LYT: You have included every element of postmodern cinema in Ashes of Time—the music, the editing, and the non-monolithic expression. From a certain viewpoint, you have secretly changed the form and nature of genre films; you have slightly revised the essence of genre films.
WKW: This is true for As Tears Go By and Ashes of Time. Days of Being Wild is more complicated.
LYT: Days of Being Wild is a mixture of several conflicting styles.
WKW: I have personally found four: the first is the postmodern style, which you know well; the second is seen in the scenes with Leslie Cheung and Carina Lau, which resembles the flirting scenes from ’50s Hollywood movies; the third is a road movie, mainly comprising the part filmed in the Philippines;…
LYT: What about the fourth?
WKW: It’s hard to describe … I feel like it could be described as film noir.
LYT: So you mean the dark, violent horror films.
WKW: Yes. Days of Being Wild is divided into four units. On the other hand, Ashes of Time is a large platter. Everything composing a wuxia movie is put into it, when the main idea is nothing about wuxia. It expresses an entirely different value system.
LYT: The fixed roles of heroes in traditional wuxia novels and films have been now totally nullified by you.
There is actually something very different between you and Steven Spielberg.
WKW: Of course, there is. His films have great box office appeal.
LYT: The premise of my statement is that there is something similar between you and him; you both try to combine some traditional elements and create new visual and psychological effects by patching and merging them.
WKW: And what’s different?
LYT: Spielberg does it smoothly, while you always leave meta trails intentionally.
WKW: We all have the impulse to re-create what we saw and experienced when we were young….. My movies before Ashes of Time were heavier. When I made Chungking Express I was already brighter. You know the problem of the world. You inevitably have to face everything as you live in the modern society. At the end you have no choice but to amuse yourself in order not to feel miserable. Chungking Express is a movie to teach you how to “entertain” yourself—you are isolated, you live by yourself, but there are many ways for you to have fun. I started to believe that my weight comes from not being mature enough. And now I am good at letting go.
LYT: Authors should be aware of the broad space for invention, for playfulness. Suppression and burdens are not everything. In your movies, we could almost see a complete miniature of the transition from existentialism to postmodernism. Do you have any strange habit that is worthwhile to exchange for a secret of others?
WKW: No.
LYT: How is your relationship with your wife? It sounds like a boring question asked by entertainment news reporters.
WKW: Normal.
NOTES
1. The Fifth Generation of Chinese directors refers to a group of filmmakers emerging in the 1980s. Most of them graduated from the Beijing Film Academy (which was forced to close down during the Cultural Revolution) in 1982. Prominent figures include Chen Kaige (Yellow Earth, 1982); Zhang Yimou (Red Sorghum, 1987); and Tian Zhuangzhuang (The Horse Thief, 1986).
2. Chungking Express was released in July and Ashes of Time was released in September.
3. The editors cannot find a foreign film shown in Hong Kong with the same translated title because the interviewer and publication are from Taiwan where film titles are sometimes different. It probably refers to The Thief of Bagdad (directors: Michael Powell, Ludwig Burger, Tim Whelan, 1940)
4. Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, and Dream of the Red Chamber are regarded as three of the Four Great Classical Novels in China.
5. Zizhi Tongjian, literally “Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance,” is a chronological narrative of the history of China. It was mainly written by Sima Guang and published in 1048 AD.
6. Gu Long (1938–1985) was famous for writing wuxia novels widely published in the Chinese-speaking world. Some were adapted into films directed by Chor Yuen, like Killer Clans (1976, based on the novel Meteor, Butterfly, Sword) and Clans of Intrigue (1977, based on the Chu Liuxiang Series).
7. Chang Cheh (1923–2002) was famous for directing many kungfu and wuxia films such as One-armed Swordsman (1967) and The Blood Brothers (1973).
A Coin of Wong Kar-wai
Gary / 1995
From City Entertainment (Hong Kong). No. 427 (pp. 33–35). Interview conducted in Cantonese in 1995. Reprinted by permission of the publisher. Translated by Micky Lee from Chinese.
Love relationships in today’s cities may no longer be about love at first sight or long-lasting love. With some fate and chance, people from different worlds may be brought together. Even a coin will do.
Images are primary in Wong Kar-wai’s films: not only are the visuals on the screen important, but so are the images evoked by dialogue. Images depicting year, month, day, hour, and minute [in Days of Being Wild] or mackerel, bolognese, and cling wrap [in Chungking Express], though not shown on the screen, appear in the audience’s minds. Dialogue conjures the richness of images.
Wong Kar-wai is very sensitive to time, number, space, and things. Through their existence (or lack thereof) on the screen, [he] shows the emotions of city dwellers. Through image and dialogue, the emotions of the characters, the director, and the audiences are brought together.
This interview recorded the director’s views on time, number, space, and things.
Gary: Your films are very creative, such as the improvisational style of Chungking Express and the fragmented, yet coherent, narrative style of Ashes of Time. What kinds of breakthroughs do you have for Fallen Angels?
