Wong Kar Wai’s “In the Mood for Love”

IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE Set in front of the conservative backdrop of 1960's Hong Kong, Wong Kar Wai's In the Mood for Love tells the intimate tale of two people who, by fate, seem to land themselves in each other's company due to the common bond of the absence of their spouses. The plot of the film is by no means anything original, but it is deeply accentuated by the style in which the film is shot. With unconventional camera angles, an inconsistent musical score, and deep, luscious colors, In the Mood for Love brings a seemingly real perspective to a very personal story. Mr. Chow (Tony Leung) and Mrs. Chang (Maggie Cheung) coincidentally, move in to their small neighboring Hong Kong flats on the same day. Mr. Chow, a newspaper editor with an unseen, but presumably traveling, wife, and Mrs. Chang, a secretary, also with an unseen business executive husband. The two often find their paths crossing as they frequent the same streets, restaurants, and noodle shop. It is when they discover that their spouses are having an affair that they begin to see each other. Unlike very fast paced, show-all, American films, the relationship that blossoms between Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chang is not one of immense passion and love, but more of a deeper unsaid understanding. It is the simple gestures such as the conversations, the gazing into one another's eyes, and the holding of hands where the real relationship lies. This could not be clearer when, in a climactic moment of the film, they briefly caress each other's hands in the back of a taxi. The film is accentuated by the unconventional, but highly innovative camera work throughout. Often times the camera remains stationary while the characters move about, and sometimes out of the frame. It's as if to remind the audience that we are looking through a peep hole rather than through a movie screen, and that there are things that we will not be able to see. Throughout various portions of the film, like the rice cooker scene, for example, you can hear the characters speaking, but you will actually have to visualize what they are doing. The position at which the camera lies throughout the movie is also noteworthy because of the strange angles it is put at, such as under a bed, over a person's shoulder, through metal grating, and in general, low to the ground. It seems that Wong Kar Wai is telling us â€Å"no, that's too easy. You need to look at this from a more difficult position, as if you were eavesdropping on these very private moments†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The rich colors and costumes of the film play a very large part in how the story is told as well. In the first scene, at the appearance of Mrs. Chan and her very colorful dress, the audience is immediately drawn to her and continues to watch her throughout the rest of the film. From then on each dress, one right after the other, begins to astonish the viewer with its lush colors and interesting patterns. This immediately sets Mrs. Chan apart from any other character, especially Mr. Chow, who dresses in relatively the same attire every day, creating a very physical contrast between two characters who are emotionally similar. Not only does the costuming add emphasis to the film, but the lighting of most of the scenes adds another layer onto they already thick stylized coat of the film. Much of the film takes place on the very foreign and almost enigmatic streets of Hong Kong, usually during the night, and we are provided with not quite enough illumination to see everything perfectly. This adds a heightened level of mystery throughout the entire film, especially in the first half, before the characters really meet. The warm colors, in a sense, add quite a bit to the slow pacing of the film. These are not very cold, vivid, or fast colors, but rather ones that let the scenes take their time, in a place where conversations are not hurried and friendly games with neighbors last into the late hours of the night. The editing also does its part to slow down the movie, making the shifts between days seamless and slowing scenes down into slow motion to literally â€Å"juice† the magic out of them. However, much, if not all of the aforementioned material is simply technique none of the true bread and butter of movies is covered. This is simply because there hardly was any. Is the plot original? No, not really. Is the script solid? Well, considering there was no actual script to begin with, no. But is the way in which all of these, otherwise boring, elements filmed beautiful and interesting? Absolutely! It seems that the true core of this movie is missing, but who's to say that every movie has to follow a standard formula? THEMES TIME After reading some interviews I found that Kar-wai was very interested in the past, almost nostalgic for how Hong Kong was when he was growing up. He