In the Mood for Love (The Criterion Collection) [4K UHD]

Mr. Chow, played by Tony Leung and Su Li-zhen, played by Maggie Cheung move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Shortly after moving into their apartments, they notice that their spouses are having an affair, and slowly, the two people develop a relationship and find comforts from each other. They have moral values and do not want to be like their cheating spouses. The plot is not the usual boy-meets-girl love story, but a story of two people with hidden feelings for each other. The plot is relatively simple, but forceful and convincing. The audience can easily identify with the loneliness, love and other emotions of the main characters.The film is set in 1960's Hong Kong, and the filming locations as well as the wardrobe help to create the environment of the 60's. The Chinese dresses that Maggie Cheung wears are exceptionally elegant and accentuate her feminine characteristics. To some people, the Chinese dresses bring back the sentimental memories of a period in Hong Kong that no longer exists. The soundtrack is a major component of the film, and the introductory string music of Yumeji Theme at the beginning of the movie establishes the tempo and the mood of the movie. The waltz tempo of this theme suggests that two lovers are dancing together slowly. The string music is sublime, but sad just like the two main characters, two attractive people with gorgeous costumes in a sad love story that has no happy ending. The repetition of this piece of string music reinforces the pace and the mood of the movie and builds up tension while the selection of Spanish songs sung by Nat King Cole reflects the Latin influence on Hong Kong music in the 60's.Much of the movie is filmed indoors or at night to create a melancholy feeling. The cinematography is superb, and from the beginning till the end of the movie, each frame of the picture seems to put forth some magic power and enchants the viewers. The movie is delightful to the senses, but it has a sad love story.

Wong Kar-Wai's "in the mood for love" is, as its title suggests, a study of this human experience we call love. But is not, unlike the title (which alludes to a famous western love song and western loves songs are elemental to the plot) and its surface plot line suggests, limited to romantic love. It does, in fact, depict the lifeline of a seemingly tragic unconsummated love affair but in the process of this exploration meditates on a range of human emotions and feelings and ways of being. I say seemingly tragic because although the lovers do not live "happily ever after" and the hero rides off into the sunset alone they are both, in fact, liberated from illusory existence in the process. Furthermore, the film considers what it is that constitutes love be it romantic or altruistic; examining such aspects as sincerity, truth, concern, loyalty, trust, honesty, and, of course passion. It is a study of the roles that we mortals and fortune play in our different relationships both as individuals and members of society. And, echoing "Casa Blanca" it is a buddy flick to boot; staged during the turbulent East of the sixties. His friend, although a comedic sidekick, is also a somewhat pragmatic earthy confidante who serves a drunken master/monk's role. This symbolic image is repeated towards the end when a Buddhist monk is the sole witness to our hero whispering his secret to the mountain. The extended ensemble of neighbors and workmates that serve as boundary lines, backdrop and compass points are also major cast components. Even French President, Charles De Gaulle and Nat King Cole make significant appearances via documentary footage and soundtrack. The film is informed by both Zen Buddhism and post post modern physics both in regards to the space/time continuum it explores as well as the cinematic techniques employed to do so. The freeze frames and blurs employed to punctuate and slow "reality" were especially effective as were the chapter titles and soundtrack. But more importantly the plot and dialogue themselves serve to simultaneously focus and distort to more accurately depict reality as evidenced by the role playing that isn't role playing as well as the mirrored images. "in the mood for love" is a meditation on how to be both in love and in life and it makes the point that we are by what we do and in the process, if lucky, we be.