Wong Kar-wai: The starting point of Fallen Angels is the three stories in Chungking Express. Due to time constraint, I only shot two stories, not the third one. Therefore, I developed the [third] story. Hence, Fallen Angels is similar to Chungking Express in some ways. But of course, I don’t want to remake Chungking Express as Fallen Angels. The style this time is somewhat different. For instance, we have used a handheld lantern, making it more colorful. The most important [difference] is the use of ultrawide angle lens, using 9.8mm as the standard lens, making the distance between the characters looks far, but in fact the characters are very close.
G: Is this feeling of being close, yet far away the message of Fallen Angels? An emotional relationship of city dwellers?
WKW: I think it is. Of course when you live in such a (small) city, the relationship between people seems to be very close, but the psychological distance is very far.
G: I remember you mentioned in an interview that when you were making Ashes of Time, you concluded a stage of filmmaking. You have finished expressing the depressing, pessimistic feelings in As Tears Go By and Days of Being Wild. The tone in Chungking Express is clearly more positive and optimistic. Does Fallen Angels have a positive tone, or do you return to the previous heavy tone?
WKW: I think the tone of Fallen Angels is positive, even though it is about having fallen. But one who is willing to fall has one’s own fun. The characters in the film are in search for this kind of fun.
G: You use a lot of night scenes in Fallen Angels; is there any purpose other than the story requires them?
WKW: Actually many things can happen at night. When we were filming, we could hide many things in the night scenes. This is particularly the case now because finding a location is getting more and more difficult. We have used up most possible locations. Using night scenes could hide many ugly things, giving it a pass.
G: Speaking of location, in addition to night scenes, your choice of locations is also very special. You usually use places that reflect and symbolize Hong Kong, such as Mong Kok in As Tears Go By,1 Tsim Sha Tsui, Chungking Mansion, and Lan Kwai Fong in Chungking Express.2 This time in Fallen Angels, you use the Hong Kong Stadium, Shanghai 369 Restaurant [in Wanchai],3 and so on. Did you have any intentions when you were choosing
the locations?
WKW: This is quite interesting; I hadn’t noticed this tendency. I only discovered I used a lot of places in Wan Chai when I made Fallen Angels. Wan Chai has two worlds that are separated by the tram track. The one close to the harbor is the world of Suzie Wong; many people have used that location. On the other side is Queen’s Road East, where there are many old things. When I was looking for locations, I gradually realized these places have been lived in and experienced by Hong Kong people—restaurants, old newspaper booths, and grocery stores more or less reflect the way of life in Hong Kong. In the very near future, I believe those places will disappear. Like, when we watch old Cantonese films at night, many old locations are no longer here, but they are preserved by those old films.4 Therefore I ask myself, “Why can’t we do the same?” Therefore, this time many stories take place in the old Wan Chai district. I was not conscious [of this], but it was a fact. Many old things in Days of Being Wild are no longer here. The residence of Leslie Cheung became a luxury residential building; Queen’s Cafe was relocated … that’s why this time I am conscious [of shooting in old districts]. I feel I should follow this direction, to preserve old things.
G: That’s like a function of cinema, which is to preserve time, to stop the course of history.
WKW: That’s right; that’s a magical thing about cinema.
G: Because of this, your films are quite nostalgic.
WKW: I don’t think they are nostalgic, only that I will miss things after they disappear. I think now I only want to preserve, to stop time, to fix things on the reel. Later when the audience sees this film, they may not like the story, but they learn something about events that happened in the past.
G: Just now you mentioned Fallen Angels is a bit like Chungking Express in terms of the positive tone, but some would say Fallen Angels is a hybrid between As Tears Go By and Chungking Express. What do you think?
WKW: If this is the way of thinking, then is the style of every film a hybrid of previous films? Not just one or two? Because I direct every film, I more or less build up the experiences. In addition, some characters have to be played by certain actors. I can’t randomly mix up the films. For example, the characters of Andy Lau and Jacky Cheung in As Tears Go By can’t be played by Leon Lai [in Fallen Angels], and Andy Lau may not be suitable for Fallen Angels. Every actor has his or her unique aura.
G: This time the cast of Fallen Angels is all new and young. Is there any special meaning? Are they as innocent as angels?
WKW: I chose them, first, because of film budget; many first-tier actors are too expensive, [using them] will make the film become a big budget one. At this point I don’t want to make big budget films. A budget like Chungking Express gave me a more comfortable space, making the process more relaxing, and the outcome is not bad.
Also, now in Hong Kong there aren’t too many new actors; there are only a few of them. In order to give the audience a fresh feeling, I want to use more new faces. Takeshi Kaneshiro, Faye Wong, and Valerie Chow were well received in Chungking Express. If this was the case, then why not use new actors?
G: Your films are always about the love relationship of city dwellers, but often it is about being in a wrong place and being lost. What do you think?
WKW: I feel the biggest problem with city dwellers is that they love themselves more than others; that’s why their loved ones are not that important. What is important is whether they have fun or not during this process. Now everyone knows how to protect him/herself; everyone understands loving someone can often hurt. But some could find fun in the process of being hurt because most city dwellers love themselves more, [and] they are reserved toward others.
G: I recently came across an interview in which you talked about how filmmakers are only repackaging “old canned food.” To you, do you have any new ways that make repackaging more creative?
