Wong Kar-wai

by Silver Wai-ming Lee

  Therefore, when we see Faye Wong with an afro hairdo and broken alleys with graffiti on the wall, we know Wong has succeeded again. Other commercials have gorgeous costumes and beautiful sceneries, but they are all rejected by Wong. He makes commercials the way he makes movies—wild and passionate. This is indeed eye-opening.

  Why did Motorola choose Wong? “Our corporate value is creativity enriched by inner strength. When we look at the entertainment business, there is no one like Wong Kar-wai and Faye Wong who can reflect our value. The former is also the sole leader of the industry; this is another similarity between us,” a Motorola marketing representative told me.

  The theme of this Motorola commercial is oddly simple: communication between people. The slogan is “Open the sky of communication.” This is nothing new (other commercials have used “Communication is X.”), but Wong has returned to the basics and developed his piece from a basic idea. This attitude exemplifies a proverb in the West: “The most sophisticated is simplicity,” and the commercial opens up the sky of art for Motorola.

  The good thing about Wong’s films is not only the new technique, but also the genuine emotion. Days of Being Wild is plain and simple, but the emotions of the actors are naturally and genuinely expressed, unlike those embarrassing [emotional] exaggerations in Hong Kong films. That is why [Days] is persuasive as is this Motorola commercial. No matter how blinding the special effects other commercials have, Wong wins the audience’s heart by the rich emotions in this Motorola ad. Therefore, the commercial is not just a commercial, but it is also a film. I regard it as a short film directed by Wong, and wonder how the future film Summer in Beijing1 would be. (Isn’t it a story between a Japanese guy and a Beijing girl?)

  Yik Ming: How do you describe your relationship with mobile phones?

  Wong Kar-wai: I don’t use them often.

  YM: What is your expectation for this commercial?

  WKW: Motorola expects a commercial different from others, so do I.

  YM: What atmosphere does the art director, William Chang, want to create? How does he style the protagonists? Do they look good?

  WKW: There is a common misunderstanding that an art director is responsible for helping the stars’ make-up. But this is not the responsibility of an art director. An art director is in charge of the visual presentation. I think William Chang is a responsible art director. We mostly use primary and monotonous colors and avoid a riot of colors.

  YM: The commercial runs for three minutes. Does it mean you condense a feature film into a three-minute one?

  WKW: It is different. In terms of form, a three-minute short film isn’t equal to one-thirtieth of a ninety-minute film. A three-minute short film requires another form. For example, a feature film is like a novel, a three-minute short film may be like prose or something short.

  YM: There is a thirty-second version of this commercial. What are some difficulties when you tell a story in thirty seconds?

  WKW: That’s why I didn’t try to present a story because of the time limit. I present a message instead. As the commercial is about the communication function of a mobile phone, it serves the purpose once the commercial associates itself with communication.

  YM: What is the theme of this commercial?

  WKW: Communication.

  YM: What is the main difference in techniques between making a commercial and a film?

  WKW: You have a lot of resources when making a movie. You may develop your ideas one by one. But when you film a thirty-second commercial, you have to get straight to the point as you count to three.

  YM: Is the Faye Wong in the short film more like her true self, a model in the commercial, or a character in your feature films?

  WKW: I think she is the mixture of all three. I can’t see Faye Wong herself in the short film. But as Faye Wong plays the character called “Faye Wong” in this commercial, the public perception of Faye fits into who Faye is [as a character in the commercial]. And this is a Motorola commercial, so these three [images] can coexist.

  YM: How many characters are there in the commercial?

  WKW: Just two: a man and a woman. I think two is enough as the theme is communication between people.

  YM: Which scene in the commercial is the most difficult to make?

  WKW: The scene with the pinball machine. The venue made it difficult. We had planned to shoot [this scene] for a long time, but the venue did not give permission. We had to move to another location and decorate it again, so we were in a hurry. I think this was the most difficult case.

