In the article, the author Eunice Seng analyses the film In the Mood for Love by pointing out its usage of both “spatial and temporal collage” to capture Hong Kong’s transitory feature. “Spatial” is represented by different places shot in the film such as stairs and corridors, while “temporal” can be seen from the changing cheongsams of Su Li-zhen, one of the protagonists, to show changes from 1962 to 1966 in Hong Kong.
Besides the opinions in the article that focus on the frames, I also want to emphasize how the film shows transitory feature with the title of the film. In Chinese it is named as “Hua Yang Nian Hua”, which means “blossoming times”. From the perspective of plot itself, the relationship between Chow and Su is like the blossoming flower. Their affective feelings towards each other are cautious and beautiful, but the story between them is as temporary as the moment when flower blossoms. To see from a broader sense, the title also implies that Hong Kong in transition was in its “beautiful” time. Hong Kong has experienced many changes in that period. Many people chose to work outside Hong Kong, like Chow who at the end went to Singapore, and Su’s husband who was always in Japan for work. “Everything belongs to that era no longer exists”, that’s what makes the temporary era precious as blossoming. Chow and Su’s blossom-like story of falling love and farewell is also the inevitable result of the era when everything is in flux.
Wang You
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Good summarization and effective use of the analogy of the blossoming flower, conveying the transience of the moment very well. Have you considered other ways to convey temporal change aside from how the film depicts it? How do you feel about these moments? Do you think a similar story could be told with a different timeframe?