also finds interesting ways to show the passing of time in In the Mood for Love with the many beautiful dresses that Mrs. Chang wears. ISOLATION Another heavy theme in In the Mood for Love is isolation. In a couple of the interviews Kar-wai mentioned that people (like himself) fleeing Shanghai to Hong Kong basically had to cram into apartments. Kar-wai creates a limited visual space by having actors off-camera, shooting in narrow hallways. Even the character’s emotions seem to distance themselves. CINEMATOGRAPHY The way Wong Kar-wai and Chris Boyle go about shooting movies is the complete opposite from every other director we’ve studied this semester. Instead of taking a more professional approach of meticulously planning out every shot, they figure out what would be best determined by location, and it seems they act more like bumbling film students rather than award winning filmmakers. â€Å"Our styles come from the way we work; like in Fallen Angels we started working in a very small teahouse, and the only way we could shoot the scene was with a wide-angle lens. But I thought the wide-angle lens was too normal, so instead I preferred an extreme wide-angle. And the effect is stunning because it draws the characters very close to the camera but twists the perspective of the space so they seem far away. It became a contrast to Chungking Express, in which people are very far away from the camera but seem so close. Also, we work with very limited budgets and we don't have permits, so we have to work like CNN, you know, just breaking into some place and taking some shots. We often don't have time for setups, and sometimes when neighbors walk into the frames we have to cut them out, and that becomes a jump cut. I think 10 or 15 percent is preconceived. Most of it just happens. † –Wong Kar-wai This is all very surprising because the most notable features in In the Mood for Love is the look of the film, which is beautiful. It’s nice to know there are other ways to go about shooting a film, and that being meticulous doesn’t make you a better director. The way you take on the challenges of shooting a film to be as visually competent as possible makes you a director. WORKING WITH ACTORS Seeing how Kar-wai’s filming techniques are by the seat of your pants, it comes as no surprise that his directing of actors is just as spontaneous. During the filming of In the Mood for Love, Maggie Cheung said that the camera would be far away (because he’s shooting with a wide angle I’d assume) and that he would all of a sudden want to switch the shot to slow motion, without telling any of the actors. â€Å"He will see a shot and then suddenly he will picture it as a slow motion shot and he'll just say, let's try one of those, and then he'll just do it, without us even knowing. I’m not sure if this is the best way to go about directing an actor unless you are absolutely sure about what you’re doing. Wong Kar-wai seems to be a free spirit in the way he speaks, and directs. Plus he has a close relationship with many collaborators so everyone knows what is needed from them to complete his vision. Kar-wai seems to know the most ab out human emotions and how to properly show them on the screen so they’re believable. I remember there was an emotional scene where I was saying good-bye to Andy Lau at a bus stop. We had to retake that scene the next day because I was not very good. I thought I had been good because I had been crying and crying, but Wong Kar Wai said, â€Å"It is not about that. It is not about how many tears drop out of your eyes or how emotional you are. † I said, â€Å"No? But you ask me to cry and I am crying, why am I doing it wrong? † He said, â€Å"But when you cry you should try to hold back. Nobody cries just like that. The minute you feel the sting in your eyes your first reaction should be ‘I don’t want to cry,’ and to hold it back. † INFLUENCES Wong Kar-wai was born in Shanghai and moved to Hong Kong when he was five. Leaving his 40 or so cousins, he became an only child thanks to the Cultural Revolution. Leaving the lifestyle of a small village full of friends and family your own age, to a city full of adults must have been very impressionable on the young Kar-wai. His mother loved movies and luckily for them there were plenty of theaters around playing Western, European, and local films, â€Å"we spent almost every day in the cinemas because she doesn't have any friends or relatives in Hong Kong†. Days of Being Wild, In the Mood for Love, and 2046 all take place during the 1960’s in Hong Kong, with slight political undertones so this place and time was obviously very important to him. Wong Kar-wai also seems to be heavily influenced by the French New Wave, but who isn’t? Like The 400 Blows and Breathless, Kar-wai’s films come off as a love letter to their settings because of how beautifully detailed the shots are. You can tell that he is in love with Hong Kong and that it is his greatest influence.