  YM: You have chosen some special locations like “Tong Lau” [old residential buildings], “fruit wholesale market,” and “night club.” Is there any special meaning about these venues?

  WKW: I think these locations are suitable for shooting. Actually, daily lives mainly take place at home, in public places, and in crowded venues.

  YM: From which social class are the male and female protagonists? What are their personalities like?

  WKW: I don’t think they represent a particular class. They represent themselves. They could be anybody from any class.

  YM: What is the difference between using a male and a female as the protagonist in the mobile phone commercial?

  WKW: I am not sexist. I think they are the same.

  YM: You have collaborated with William Chang and Christopher Doyle many times. Do you have a good working relationship with them?

  WKW: Yes, we do not need to explain much to each other. I did not mention what kind of images and lighting I expected, but we got the anticipated effects naturally when it came to shooting.

  YM: Do you think art means creating something new?

  WKW: Not necessarily. I think one cannot make art when one is being conscious. Art is something natural.

  YM: Do you have any unforgettable moments or new thoughts during the process from planning, shooting, to editing?

  WKW: Every shooting is just a process. It is like when you go swimming in the winter; you consider it for a long time. Then you feel bone-chilled, so you walk back and forth. You eventually jump into the water, getting back to the shore after a quick lap. The advantage of shooting this commercial is it only took me a short period of time. It is like you do not need to swim for that long.

  YM: In your opinion, is there any kind of special spark between Faye Wong and Tadanobu Asano in the commercial?

  WKW: I don’t think they are like a couple in the commercial. They are like kids instead. Many adults have their inner child. In the act, they are like two kids.

  YM: What is the relationship between the two protagonists? During the shooting or the recess, did they have good communication?

  WMW: From my point of view, during the shooting or the recess, they were curious about each other, but they found it difficult to chat. Just like [the characters] in the commercial, they are clueless about how to chat with each other. Behind the scene, the language barrier might make their communication difficult.

  YM: In your opinion, why did Motorola invite you to direct the commercial?

  WKW: As per Motorola, the reason of picking me and Faye for the commercial is because they believe Motorola, Faye, and I are a “perfect combination.” Faye is a pop diva in Asia, and Motorola is the leader in mobile devices. They hope I will use an innovative way to illustrate the theme of “Open the sky of communication.”

  YM: There are many special scenes, like playing pinball and snowing. What do they signify?

  WKW: I wanted to experiment filming them.

  YM: Have you experimented with anything you haven’t had [in your films] in this commercial?

  WKW: It is like a stutterer who tries to tell a story without a pause—telling a ninety-minute story in half a minute.

  YM: How did you feel after the last shot?

  WKW: I wanted to go home and sleep as soon as possible.

  YM: Does Faye’s performance fulfill your requirement?

  WKW: There isn’t much difference [between her performance in this c
ommercial and that in the film]. She is just as eccentric as usual. The main difference is she used to be quiet, but she is talkative now.

  YM: Why did you choose Asano as the male character?

  WKW: Because he meets the requirement of the character, not because we are old friends.

  YM: How is Asano’s performance? Do you want to work with him again in the future?

  WKW: At first we did not fully understand each other due to the language barrier. But he worked very hard, and we now trust each other. If there is an opportunity, we will work with each other again.

  YM: How do you feel working with Faye again? Do you want to work with her again in the future?

  WKW: I haven’t worked with Faye for two or three years. This opportunity gave us a chance to be together again. When the shooting started, we needed time to warm up. If timing allows, we will work with each other again.

  YM: Your previous work is artistic while the advertisement is commercial. Do you think they are in conflict?

  WKW: Anything is OK as long as it has good quality.

  YM: Do you think this commercial maintains your artistic style? Would you describe this as a piece of art?

  WKW: I am very thankful that Motorola has given me great freedom to film this advertisement. I am satisfied with the outcome. It is the audience who has the right to decide if it is a piece of art or not. I think this commercial aligns with my style.

