The Cinema of Wong Kar Wai

Abstract

Wong Kar wai is one of the most famous Chinese directors in modern filmdom. The cinema of Wong Kar wai is important 20th century cinema in 90’s Hong Kong society, which was in a post-industrial and post-colonial situation. In this paper, I have chosen four of Wong’s films: As Tears Go By (1988), Happy Together (1997), In The Mood For Love (2000) and compared them respectively with American and British films Mean Streets (1973), Brokeback Mountain (2005), and Brief Encounter (1945) with similar themes. These comparisons will be used in order to explore the spiritual tendency of Wong’s cinema, and to discover its meanings within the context of Chinese culture. In addition, the aim will be to demonstrate the methods of imitation, reproduction and the mixing up of genres that are Wong Kar wai’s aesthetic strategy, which helped him to express his particular thematic, stylistic characteristics and establish his unique auteur status.