The 1990s were a significant period for the growth of the Hong Kong cinema. During this time, filmmakers like Wong Kar Wai and others associated with the Hong Kong Second New Wave movement seized the opportunities created by their predecessors to tackle the contemporary issues of the city. They brought in new ideas and approaches to revitalize the industry. The well-known cultural figure Leung Ping Kwan suggested that through downplaying plot lines, the films created in this era effectively captured the anxieties and complexities of Hong Kong people's experiences and presented a variety of narratives. This essay will examine how Wong Kar Wai’s Chungking Express exemplifies Leung’s comment on the strength of the Cinema sector in Hong Kong.
Leung (2001) suggested that the exceptional characteristic of Hong Kong filmmaking lies in its successful attempt to de-emphasize plot lines. Instead, Hong Kong movies employ anon-linear structure and focus on the psychological journey of the characters and as means to challenge the narrative convention [1] . By depicting the inner struggles and complicated decision-making behind the character’s actions, nuances are added to their arcs, and it prevents the story from getting cliched. With its immersive narratives, it establishes a stronger connection and resonance, fostering empathy among the audience. These qualities align with the vision of directors like Wong, most of whose films break away from linear story development and fragment plot elements, leaving room for the audience’s own interpretations. Not only does this approach allows for a more organic exploration of the character emotions and motivations, but also capture the core values of Hong Kong’s urban landscape and its people.
Directed by Wong, the original Chinese title of the 1994 film Chungking Express [2] itself carries a symbolic relation to the urban environment of its story backdrop. It can be separated into two parts: “Chungking” and “Jungle”. The first part refers to Chungking Mansions, an infamous building known for its disordered image of businesses and residents’ ethnic diversity. Being selected by TIME as Best Example of Globalization in Action in 2007 [3], there were people from at least 120 different nationalities passed through Chungking Mansions in one year [4]. By using Chungking Mansion as the central location, Wong tried to create a virtual microcosm of the city's multiculturalism by showing the vibrant shops and bustling corridors with quick cuts. The building then becomes a visual representation of the busy city, where different culture coexists and intersect. The literal meaning of the second part means a jungle in traditional sense, but also emblematize the concrete jungle nature of Hong Kong. The word "Express" in the English title suggests rapid movement, which reflects fast-paced nature of life in the city. It also conveys a sense of urgency in the characters' desire for connection and their desire to find meaning and identity despite the chaos they are in. In the 1990s, Hong Kong people were shrouded in the anxieties and uncertainties stemming from the impending handover from British Colonial rule to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. With this social background as the backdrop, the movie viewing experience echoes with larger context of Hong Kong’s societal and cultural dynamics. Consequently, the film becomes a reflection to the global city status of Hong Kong, its cultural hybridity as a melting pot of different cultures and Hong Kong people’s struggles as a metropolis citizen.
Wong seamlessly intertwined two distinct storylines using the Montage technique, both of them explores themes of love, loneliness, and the search of connections. Throughout the film, Wong uses visual and auditory cues to delve into the characters' inner worlds. Taking the first storyline as an example, Cop 223 (played by Takeshi Kaneshiro) is processing a heartbreak at a bar, and he approaches a mysterious woman in a blonde wig (Brigette Lin) there. The woman doesn’t want to talk to Cop 223 at first but after a few drinks, they spend the night together at the hotel room. Cop 223 then finds solace in the company of the woman. Even though the woman is sleeping in the bed, Cop 223 still stay by her side and watch TV for the whole night. Not only that, Wong also further developed the character of Cop 223 by showing some scenes of him running in the playground when it is raining, which can be seen as his way to escape from escape from the trauma and process the emotions. After that, the birthday message he receives from the mysterious woman sparks a glimpse of hope in his heart. Even though their encounter is brief, it still leaves a lasting impact on Cop 223’s life. This part of the story displays the disconnection between urbanites while they still have longing for connections. These nuances add depth to the character development.Instead of describing the character’s emotions with words, this method of Wong arouses audience’s curiosity about the motives behind this action, allowing them to make their own explanation based on their own experience. One important thing to note is that most of the characters in Chungking Express are not given names or only given codes as their names, for example, Cop 223 and the woman in blonde wig. This choice of storytelling emphasizes the universality of the character personas and represents them as archetypes instead of individuals. It illustrates the anonymity of identity, reinforces the idea that the characters could be anyone in a big city, each with unique stories and aspirations. In this way, the audience can project their own selves and emotions onto the characters, making them more relatable.
Wong also uses symbolism and metaphor to outline the characters’ psychological states. The repeating motif of time is represented by scenes filming the clock and voice-over narration that count the time. The clock scenes also show the relentless passage of time. As the characters go about their day, time still ticks away. It highlights the characters’ sense of urgency to find genuine connections and the transient of relationships in a fast-paced city like Hong Kong.
In summary, Wong Kar Wai’s film ChungkingExpress is a prime example that supports Leung Ping Kwan’s perspective on the unique quality of Hong Kong cinema in the 1990s. The film successfully captures the multiplicity and complexities of the city’s stories through unconventional narrative techniques. With its exploration to the urban backdrop, fragmented structure and focus on character psychology, the film successfully articulates a virtual world that connects deeply with the audience.
[1] 也斯（2001）。香港的故事為什麼那麼難說。在香港文學@文化研究（張美君，朱耀偉編，頁11—29）。香港：牛津大學出版社(中國)有限公司。
[2] 《重慶森林》。
[3]The Best of Asia - TIME. (2007, April 27). TIME.com.
https://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/best_of_asia/article/0,28804,1614524_1614473_1614447,00.html
[4] Mathews, G. (2007). CHUNGKING MANSIONS:A CENTER OF" LOW-END GLOBALIZATION". Ethnology, 46(2).
Reference
也斯（2001）。香港的故事為什麼那麼難說。在香港文學@文化研究（張美君，朱耀偉編，頁11—29）。香港：牛津大學出版社(中國)有限公司。
The Best ofAsia - TIME. (2007, April 27). TIME.com. https://content.time.com/time/specials/2007/best_of_asia/article/0,28804,1614524_1614473_1614447,00.html
Mathews, G. (2007). CHUNGKING MANSIONS: ACENTER OF" LOW-END GLOBALIZATION". Ethnology, 46(2).