  YM: Is there any insufficiency?

  WKW: There are always limitations in filming, like timing, budget, and space. I can only do the best within the limitations.

  YM: As per the advertising agency of Motorola, this commercial is a perfect combination of the three of you. What do you think?

  WKW: I feel this has been a happy process. Motorola’s trust in me and the ad agency’s effort have made it a good collaborative experience.

  NOTE

  1. Summer in Beijing is supposedly a feature film by Wong but was never finished or released.

  Each Film Has Its Own Ounce of Luck

  Michel Ciment and Hubert Niogret /1997

  From Positif (France). No. 442 (pp. 8–14). Interview conducted in English. Reprinted by permission of the publisher. Translated from French by M. A. Salvodon © 2015.

  Michel Ciment and Hubert Niogret: A double originality marks the film [Happy Together] from the beginning: a Hong Kong director decides to make a film in Buenos Aires with the tango as a musical leitmotiv, and he begins a homosexual relationship in the most direct manner, without any “aesthetization” or bad taste.

  Wong Kar-wai: Before making the film, I thought that since the story was taking place in Buenos Aires, it would also be a film about this city. Upon arriving, I realized that this was not the case. And neither is it a gay film. I wanted to tell a love story between two men. After Chungking Express and Fallen Angels, many people copied these two films in Asia. A few days ago, in the office of a Korean distributor, I discovered a trailer of a film, it seems, is a hit in its country of origin. Yet everything, the music, the camera movement, the montage are all taken from my two films. They nicknamed the director the “Korean Wong Kar-wai!” That was a warning for me: I had to go forward. I then told my chief cinematographer that this time we should do something different. This was another reason I made Happy Together because after Fallen Angels, everyone asked me if I was going to make a film on Hong Kong 1997, which is to say, the return of my city to China. Since I didn’t know anything about it, I thought that the best way to avoid answering the question was to go make a movie abroad. I am a fan of Manuel Puig’s novels, and one of them is called The Buenos Aires Affair. I liked the title, and [it] gave me the idea to go film in this city that was somewhat the antithesis of Hong Kong. Then little by little, as I was making Happy Together, I distanced myself a little from the initial project, and, finally, it was as if I had re-created Hong Kong in Buenos Aires.

  MC&HN: The film owes nothing to Manuel Puig.

  WKW: No, it isn’t an adaptation of any of his novels, but I did want to pay homage to my favorite novelist. Then I became aware that the title, The Buenos Aires Affair, would be on the wrong track because it would focus too much on the importance of the city, so I preferred calling it Happy Together.

  MC&HN: Yet the film offers a very original perspective on Buenos Aires, which is far from the touristic stereotypes and close to a certain reality.

  WKW: This may be true for you, but I think that Argentinian viewers would criticize me for not showing their city enough. But that wasn’t my goal: I wanted to depict the world in which these two young men belong, and, in some way, they are reduced to the room they inhabit. The person who scouted for locations with me was often surprised by my choice of locations, but I was guided by the smells, the lights of the places I visited. I made the film in the La Boca neighborhood, which is one of the most dangerous in Buenos Aires. Everyone was a little afraid, including the actors. I don’t know why, but I thought that these places evoked Kowloon, this Hong Kong district that I identify with so easily. The hotel where we made the movie was very cheap: a room costs five dollars a night. And the place was full of suspicious people, including gangsters who were hanging out nearby. Some who were clearly dangerous demanded that we give them money. But I know these types, and I was glad to be filming there. This neighborhood brought me closer to my world because other parts of Buenos Aires seemed very unfamiliar. The ambience was completely foreign to me, and, clearly, the city is more of a European city than a South American one. It’s somewhat the opposite of Hong Kong as I show it in the film. I also wanted to film at a faster speed because Buenos Aires has a rhythm that’s too slow for me!