Being Heard

Being Heard Being heard Is something Important because It gives your audience a chance to see different sides of yourself. Being heard could do as little as make someone feel content or very Important. Listening to one another could be very useful In that we obtain Information, understand, listen for enjoyment and last but not least learn. In a recent article that Ive read, Talking a stranger through the night by Sherry Antihistamine, a great portion of the message that she sends out, has all to do about listening.Making someone feel heard makes him or her feel understood and a connection has been built. As a young student that I am, I have yet to learn many useful tools that my parents, peers and most importantly my professors will teach me in the near future. Through that learning journey it is their Job to listen to us students in order for them to have fulfilled their task. What I believe I can bring to the table are many things. Personally I am very experienced In starting over having moved three times. My very first move was fromSpain to Chile, Chile to New Jersey and New Jersey to Texas. And here I am, big latexes. For all of my life I resented my parents for having to put me through all those moves but as I grew older, fonder and a tab wiser Im very thankful for everything. Many people would kill to start over or even move to a different country and my parents were able to give me that. Yes, starting over does suck but the beauty of it is that you get a chance to become a better and newer person. Meet new people and learn a new totally different type of culture than your own.One of my professors once told me that we all have a chance in going out to the world and making something of ourselves; Be a new person A new you. I am very thankful for the life that god has given to me. Even through the little bumps along the road, It makes you a stronger person right? Well I believe so. Life Is full of surprises. Every single human being In this planet has something unique to offer to the table. Not all of us are the same thats what makes every single person special. Some of us may be great at math or great at writing and some may not be DOD at those things at all.This is when we listen and learn from those who can teach us to become better. So to answer your question yes, you should listen to every single one of us. Give us a chance. Even if were wrong thats where you correct us and we then learn. Lets take Martin Luther King Jar. For example. He wrote an incredibly outstanding speech and spoke out and people took chance to believe in him but especially listen. How are people supposed to make a difference if their isnt anyone to be there to take a chance and listen.By starred Being heard is something important because it gives your audience a chance to see content or very important. Listening to one another could be very useful in that we obtain information, understand, listen for enjoyment and last but not least learn. In a recent article that Eve read, Talking a stranger through the night by Sherry Through that learning Journey it is their Job to listen to us students in order for them experienced in starting over having moved three times. My very first move was from latexs.For all of my life I resented my parents for having to put me through all everything. Many people would kill to start over or even move too different country beauty of it is that you get chance to become a better and newer person. Meet new bumps along the road, it makes you a stronger person right? Well I believe so. Life is full of surprises.

Development of the cotton economy in the South 1776-1860 Essay

Development of the cotton economy in the South 1776-1860 - Essay Example The Northern merchants reaped huge gains from cotton trade as they were engaged in buying cotton from farmers and exporting it to England in exchange for manufactured products. According to Seavoy (184), the trade business in North American states was actually an international affair as those in the North would export to foreign markets the cotton they had bought from the southern farmers. The economic success for both the north and south lay on the support of the southern slaves, which saw the emergence of capitalism, slavery/ forced labor and the civil war. This paper looks at the impacts of cotton farming and the long term effects it had on the American history. Development of the cotton economy in the South The economy of North America and South America differed in that the northerners chose manufacturing system while the southerners chose landowning aristocracy. The aristocratic federal system allowed a high degree of independence as labor was drawn from various fronts. Demand f or labor rose sharply in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in both North and South America. Northern immigrants came from Europe and were excellently absorbed into society while Southern immigrants came from Africa and they were not absorbed. ... They were sold to Southern American planters. Instead of paying the immigrants themselves, planters in the South paid the ship captains. Due to capitalism, the planters overworked the immigrants in order to pay higher prices to ship captains. Southern immigrants as well as their children became slaves for their entire lives. The slaves were increasingly used to grow cotton in the South. Cotton accounted for fifty percent of all American exports and the South generated more than fifty percent of the global supply of cotton in 1840. This enormous production, as Walton and Rockoff, (p 125) and say held many foreign countries in partial repression. By then, Britain was the leader in terms of industrial power, and its most pertinent manufacture was cotton cloth. Southerners repressed nations like Britain as they perfectly knew that Britain was attached to them mostly by raw cotton. This dependence gave them an invigorating sense of power. The South grew rapidly as a result of cotton and d iversified agriculture. The rapacious craving for cotton in Lancashire matched the increasing production in the South driven by vitality of slave institutions and availability of cotton growing land. The immorality of enslaving Africans has continuously haunted American economic history. African enslavement became a prime factor in antebellum politics and a pertinent aspect in the civil war. Even today, the role of blacks in American history and economy persists. The antebellum Southern encounter was largely as a result of peculiar slavery institution. Cotton economy restrains industrialization in the south Cotton economy in the South

