Tuesday, September 28, 2004
The Chungking Express
I shall be seeing a wide range of films in the next three years and many, I fear, will be like Chungking Express. I shall have to reconcile myself to the absence of elements I take for granted otherwise i.e coherence and meaning. For the sake of my own sanity, I shall have to treat certain films like dreams; not bother to look for purpose nor ask silly questions like "Where is this going?!" Alas, such old habits are not broken easily and I would truly appreciate due warning on the lines of "Remember Chungking Express? This is like that..."
Following is my thoughts on this ...ugh, words fail me... wierd, boring, tortuous movie; which I have to collect for a discussion the next class.
The first viewing of The Chungking Express reveals a film with a mix of unconventional narrative structure, parallel as well as consecutive stories, repetition of certain songs, fast camera movements with the attitude of "Who cares where this is going?" that can leave the unsuspecting audience member dazed, rattled and generally scrambling to get off the ride.
The second viewing might help better appreciate the technical aesthetics of the film. The spectrum of colours, the camera cutting through cramped spaces and the various locations portrayed the sheer vastness of the Big City in the global world that its residents might not truly comprehend. The camera shakes, vision blurs and the world flies by during scrambles and chases, immersing the audience in the experience.
The bad aftertaste, though, might be the result of an overdosage of California Dreaming, characters that move in mysterious ways and the void created by lack of purpose. The film starts with promise, splashing glimpses of the main characters of the first story, but feelings of exasperation set in. The entire movie is akin to a dream, held together by delicate threads of reason, zipping through and lingering in parts.
Chugking Express undoubtedly breaks traditions of film-making and deserves to be recognized for it. On the other hand, it may make an audience member recognize the importance of oft taken for granted elements, like plot.
Following is my thoughts on this ...ugh, words fail me... wierd, boring, tortuous movie; which I have to collect for a discussion the next class.
The first viewing of The Chungking Express reveals a film with a mix of unconventional narrative structure, parallel as well as consecutive stories, repetition of certain songs, fast camera movements with the attitude of "Who cares where this is going?" that can leave the unsuspecting audience member dazed, rattled and generally scrambling to get off the ride.
The second viewing might help better appreciate the technical aesthetics of the film. The spectrum of colours, the camera cutting through cramped spaces and the various locations portrayed the sheer vastness of the Big City in the global world that its residents might not truly comprehend. The camera shakes, vision blurs and the world flies by during scrambles and chases, immersing the audience in the experience.
The bad aftertaste, though, might be the result of an overdosage of California Dreaming, characters that move in mysterious ways and the void created by lack of purpose. The film starts with promise, splashing glimpses of the main characters of the first story, but feelings of exasperation set in. The entire movie is akin to a dream, held together by delicate threads of reason, zipping through and lingering in parts.
Chugking Express undoubtedly breaks traditions of film-making and deserves to be recognized for it. On the other hand, it may make an audience member recognize the importance of oft taken for granted elements, like plot.
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A few months into your MassCom program, hopefully things would have started to sink in... how r u liking it?
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