  MC&HN: You are not the first heterosexual filmmaker to approach the topic of homosexuality. But like Stephen Frears, you avoid both sentimentalism and explicit provocation that we often find in gay films. In the end, you film the homosexual couple in the way that you would film a heterosexual couple.

  WKW: That’s the reason I open the film with a lovemaking sequence. I approach it directly, very explicitly, to show that this is a part of their lives, like sharing a meal or washing clothes. Romanticism did not interest me. I like the idea of a viewer arriving late and, having missed this first sequence, he could think that this is a story about two brothers. During filming, I would often ask Christopher Doyle, my chief cinematographer, and William Chang, my editor: “Is my film gay?” But once the film was done, I understood that it was simply a love story.

  MC&HN: What importance do you give to improvisation in a film like Happy Together?

  WKW: It’s a rather funny story. Before leaving for Buenos Aires, I had a two-page synopsis, and I was convinced that this was the first time that I had felt so sure about my story. Before beginning a film, Lai Yiu-fai (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) was leaving for Buenos Aires because his father had been killed there without any apparent reason. Then he realized that he was looking for someone he [the father] loved in Buenos Aires. At the end, he realized that this person was a man, Ho Powing (Leslie Cheung). I was sure I had a dramatic story. But I then realized that this synopsis had too many different stories: the search, Tony’s problems in Hong Kong, his father’s life, his relationship with his male lover from ten years ago. This seemed very complicated to me, especially since I only had one month of filming because Leslie had to return to Hong Kong for a concert. On top of this, we were in the middle of a worker’s strike, and we were having problems with production. Time was flying by, and I decided to write the simplest narrative, a road movie, once again with the new encounter of these two men from Hong Kong, who meet in Buenos Aires without knowing why.

  MC&HN: It’s a road movie, possibly, but in a room!

  WKW: And even in a kitchen! Still, by radically changing the story, I was left without a script to speak of. At the beginning, I had a few pages, but I did write some scenes the night before filming, and even on the set, just before filming.

  MC&HN: During the three months that you were scouting for locations in the c
ity, what did you learn?

  WKW: At first, I tried to understand Buenos Aires and its inhabitants. But quickly, I realized that I didn’t have time to open myself to the outside world and that instead I needed to focus because I have the tendency to get distracted by a thousand pervading details. If I see an ashtray, I want to shoot it. This would have been dangerous for me to spread myself out like that, and I wanted to turn all of my attention to the scenes we needed to film. Moreover, I’m the scriptwriter, the director, and the producer, and having brought over a team of thirty people from Hong Kong with me, it was an expensive undertaking. These are people I have worked with for years, and they realized that I was having problems with the production and the story. If I had filmed it in Hong Kong, it would have been different because at the end of the day, everyone goes back home, and this way one can relax. But here we were all lodged in the same place, and, in the morning, we looked at each other, said nothing, but knew that you’re worried. It’s as if every day, we found each other in a room with multiple screens under constant surveillance, and this creates a certain tension! Every time there was a Chinese holiday, the desire to go back to Hong Kong returned, especially since our stay—which was supposed to last two months—was extended to four months because of all the hassle.

  MC&HN: Was the theme of the Iguazu Falls planned from the very beginning of the story as you were restructuring your project?

  WKW: I must tell you that our main problem was finding lodging for the two protagonists. With my art director, William Chang (who is also my editor), we were lucky because we quickly found where they would be living. So, he and his collaborators got to work on transforming the apartment, finding the wallpaper, et cetera. They discovered the San Elmo flea markets, which is an Italian neighborhood in Buenos Aires, and a lamp with a lampshade that had an imprint of the Fall. In fact, they bought similar lamps, and one was in my room. Looking at the imprint, I saw two guys looking at a waterfall. This seemed a beautiful story to include in my film: the idea of a man who wants to share his happiness with another man by going to look at a waterfall. This gave them a common goal and helped us to structure the narrative.