WKW: This is not about whether the repackaging can be more creative or not, but I rearrange existing things. The rearranging process is actually another type of creation. In actuality, the subject matters and genres of many films have been used, but [I] only rearrange, making these things more modern in style. Because now we are experiencing a habit, just like seeing films is a habit. When you reverse the order of events in a narrative, you may feel surprised. Afterwards when you are used to this, you don’t see the problem anymore. This is how we live.
G: What is special about the soundtrack this time? Do you have popular songs like California Dreaming in Chungking Express?
WKW: This time we have Taiwanese songs; they are related to the plot … actually the songs in the films are usually what I listen to; the only exception is Ashes of Time. Because this film needs a consistent soundtrack, I thought I’d use dramatic music like that of Morricone. Because the soundtrack of westerns and wuxia is dramatic, I wanted to create that effect.
G: Some time ago I heard that you wanted to make a film from a screenplay written by your father. Will this be the next project after Fallen Angels?
WKW: I don’t think I could afford it yet because this film will be very expensive. It is about China in 1949. At that time Chinese were exiled from Shanghai to Guangzhou, and from Guangzhou to Hong Kong. The story is about how five women faced historical changes. Because the entire story touches upon a few decades, the budget is going to be big. That’s why I set it aside until it is the right time to make it.
G: The two stories in Chungking Express are linked together when Takeshi Kaneshiro and Faye Wong meet. Is there anything about fate and chance [in Fallen Angels]?
WKW: This time everything starts with a coin. Just like that, it really begins …
G: But how does this coin make the story begin?
(The director refused to answer this question. It looks like this coin is extremely important for us to understand the plot: it links the stories between Leon Lai/ Michele Reis and Takeshi Kaneshiro/Charlie Young.)
NOTES
1. The Chinese title of As Tears Go By is Mong Kok Carmen. Mong Kok is a densely populated area in Kowloon with a mix of residential and commercial areas. It is a place where gangsters have their bases.
2. Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon is a commercial area. Chungking Mansion is located in Tsim Sha Tsui. Lan Kwai Fong in Central is populated with bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. It is highly popular with expatriates, trendy Hong Kong youngsters, and the middle class.
3. Wan Chai is a district in Hong Kong Island where old neighborhoods are gradually gentrified into new commercial areas. Skyscrapers are built upon landfills in Victoria Harbour.
4. Local television stations used to play old Cantonese films produced by various Hong Kong studios after midnight to fill airtime.
The Film Supermarket of Wong Kar-wai
Gary Mak / 1995
From City Entertainment (Hong Kong). No. 428 (pp. 24–27). Interview conducted in Cantonese in 1995. Reprinted by permission of the publisher. Translated by Micky Lee from Chinese.
Wong Kar-wai is an oddity in Hong Kong cinema, he may even be a miracle. His films have been heatedly debated among film critics; the way he makes films is also a subject of debate inside and outside the film industry. His films receive positive and negative reviews equally. To Wong, making films is like producing merchandise for a supermarket: there are different kinds of goods as well as different ways to produce them.
Gary Mak: This time you use ultra-wide angle lens to shoot Fallen Angels, which distorted the sense of space. Why did you have such a concept? Is it related to the expression of the contents?
Wong Kar-wai: Because the space in Hong Kong has become smaller (laugh) … therefore, we often have to use wide angle. If we are already using wide angle, why don’t we try something more extreme? So we tried the widest lens. We rely on wide angle to make a four hundred-square-feet room in Hong Kong look spacious, to make the spaces in Hong Kong become slightly larger.
GM: But in terms of content, would that help to express the relations between the characters?
WK
W: After a while, the use of wide angle cannot be separated from the plot. At first, because of the small space, we used a wide angle. We found the outcome to be not so bad, so we continued using it. On the other hand, ultra-wide angle lens would distort the perspective seen through the lens. The distance between the characters looks far away, but in fact they are very close. This fits well with the relations between the characters.
GM: If we look at it more carefully, this [way of shooting] distorts the distance between the characters and the audience: it looks like [the characters and the audience are] very close, but in fact it is very far away. Does this echo the theme of “too close, yet too far” between the characters? Or did you try to involve the audience in the film?
WKW: I reserve the answer for you critics to write about.
GM: So, when you were creating this film, did you think of using this film language to express some messages?
WKW: I never think about message when I make films. I merely rely on intuition: if intuition tells me this is the way to do it, then I will go ahead and do it.
GM: And the intuition comes to you on the set?
WKW: Not necessarily. Sometimes I feel the outcome is not as good as I thought, but sometimes it is better than I thought. Sometimes I don’t have to be on the set [to have the intuition]. I only think of the image for tomorrow’s shooting. All these are intuitions.
GM: When it comes to the stage of script, how prepared are you?
WKW: I leave many cues; I understand the relationships between the characters. I mostly know how the plot would develop. But we cannot control time; we cannot spend much time working on the screenplay, then do casting after refining the screenplay. From the point of view of an independent production, very often we have the casting first; then we find distributors; then we negotiate the deadline to turn in the final cut.
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