Chungking Express
Wong
Kar Wai, 1994
Synopsis
In Chungking Express film, the narrative comprises two different stories, in the sequence, telling about two Hong Kong policemen romance story. This two stories have no obvious connection.
First
Story
The first story
relate about a police He Qiwu who was born from Taiwan, also known as “223”. Qiwu’s
girlfriend May was break up with him on 1 April which is the April Fool’s Day.
Qiwu’s birthday is on 1 May and every day he will buys a tin of pineapple with
an expiration date of 1 May. In the end of this time, he feels want to forget
his previous lover and rejoined with a new romance. Meanwhile, a mysterious
woman with a blonde hair was tried to survive in the underworld who knows she
is a smuggling operation in drug.
When that day is
Qiwu’s birthday, 1 May, he is try to looking for romance and he say that the first
woman was came in the bar, he will go to pursue on her. So, he try to
approaches the woman, but the woman neglect him. However, the woman feel tired
out and fall asleep. Qiwu take her to a hotel room and leaving him alone all
night, in all night he just watch the old movie and order many food to eat. When
he want to leave the room, he help the woman to take off her shoes and cleaning
it. After that, the woman leaves the hotel in the morning and she kills the
foreigner who’s a drug baron. Meanwhile, Qiwu was goes to jogging and he
receives a message on his pager is wishing him a ‘Happy Birthday’. Later, He
went to the food stall where he bump into a new staff, Faye. At that the
time, the second story was begins of the film.
Moreover, in this
film also portrait that language barrier. Mostly they are spoke in English in
the scene, but in a scene have two Indians use their language communicate. So,
that blonde wig woman was very irritated because she unable to understand what
they are talking. In the scene, there are convey to the Hong Kong people difficulty
to communicate with the Indians because they unable to understand their native language.
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Second
Story
In the second
story, an unnamed police as “663” is same with the first story, dealing with a
break up. This time he break up with a flight attendant. Everyday 663 will stop
by the food stall to pick up food for his girlfriend. At there he meets a new
stuff, name Faye, but she secretly fall in love him. One day, 663’s girlfriend
waits for him at the food stall, but that day 663 is on his day off. So, she
just leaves a letter for the food stall owner to give to the 663. After, the
food stall owner secretly to open the letter and read it. Everyone in the food stall already read the letter, they were assumed the flight attendant want to
tell to the 663 that their relationship is over. Then, Faye is the last reader and
she saw the envelope has a spare keys to the 663’s apartment.
Faye uses the
keys occasionally into his apartment by day to redecorate and clean his living.
One day, 663 suddenly back early to his apartment bumped into Faye and he asked
Faye how she can get into his apartment. Faye honestly tells him of the letter
but he didn’t read the letter. At that time, Faye was stand by him and help him
to cheer up. Eventually, he realizes that Faye likes him and date her at the
restaurant “California”. Yet, Faye never go to the date and didn’t appear in
the food stall too. After, Faye’s cousin was tell 663 Faye left for California.
In the last
scene, Faye was become a flight attendant and back to Hong Kong. Afterwards,
she go back to the food stall and finds the 663 is converting into a restaurant
be a stuff. At that time, they are remain ambiguous.
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Chungking Express
is a unique film from Wong Kar Wai. This film is explores the themes of
identity, disconnection, loneliness, and isolation in the “metaphoric concrete
jungle” of modern Hong Kong. Its have a strong similarities to the
French New Wave from art movement.
Indians
Immigrated to Hong Kong
Everyone
officially known as Hong Kong is an autonomous territory on the southern coast
of China. Most people live in that country is Chinese. However, in this film “Chungking
Express”, in the first story there have a lot of scene is shooting Indians. This
is to portrait a lot of Indians immigrated in Hong Kong because comparison to
India. Hong Kong its completely free economy and low tax rates in the country.
There also very easily to get residency comparison to other countries. Besides
that, they can get a higher income job and has inexpensive living. So, in this
film there are portrait the blonde wig woman was hired three Indians be her
smuggling helper.
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Style
of Hong Kong
In this film,
both of these stories are telling about being alone in the city. Besides that,
there also telling about 223 and 663 journeys, not their destinations. 223 is
any good at his job, but failed in his love. After he meet a mystery blonde wig
woman in the bar. That mystery woman fall asleep and 223 send her to a hotel.
All night 223 just look at the woman until next morning, he just leaves from
the room. In the scene, there are portrait Hong Kong cinema always similarly
with this scene. It also represents that they consigned career, love and their
responsibilities. On the other hand, 663 also faced his break up with his
girlfriend. He go to food stall noticed a new stuff, Faye. After, Faye was fall
in love with 663, but she leaves to Californian became a flight attendant. In
this scene, there portrait a girl has fall in love with a guy, never forgot and
will come back to meet the guy. It represents that who fall in love will never
easy to forget it.
Furthermore, in
this film there have feature is about airplane and air stewardess because it
has play a role in this both stories. Most of the Hong Kong cinema there have
used about airplane and air stewardess. It give audience feel enjoy freedom and
also can know the service way in Hong Kong airline. They also play about love
story, conflict and other. In this film, there also show about that, in the
first story have a scene show out a flight attendant came out form the airport.
On the other hand, in the second story also have flight attendant that is 663’s
girlfriend, but they are break up. There also have a scene that 663 are playing
the airplane and put into his girlfriend’s behind. Then, Faye also be a flight
attendant return from Californian. In the scene, there are portrait that Hong
Kong people like find a job in airport or airplane because not only in this
film have, most the Hong Kong cinema also have using this type.
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Hong
Kong Pop Culture
Chungking
Express is part about Asian fantasies of America. In this film, Faye was infatuated
listening to a CD of “Californian Dreamin” song during she work in the food
stall. The blonde wig woman has more look as western style, she dressed as a
generic femme fatale in raincoat, blonde wig and sunglasses. Besides that,
there also often shown they are eating fast-food and going to bar. In this
film, most is depicting western than eastern.
On the other
hand, Hong Kong’s identity cannot always be add together through by east and
west sensibilities. In Hong Kong film is effectively devise and revealing its
own identity. In this film “Chungking Express” the policeman wearing their
uniform, its can give them an identity their country.
In conclusion, “Chungking
Express” film directed by Wong Kar Wai is unique film because of its reachable
appeal to in internationalization pop culture. This film also have showing out
culture of Hong Kong and environment.
