Wong Kar Wai for Beginners: Biography, Hallmarks, Best Scenes and Movies

Who: Originally from Hong Kong, Wong Kar Wai started out studying graphic design and working on television productions. But he was destined to give the world some of the most sensitive and profound portraits of contemporary society, from his debut with ‘As tears go by’ (1988) to his most recent film, ‘The Grandmaster’ (2013). ). In those 25 years of activity, Wong Kar Wai’s best films have defined a unique visual style, which has influenced directors such as Isabel Coixet and films as current as ‘Moonlight’ (Barry Jenkins, 2016).

signs of identity: Fortuitous encounters, destiny, connections, romanticism… All of this is buried in the stories of the Hong Konger, who flees from conventional narratives to build stories of love and heartbreak that, as in life, often escape our understanding . Beyond his favorite themes, it is not difficult to visually identify one of his films: the filmmaker uses music (normally looking for the contrast between cultures) and colors (authentic transmitters of emotions) to express what cannot be said in words. The slow motion, the looks, the silences and the aura of nostalgia are constant in his films.

Philosophy: Although love and loneliness are his fetish themes, if something makes the difference in his cinema it is the will to portray the identity of Hong Kong, a region full of contrasts and in which Chinese and British influence coexist. He knows how to put that day-to-day life of the city on the screen, with that feeling of isolation and temporary ambiguity that we would later see in ‘Lost in translation’ (Sofia Coppola, 2003). In this sense, his philosophy as a filmmaker links to this portrait: the filmmaker talks about individual people and stories, but his intention is to go further. He talks about the present and the past, about Hong Kong society and the conflicts that cannot be seen with the naked eye in a city that he himself has compared to a “shopping center”. Searching for the identity of his homeland is what Wong Kar Wai is most obsessed with.

Phrase: “Sometimes I compare making a movie to cooking. Some dishes need to be cooked, while others need to be fried.“

regular collaborators: Among the names that are often repeated in the Wong Kar Wai team, it is inevitable to mention actor Tony Leung, a constant in most of his productions. It would almost be said that they are inseparable: Leung has participated in films such as ‘Chungking Express’, ‘Happy Together’, ‘Wishing to love’, ‘2046’, ‘Ashes of time’ or ‘The Grandmaster’. There is little. Without a doubt, this actor can boast of his versatility on screen. He can go from a legendary martial arts fighter to a policeman tortured by his love affairs. Although his great recognition came with ‘Wishing to love’ and his award for Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival.

a memorable scene:

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The journey in search of the noodles is one of the most famous moments of his cinema, and in particular of his masterpiece, ‘Wishing to love’. Thus, we see Maggie Cheung, with her already iconic tight and colorful dresses, walking in slow motion with her container and crossing paths, as if nothing, with her neighbor’s (Tony Leung). These are the beginnings of the erotic tension between the two, born as a result of the infidelity of their respective partners.

Wong Kar Wai’s best films

‘Wild Days’ (1990)

It was one of the director’s first films, and it already marked his interests and visual style, which we have discussed extensively in this article. In it, a group of different people try to find a connection with their environment, with the people around them and with themselves. A poetic story of great sensitivity, unavoidable for fans of the most recognizable style of Wong Kar Wai.

Chungking Express (1994)

Already considered a cult film, this two-part story perfectly reflects the filmmaker’s philosophy: loneliness and isolation, casual connections between people, the importance of destiny, and, of course, the portrait of a Hong Kong straddling tradition and modernity. Wong Kar Wai shot it on a break from filming another of his films, ‘Ashes of Time’, and it turned out to be one of his most wonderful stories. One of Coixet’s favourites.

‘Happy Together’ (1997)

At times in black and white, and later in color, this is a story of love and hate, a toxic relationship between two men who cannot live together, but neither can they be apart. With the echoes of ‘Cucurrucucú Paloma’ in its most dreamlike scenes, the film talks about love dependency and vital decisions within the framework of an LGTBI relationship in 1997.

‘Wishing to love’ (2000)

It is usually considered the best film of the 21st century and, of course, one of the best in the history of cinema. It tells a story of infidelity, in which the other members of the couple, those who have not committed such a fault, end up establishing a strange relationship that combines sexual tension and reflections of the trauma of deception. This is also the film that best achieves aesthetic perfection, the one that represents better than any other the importance of music and colors, of things that are not said out loud, of the disturbing silences of two tormented souls. And, even being carried out by such lonely and unfortunate characters, the eroticism that their conversations and encounters give off make it one of the sexiest movies ever shot.

‘2046’ (2004)

The first science fiction film signed by Wong Kar Wai can also be considered the most complex he has shot to date. Whether because of its narrative or its futuristic setting, this film is a challenge in itself. However, and at the same time, contemplating his visual aesthetics and poetics is enough to fall at his feet. The unconventional romanticism of his story is one of the great wonders of his cinema after ‘Wishing to love’.

‘My blueberry nights’ (2007)

This film is like the jar of keys that the character of Jude Law in his restaurant: a well of memories, of failed relationships, of frustrated expectations, of love found and lost, of life that advances relentlessly without taking prisoners in its path. At the singer’s acting debut Norah Jones, the filmmaker adapted his style on North American soil, yes, preserving its essence: the music, the silences, the invisible emotional connection, the loneliness. All in a story that, after all, talks about finding oneself.

‘Ashes of Time’ (1994-2008)

Shot in the early 1990s, the Hong Kong filmmaker was never happy with the end result of this martial arts film. His first wuxia was a disappointment for him, so years later he decided to reshoot some scenes and retouch the montage to finally create the work he always had in his head.

‘The Grandmaster’ (2013)

With an overwhelming initial kung fu fight in the rain, the last film that Wong Kar Wai has signed to date begins. Biopic of ip-manteacher Bruce Leethe film is the second wuxia from the director and an epic adventure of great visual impact. Like ‘Ashes of time’, it moves away from the more intimate plots to which we are accustomed, but that does not mean that it abandons its maxims. His action adventure is not so much about winners and losers, as usual, but about the art of fighting and understanding the tradition of his homeland.