grows because of their commiseration over the physical affair happening abroad. They spend most of their time discussing Mr. Chan and Mrs. Chow, which had me questioning whether they really develop feelings for each other or instead are desperately looking for a proxy to the spouse they are no longer connected with. I have a real issue with hypocrisy, and that’s what these characters engaged in. I read that the original version of In the Mood for Love was significantly longer and highlighted a physical affair with Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow, which in my opinion would have further decimated this story. I much prefer the shorter cut that gives only vague clues to the extent of their affair and the ultimately unrequited relationship.
I did appreciate how the side characters, particularly the landlady, added substance and complications for the main characters. Mrs. Chan’s landlady has such a nurturing presence, always encouraging Mrs. Chan to join her for dinner or to sit in on a few rounds of mahjong. She tried to encourage healthy avenues for Mrs. Chan to avoid her lonely life, even after being rebuffed time and time again. Her sociability even causes the first major obstacle in the emotional affair, as Mrs. Chan has to hide for almost two full days in Mr. Chow’s apartment so she and her mahjong friends don’t see Mrs. Chan leaving to her own space. And when she notices Mrs. Chan leaving more often and staying out later, she cautions her against making foolish mistakes that are more appropriate for the young and unattached. She was basically the loving, wise figure Mrs. Chan needed that she should have turned to instead of Mr. Chow.
I can understand why this film made the list; it’s beautiful, subtle, and performed by great actors. Wong Kar-Wai is a great visual director, weaving in a lot of meaning and emotion into small gestures or camera placement. And I could stare at the wardrobe all day long. But the premise of the story was not appealing to me, and as the story progressed, I felt an increasing sense of frustration and dread at these characters for falling into the same patterns as the ones they were betrayed by. I don’t see this as a rewatchable film for me, but from time to time I will think about those amazing dresses.
Rating: 5/10
Memorable Moments
I am particularly obsessed with Mrs. Chan’s green dress that has a red sheen at certain angles. It’s like that fabric contains magic.
When she finally agrees to have a meal with her landlady, I was so happy.
”I thought I was the only one who knew.”
Try It If...
You want to marvel at Mrs. Chan’s gorgeous wardrobe.
You want to see a beautifully shot film.
You want to watch Maggie Cheung Man-yuk’s subtle and powerful performance.
Avoid It If...
You don’t like storylines involving infidelity.
You don’t like or can’t focus on foreign language films.
You prefer films that are more plot-focused.
In the Mood for Love is available to stream on Max.
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