Hong Kong is the focus of the news these days, and that was another reason to be very curious to see ‘Chungking Express‘, a film made in 1994, a few years before the start of the process in which Hong Kong will return – in half a century – to be an integral part of China. Director Kar-Wai Wong enjoys considerable prestige, and this film in particular has one of the highest ratings. However, the viewing experience has only partially met expectations. ‘Chungking Express‘ turned out to be a special film, with many interesting film-making details, but it did not manage to resonate for me neither by story, nor by the way in which its heroes act on screen.
The intention of the director Kar-Wai Wong was likely to present one of the categories of characters that had made Hong Kong films famous at that time – the cops – in a completely different light. Instead of fighting with gangsters in gunshots duels or sophisticated martial arts choreographies, the two cops from the two successive stories from which the film is built are … in love. There are some violent scenes in the first story, but the one involved is not the policeman but rather the woman he falls in love and near whom he will spend the night, without knowing that she is involved in drug trafficking and homicides. The two successive stories have nothing to do with each other but one single transitional scene, and the fact that the two cops in the two stories are each struggling with loneliness, they go through not-too-happy love stories, and they eat at the same small fast-food restaurant that is the crossroad of the events in the movie.
The most beautiful and interesting part of the film is related to the cinematographic means. Director Kar-Wai Wong is a master of film shots at different speeds, combined at editing so that the viewers’ attention is directed to the experiences of the characters on the screen. Filming took place in downtown Hong Kong, I visited the city several times and recognized some of the places, with narrow streets, markets and restaurants, slopes and escalators, artificial lights and noises that create the unique atmosphere of this metropolis. The main actors are excellently chosen and live rather than they act their roles, even when they are put in less natural situations, at least for my eyes af an European spectator. The music and soundtrack are also excellent and contribute to the stylistic unity of the film. The only essential thing I lacked was emotion. What constitutes the main quality of the film is also at the end of the day the difference that separates this good and interesting film from the level of a masterpiece. Excited by his own professional skills, director Kar-Wai Wong seems to forget at one point to leave enough room for genuine emotion. Although it tells two separate stories, each of them has time to become repetitive and difficult to follow in the multitude of cinematic details. While watching ‘Chungking Express‘ I experienced a sensation that I sometimes have when visiting a richly ornate Baroque church. The richness and quantity of the details, each one admirable, makes me forget what is the purpose, the main thread of emotion and beauty of the whole construction.