Without a memory of the past, we cannot operate in the present or think about the future. I hope to not merely focus on the relentless nature of time that seems to haunt us every day, but rather the yearning for a past that no longer exists.Thus, I want to introduce some films by the renowned director Wong Kar Wai that correlate with this rather abstract theme of memory and nostalgia. 

Fallen Angels (1995)

Written and directed by Wong Kar Wai, “Fallen Angels” tells the story of a disillusioned killer who deals with the affections of his partner. On the other hand, a mute wanders around Hong Kong trying to find his way in life. Set in an urban, neo-noir style, the film features three interwoven stories all about characters expressing their desires for things within themselves, outside themselves, for themselves, from themselves, and the toughest of all – from the rest of the world. 

To describe the plot simply misses the point of the film. Seeing that “Fallen Angels” really just takes the materials of the plot–the characters and what they do–and assembles them like a photo montage. The film is a product of an experimental venture for the Director, as production ran with an unfinished script and no storyboarding. 

At the end of the film, what you have are more so impressions, not conclusions. It is atmospheric and beautifully explores memory, longing, and the passage of time.

“The road wasn’t that long, and I knew I’d be getting off soon. But at that moment I felt such warmth”

The relationship between the passage of time and memory is a key theme all throughout the film. Past regret and the feelings of nostalgia haunt characters throughout this film who seem unable to forget the past. They are obsessed with the memory of their past lovers, yearning for a past that no longer exists. Interestingly, this longing is not reserved exclusively for romantic relationships but rather presents a poignant meditation on desire, loss, and longing in a metropolis that never sleeps.

This is such a beautiful movie and a great first Wong Kar-Wai film. If the plot does not intrigue you already, Wong’s use of colour and use of a super wide angle (6.5mm) lens all throughout the movie (to create deliberate distortion in order to explore urban alienation) is what makes this such a striking and memorable film. Wong Kar-Wai’s screenplay doesn’t play into any kind of conventional narratives as his approach to voice-over narration showcases a sense of melancholia in the character that revolve throughout the film. More importantly, this film depicts Wong Kar-wai skilful auteurism due to the presence of eye-popping visuals, memorable music and characters that linger long in the memory.

In the Mood for Love (2000)

Written and directed by Wong Kar Wai, “In the Mood for Love” is a romantic drama set in 1962 Hong Kong and is about two young couples living next door to one another in a cramped apartment building. With Mr Chow working as a journalist and Mrs Chan being a secretary for a company, the pair often bump into each other when heading back home. Yet, the movie’s most climatic moment occurs when the pair discover their spouses are having affairs – with each other’s spouses! Both at a loss as to what to do, they confide in each other and eventually develop feelings for one another.

“He remembers those vanished years. As though looking through a dusty window pane. The past is something he could see, but not touch. And everything he sees is blurred and indistinct.”

Though the film’s english title is “In the Mood for Love”, its Chinese title “花样年华”, (literally meaning ‘flowery years’ or ‘the age of blossoms’) acts as a metaphor for the fleeting time of youth, beauty and love, eliciting a sense of nostalgia and longing for the past. The film captures the loneliness of unfulfilled desire through Wong’s use of lush visuals, precise framing, and evocative slow-motion to illustrate both the beauty of unexpectedly falling in love and the fractured feeling of knowing it can never be consummated. It beautifully engenders a tender sensation that is ultimately transient but creates the illusion of permanency. It’s a love story more so about love and longing itself, thus downplays the significance of each verbal and physical exchange between Wong’s characters whilst magnifying the emotional intensity between them.

Aside from the stunning set of vignettes all throughout the film, what stuck out to me most was the lingering emotions of longing that serve as a haunting motif. Even at the end of the film, the pair do not explicitly admit their feelings for one another. Rather, Wong chooses to depict the passage of time exclusively through subtle cues scattered in dialogue, in a way understating the tragedy of the lost love and desire between the two characters. The final moments of the movie are fragmented, echoing how when recalling a painful memory, one only remembers distinct moments of pain and joy. In my opinion, Wong’s juxtaposition of social prohibition and personal desire characterises time, a concept more poetic than love, as a silver lining, where, rather than being remedial, is bittersweet.