Everyday space as narrative
Wang Ching Jason 3036271459
Directed by Wong Kar Wei, “In the Mood for Love” portrayed the image of Hong Kong in the 1960s through looking into the protagonist’s entrapments in their own lives, seeking solace in each other’s companionship after discovering their spouses’ infidelity.
The movie captures a handful of locations, each filmed in the same angle, giving the audience a circular effect experience of returning again and again to the same things. This technique isolates against fixed backgrounds, the things that are changing in the film, that is the private lives of the two leads. They also put focuses on framing the glances and subtle gestures between the two to narrate their inner lives wordlessly. From the small alleyways to the cramped flats of 1960s Hong Kong, these settings become extensions of the individuals, infused with their wants, secrets, and unfulfilled longings.
Moreover, the movie is also doubly framed, by placing objects in the foreground, to enhance the feeling of the protagonist being observed, as well as our feelings as observers. It is also to demonstrate the constant surveillance from landlord.
“In the Mood for Love” is a meditation on the transience of human bonds. The characters’ meetings are short, with intimate times confined to their common places. The film’s methodical tempo and restrained dialogue immerse us in their emotional journeys, producing a sense of longing and melancholy that pervades every frame.