Minutes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Minutes - Essay Example MYH suggested that people tend to prefer stability to change and would accept even the minimum conditions provided change does not occur. The group concurred with this view. Ineffective communication hinders change efforts. The leader needs to articulate goals clearly and give frequent feedback on the change process. Moreover, the group agreed that leaders need to communicate the reasons for change and how it will affect those involved. This eliminates fear, uncertainty and doubt about the change. Another barrier is unclear processes and procedures. HX observed that if carried out in a haphazard way, change could fail. It makes people to lose direction of where they are going and what is expected of them and consequently lack of commitment and resistance. Lastly, the group cited not paying attention to people issues as significant to success of change management. Leaders need to pay attention to psychological processes that people experiences in dealing with change hence help them to overcome. The group also discussed how the leaders might provide psychological safety to individuals in times of change. It was agreed that leaders need to create an environment of accepting failures. Employees need to feel that they can air their views and give input regarding the change without fear of reprisal. Leaders also need to be transparent hence encourage participation, share their mistakes and inspire trust. This in turn helps employees to feel secure and learn more leading to positive change. The group discussed how the understanding of how people react to change and conflict helps leaders to manage change in a productive way. ZYK noted that finding one method of solving all problems of resistance to change is difficult. Understanding resistance to change and conflict enables organisations to develop the right policies and procedures, and appropriate training for managers and employees in order to manage change in a productive way. Education and

Argument Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Argument Summary - Essay Example Therefore, government legislator and the airlines should provide enough time for the crewmembers to rest. Ordinarily, the nature of the work of the pilot is complex and this therefore calls for keenness, concentration and a high level of reasoning. This is because a slight error caused by sleep or slumber can be very tragic. Normally rest is important for any living creature so as to enhance vigilance. Pilots being human are not an exemption. They are therefore prone to error. (Nicole 23) In their published journal, International Journal of Aviation Psychology (1997), Wiegmann Douglas & Shappell Scott states that about 60% to 80% of military accidents and other aviation accidents in US are usually caused by human error. These errors involve poor decision making, the loss of situational awareness, and misleading information. These factors cause fatigue, which emanates from a lack of enough rest. The increasing rates of accidents prove that there are inadequate rests among the pilots. Normally, the pilots with a short layover have a significantly slower response speed than a pilot with longer layover time Therefore, the pilots do find shorter layover more fatigued than longer international layover. According The Journal of Biological & Medical Rhythm Research, Nicole stated that pilots are required to fly only 8 hours in one day.However; the airlines have their way to go around this rule since they overwork the pilots. A pilot is to fly for 8 hours, and then rest for 10 hours. Most of the airlines will probably make him/her fly the return flight, which makes him fly for more than he/she should fly in one day. This causes fatigue, which has been a major source of accidents. (Nicole 23) Although it is argued that the FAA increased the minimum rest time for pilots from eight hours to ten hours. The Fact Sheet – Pilot Fatigue Rule Comparison, 2011 states that the time is technically not enough because pilots need to have eight hours of

