In The Mood For Love

In this journal, I would like to talk about French Impressionist Cinema. The film I watched is In the Mood for Love which is published on 29 September 2000 directed by Wong Kar-Wai.

Introduction:

World War 1 had given a big impact to the French film industry, which many film studios were forced to shift to wartime uses and the export was halted (Bordwell. D & Thompson. K, 2009). The American films started to replace the French's and dominated the market by the end of 1917. French Impressionist Cinema started popular in between 1919 to 1928.  The French film industry tried to revive in different ways such as imitating Hollywood films, as well as through a few young directors’ passion to create film artistically. These directors gave rise to the French Impressionism. They started to experiment with cinema in a ways that posed an alternative to the dominant Hollywood formal principles. The technique mainly explores the psychological depth by revealing the character’s consciousness, mental states, conscious, dreams or fantasies. Besides, it is showing the mental states usually by using cinematography and editing. French Impressionist film emphasize in the manipulation of time by showing flashback and memories.

Base on David Bordwell stated, there are several characteristics regarding to the French Impressionist model. One of the characteristics is on the camera work which includes a lot of close-up onto subjective and symbolic object. Therefore, a lot of low and high angles shots are taken to enhance the theory. Besides, the camera movements should be smooth and mobile by attaching the cameras onto movable objects to produce realistic visuals. Point of view editing and rhythmic editing is also included to show what the character is experiencing in the particular scene.

Unfortunately, French Impressionist was trigged off because lack of interest by mass and rising production costs.

Synopsis:
In the crowded Hong Kong of 1962, two married couple Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan move to the same apartment on the same day and they often being left alone by their spouse. As time pass by, they noticed that their spouse is having affairs with each other’s. Therefore, Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan are getting closer to each other. Sooner, their friendship had turn into romance and their neighbors are noticed and gossiped by their behavior. They swear they will not be the same as their spouses in terms of betraying. The film shows the hesitation and struggles of them to either remain the current situation or move forward.

Film Analysis:

In this film, director Wong had put a lot of effort in the mise-en-scene and mise-en-shot to present the inner psychological states of the characters. For example, there is a scene where Mr. Chow is sitting in the office and lighting up a cigarette and his body language show that he is thinking of something. Then, the shot that showing his back with the smoke floating above his head is to show his psychological state which is unclear, confused and clouded like the smoke.

For the camera movements, there consist a lot of low angles in this film. First, it slowly pan up from a female’s ass in sexy and tight Cheongsam. The camera movement is smooth and slow. Furthermore, I noticed that Mr’s. Chan as a married woman and always being alone in home whom her husband always went oversea for work. She keep on wearing tight sexy Cheongsam when going out or stay in the apartment which may causes contestation by her neighbor. Therefore, I assume that the reason why she wear it daily is she might be thirst for attentions by other people.

Moreover, the classic slow instrumental background music was used to enhance visual rhythm and the music used in the film to match the visual rhythm. For example, the slow motion scene with the slow music helps to bring out the feeling of loneliness. The slow music has matched with the music visual rhythm to show that Mr. Chow and Mr’s. Chan are having a hard time at that movement and the time move very slow for them. Then, the scene at the long and narrow staircase to the noodles stall also drives out the unspoken loneliness of Mr. Chow and Mr’s. Chan. There are some freezing shots that can be found in this film which is meaning that moment has become a memory.

Other than that, there are many shot with using of mirror have discovered in this film. Most of the time of using mirror shot is when Mr. Chow and Mr’s. Chan come together in the room. For me, mirror is a thing that can reflect us. Therefore, the director use mirror to reveal the two lovers. They always reveal themselves and refuse to do the same things like their spouses even there in love with each others.

Lastly, the time frame of the event was show by the history of Cambodia. Mr. Chow went to a temple and finds a hole on the wall; he whispers all his secretes toward the hole and then fills it with mud. After he leaves the temple, there is an established shot of the temple with creepy background music which convey a message of there is many secrets from different people and generations in the temple.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, this film is consider a French Impressionist film due to the characteristics of impressionist cinema was shown and I like this film because of the storyline. Besides that, the beauty of 1960s in Hong Kong was well shown by the props and setting in the film; the changing of the era and time, have influenced their expression and the way of love.