Directed by Wong Kar-Wai
Written by Wong Kar-Wai & Jeffrey Lau
As far as debut feature films go, As Tears Go By has to be up there, or at least an honorable mention. Usually a filmmaker’s visual style is a work in progress and takes a film or two to settle on. With this film, Wong Kar-Wai appears on the scene essentially fully formed. The ability to create images of stunning beauty, sumptuous mood, and iconic needle drops/use of music. Each of his indelible calling cards is present here immediately. As I start into this marathon to explore all of his films, I am really energized after watching this film. There is greatness on the horizon, and I must say that the Criterion transfer on this film was incredible as well. Each and every one of these films is going to be a discovery of immense proportion for me, I can feel it.
Wau (Andy Lau) is living a somewhat meaningless life as a mid-level gangster when his auntie calls him up to have his cousin Ngor (Maggie Cheung) stay with him in the city while she gets medical treatment. Ngor helps Wau get his act together and the pair fall in love. But after she returns home, Wau continues to struggle with his “little brother” Fly (Jacky Cheung), a fuck up who continues to bring shame to Wau in his actions and inability to listen to his big brother and stay out of trouble. Wau has to walk the tightrope between his budding romance with Ngor and protecting his friend Fly with the tepid relationships with the other gangsters.
As mentioned in my opening, this film really kicks off the marathon with a bang with so many strengths to recognize and be excited about the future films of Wong Kar-Wai. What struck me the most was the concept of inspiration because I think As Tears Go By really happens at this important point in cinema. Wong Kar-Wai pulls from some of the tropes of typical 80s American action films. For instance, the unforgettable “Take My Breath Away” sequence is clearly a nod to Tony Scott’s Top Gun, and that sequence is perfectly paced and crafted, the signature scene of the film. A lot of the gangster/action scenes also have nods to early American films. So while Wong Kar-Wai was inspired by these American films, you can also trace some of Quentin Tarantino’s signature style in this film as well, so just like the British Invasion had Brits giving blues music back to the Americans, so too Hong Kong cinema gave back the art of cool back to the Americans. Exploring this type of cyclical inspiration is a fascinating study and look, I’m no film scholar who can point to each and every piece of evidence and correlation, but I’ve seen enough films to see the indicators. It’s a really cool thing to discover and come to respect about the before and the after.
Wong Kar-Wai has such a specific touch with his camera, capturing the most intimate details throughout the film, and not just romantic intimacy, but even violent intimacy. The way he captures faces and the human connection between these characters is really an achievement. I’ve never seen anyone like him be able to do this. And the actors really come to play. Maggie Cheung especially is angelic and perfect here. Jacky Cheung is perhaps a little over the top, but that serves the character of Fly. And actually, if the film has a downside, it would be the gangster stuff. While still impeccably captured, the narrative force of it takes over the film, when in reality the romance between Wah and Ngor is the most magnetic and narratively deep and powerful.
But this is a sign of things to come, as I understand them. While action lies ahead, Wong Kar-Wai’s most signature attribute is his ability to capture the romantic beauty of his characters (see: In the Mood for Love, which I can’t wait to revisit). And what a journey it will be, I can already see what an incredible job the Criterion team did putting together this wonderful box set of some of his best and most lasting films. The transfer was truly pristine and with a visual style like Wong Kar-Wai’s, I know I’m in for a continued visceral, beautiful treat when it comes to the imagery of his films. A great start to a marathon I’ve been looking forward to doing for a long time!
Corndog Chats 