Company Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Company Law - Essay Example On the footing of equitable principles and on some common rules, these general duties have been imposed on a director, and director has to act in accordance with the same without showing any negligence while performing his duty as a director of a company. The general duties will be construed and extended in the same way as under equity principles and under common law rules and due weight will be given to the appropriate equitable rules and common law rules in construing and applying the general duties. As per section 172(1) , a director of a company must function in the style he regards , in good trust , which is most probably to enhance the growth of the company for the advantages of its shareholders in its entirety, and in exercising so, should give due consideration to the following: The probable outcome of any business decision in the long run. The requirement to function fairly as between the shareholders of the company. Further, under CA 2006, statutory statements on directorsà ¢â‚¬â„¢ duties have been included, which covers the following provinces concerning the director’s duties. ... In other words, it is the duty of the director not to act negligently. However, casual failures or sincere commercial misjudgments will not tantamount to the claims of negligence. It is to be remembered that the directors owe their duty to the company and not to any individual. However, in Dorchester Finance Co Ltd v Stebbing,1 a director was found to be negligent in his duty as he left signed blank cheques with another director. In Cohen v Selby, 2 a director was held liable for assigning a task to a specific employee who is not fit for that duty assigned3. In case of business judgment, the courts have been ever unenthusiastic to interfere. Further, the CA 2006 is not precise about how board of directors of a company should report their adherence under section 172 in board minutes. It is advised that companies may find it secure to add a reference to the fact that the directors have adhered to the decision making provisions as demanded in section 172 in their board minutes to escape any charges of negligence later. 172 of CA 2006 demands that a director should function bona fide in a manner that would kindle the success of the company for the advantage of its member in their entirety. In Rgentcrest Plc (in liq) v Cohen , it was held that the directors should act in what they think and should not act in what the court may think, and it should be for advantage of the whole of its members4. The section 173 requires the director of a company to use his independent judgment while making business decisions. This section facilitates the director to take an opinion from experts or in certain case, if a director fails to take proper advice from an expert will be regarded as an infringement of their fiduciary duty. However,

First 3 page of the script for time travel story Essay

First 3 page of the script for time travel story - Essay Example He stops the car. He sees his daughter, SANDY (6). She has dark red wavy hair and blue eyes. He sees his wife approaching Sandy. AMANDA (36) is a beautiful redhead. She calls Sandy and goes to her to hug her. They look at Sam and then he sees them differently. They are not his wife and kid anymore. Sam drives to a house with a large front yard. He goes to the garage and parks his car. He opens the door. He drops his luggage at the sofa and goes to the back of the house. He looks at the empty backyard. He looks out to the nearest house. It is 40 meters away. He can see a FAMILY looking at him and waving. FATHER (30), MOTHER (25), and SIX YOUNG KIDS with the eldest probably only 10 years old. He waves back and goes inside his house. He sweeps around the house. He mops the floor. After he has cleaned the house, he decides to go to the bedroom. He takes his luggage. Once in his bedroom, he opens his luggage that has three sets of clothes. He closes it again. The closet has mirrors inside the doors. He looks at himself. He sees a 45-year-old man with gray hair and sad eyes. He has a crumpled white t-shirt, faded jeans, and old rubber shoes. Flashback to him in a perfectly tailored suit. Opening hook- Darkness. Sounds of an office. Laptops clicking softly, people talking to their phones about stocks and prices, good mornings. Opens like eyes. Someone is inside a large office looking out. Employees are busy. Business attire. Attractive people. No one is not doing anything. A few people greet someone consecutively. â€Å"Good morning boss!† â€Å"Good morning Sir!† â€Å"Sam†. Blinks again. Inside prison. Dirty. People in tattoos. Eating. Talking. Swearing. Pushing around. â€Å"What are you looking at motherfucker!† Sam goes back to a very early time in his childhood. He finds himself coming out of his bedroom closet, which was apparently the time machine itself. He is surprised to know that the closet is his all along. He hears his