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I remember one day, in film school
My film aesthetics teacher walked in
He was excited, giggling like a child
He said
"I have a special treat for you today"
That treat
Was a 35mm film print of
In the Mood for Love
It was an experience I will never forget
Watching it on a large screen
Feeling that texture of lights and shadows
A wash of film grains, like memories clouded
Being played back on an old projector
I feasted on every detail on screen
From the aesthetic to the visual metaphor
Details like showing a man's conflict
By letting him walk home
Only to have his mirror reflection walks away
Hidden in plain sight
Is another layer of story that you may have felt
But otherwise goes unnoticed
Today, we'll go through In the Mood for Love
And I'll show you those layers of story hidden within the picture
And hopefully through this
You can gain a better appreciation for this film
And films in general
Set in 1960s Hong Kong
In the Mood for Love tells the story of Mr. Chow
And Mrs. Chan
They move into the same apartment building
Along with their respective spouses
In the first five minutes
The film immediately establishes how crowded the environment is
For a reason that will be clear to us soon
We know these two each rented a room
Yet the film never once show their rooms in full
Instead opting to film the majority of the scenes through hallways
Where people are pushed
Not only against the wall
But to the edge of the frame
And when we do see the room
It's either through a window
Or a door
Which is almost always kept open
It's a significant detail
Because these five minutes don't just show us how crowded the living condition is
But rather, how little privacy exists within 1960s Hong Kong
Conversations are filmed non traditionally
Often times, characters' faces overlaps
Other times, it's a single long take from the side
Still others, only one side of the conversation is seen
The imperfection feels spontaneous and candid
Added with the long hallways or door frames
It is as if we are looking down the hallway
And seeing parts of the story
In essence, we are also one of the neighbors
Soon, Mrs. Chan realizes her husband is cheating on her
With Chow's wife
Chan and Chow meet in a diner
And Mrs. Chan breaks the news to him
In a suspenseful, roundabout way
Which I won't spoil it here
But notice how before she breaks the news
The film cuts between the two characters
Despite them being in close proximity
They don't occupy the same screen space
But as soon as Mrs. Chan decides to break the news
The camera pans between the two
They still don't occupy the same frame
But there is now a connection between them
And after they leave the diner
Finally, the two now exist in the same frame
Walking together
A tragic friendship forms between Chow and Chan
As they keep each other company
"I wonder how it began"
Which, in this environment with little privacy
Will inevitably stir up some gossip
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We left off with Chow and Chan leaving the diner together
This is literally the next scene
After some casual banter about each other's spouses
Chow says
"Shall we stay out tonight"
What happened?
Are they together?
"My husband would never say that"
They are play acting
Trying to figure out how the affair started
Remember this?
"I wonder how it began"
Yet, I bet many of us jumped to the conclusion
That they started an affair of their own
That's what I did when I first saw this film
Yet the hint is right there
Notice the vertical shadows
Like a jail entrapping the guilty party
Especially prominent right when they hold hands
Yet when the truth is revealed
It is shown that we have been looking out a window
The prison bars entrap us, not them
We are seeing nothing but fragments
Parts of the larger image
And we jumped to a conclusion
Remember when I said their relationship stirs up gossip?
Well, the film only ever addresses gossip once
"It's right to enjoy yourself while you're young"
In a short, almost throw away scene
But the pressure of gossip is ever-present
Through imagery, we already know that there is not privacy
But the cinematography goes beyond that
Through windows
Mirrors
People's bodies
We are the neighbors
The co-workers
The taxi drivers
We are always spying on them
Forming our own conclusions
We are the ever-present neighbour that spreads the gossip
Finally, let's talk about how these ideas are expanded upon
In the Mood for Love often repeats scenes
To show the progression of time
And emphasize the changes and story progression
Right after their first play acting
The next scene shows them in a diner, again
Chan and Chow order food for each other
Dishes that their spouses like
"I guess your wife likes spicy dishes"
This time, the camera is closer
Much more intimate
The dollying is gentle, sensual
The conversation is no longer filmed from the side
We are in the moment
And they even occupy the same screen space
For this brief scene
We are no longer the nosy neighbor
We see everything
But there is one more detail
For the unusually long two-shot
They never talk
And when they do
The other is either off screen
Or just a back of a head
That is significant
In their play act
Mrs. Chan tries to act like Chow's wife
And Chow, Chan's husband
On one hand, Mrs. Chan is trying to be the woman her husband is in love with
At the same time, she's being the woman Chow loves
There is this duality
This ambiguity in their conversations
"Why did you call me at the office today?"
Where we don't know if they are talking to their spouses
Or if they are saying things as themselves
"I was bored. I wanted to hear your voice"
So, instead of talking to an identifiable, specific person
They talk to a generic back of a head
This duality is used multiple times through the film
Where you are unsure who's who
Is this part of the act
Or is this real
Perhaps to the surprise of no one
The two slowly fall in love
Or did they?
Are we looking at them playing acting?
Even during the climax
When Chow confesses his love
Are they really in love?
Or are they merely in love with a version of their spouses?
In the single shot that absolutely destroyed me
After their confession
Chow wants to end this affair before it begins
In a dream like fashion
The film runs at half the frame rate
Chow lets go of her hand
And walks away
Chan turns around
Chow in the background, small, out of focus
Chan's face painted by shadows
With one last struggle
And she finally
Turns away from the light, completely.
In the Mood for Love is poetry on film
And like poetry
It's hard to explain
It's just something that you have to experience
Because hidden within the sight and sound
There is something beyond words
A mood, a qualia
I tried my best to show you how to reach that layer
And I only barely scratched the surface
And now, it's time for you to go watch it
And rewatch it
The film is worthy of your time
Every time