I was fortunate enough to have seen the Philippine premiere of Wong Kar- Wai's "In The Mood For Love" back in 2001. I have never heard of this director prior to seeing the film. I was with Sealdi, my college bestfriend, and we had close to zilch expectations when we sat ourselves in the not-so-crowded theater, waiting for the show to start.
It was love at first sight. The movie struck me in so many ways that no other single romance flick had ever done. The musical score sets the pacing of the movie, setting the two lead characters who live in the same area in Hongkong in the 1960s in a romantic mood-- unfortunately, being both married, they're not easily going to give in to this atmosphere of romance. Wong Kar-Wai deceives the audience with his playful use of the environment and the circumstances to conjure a poignant love story which, technically, never started and never concluded.
Everything sways to the lulling tune of "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas" (literally meaning Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps) and hypnotizes and excites the audience set to the mood of love--the sheer elegance and suaveness of the clothes of Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan, the way they brush past each other while walking along the rustic and raw corridor and stairways of their apartment, the smoke slowly slithering from Chow's cigarette, and the mere taboo that surrounds and reminds them of their social standing and reputation as decent married individuals--these are the aphrodisiacs being fed upon us by the master chef WKW who ultimately leads us back to the reality of things--a world which is not in love, unsympathetic, jaded, and judgmental of our human weaknesses.
The mood for love intoxicates us and promises a catastrophic hangover. Chow and Chan chose to remain sober--and there's a certain beauty to their unconsummated story.
But why do we, ordinary mortals, give in to the insane, enigmatic, foolish world of love? Because we just do. In the real world of love, we're stupid and bored--and we try to make our own sullen/romantic/deceiving blue funk called love.
It was love at first sight. The movie struck me in so many ways that no other single romance flick had ever done. The musical score sets the pacing of the movie, setting the two lead characters who live in the same area in Hongkong in the 1960s in a romantic mood-- unfortunately, being both married, they're not easily going to give in to this atmosphere of romance. Wong Kar-Wai deceives the audience with his playful use of the environment and the circumstances to conjure a poignant love story which, technically, never started and never concluded.
Everything sways to the lulling tune of "Quizas, Quizas, Quizas" (literally meaning Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps) and hypnotizes and excites the audience set to the mood of love--the sheer elegance and suaveness of the clothes of Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan, the way they brush past each other while walking along the rustic and raw corridor and stairways of their apartment, the smoke slowly slithering from Chow's cigarette, and the mere taboo that surrounds and reminds them of their social standing and reputation as decent married individuals--these are the aphrodisiacs being fed upon us by the master chef WKW who ultimately leads us back to the reality of things--a world which is not in love, unsympathetic, jaded, and judgmental of our human weaknesses.
The mood for love intoxicates us and promises a catastrophic hangover. Chow and Chan chose to remain sober--and there's a certain beauty to their unconsummated story.
But why do we, ordinary mortals, give in to the insane, enigmatic, foolish world of love? Because we just do. In the real world of love, we're stupid and bored--and we try to make our own sullen/romantic/deceiving blue funk called love.