The gift and heartbreak of role-play in 'In the Mood for Love'

Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai struggle with their emotions in the 2000 Chinese film, “In the Mood for Love.” (Universal Pictures/MovieStillsDB.com)

Ultimate Movie Year finds the best released films from weekends past to build an all-star lineup of cinema.

"In the Mood for Love"
Released Feb. 2, 2001, in the United States
Directed by Wong Kar-wai

As Valentine's Day approaches, it's only natural for the cinema marketplace to offer films that glorify and celebrate the climax of first romance. But for those not in the throes of a romantic relationship, finding a movie that speaks to a significant segment of the population that anticipate the holiday with a mixture of anxiety, dread, and longing is a tall task.

Fortunately, we have Wong Kar-wai's "In the Mood for Love," the Chinese film initially released in 2000 that won acclaim for its artistic influence for cinema.

Set in 1962 Hong Kong, the movie begins as Li-zien (Maggie Cheung) and Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) happen to move into neighboring apartment spaces on the same day. Both of them are married to others, but their spouses are often out late, so they spend most of their time by themselves. Su and Chow occasionally cross paths in the hallway or in the street when they go out for food, and eventually, Chow invites Su out for dinner. During their conversation, they both confirm their suspicions that their missing spouses are having an affair with each other.

"In the Mood for Love" is one of the more challenging films for American audiences on our Ultimate Movie Year list because it takes careful attention to understand some of the cultural differences present in the Hong Kong of the early 60s. The apartment spaces Chow and Su are renting are cramped and small;  everyone is on top of each other, and in each other's business frequently. The community is profoundly conservative, so even a platonic relationship between the characters is frowned upon. Wong is also careful to parse out information, relying more on fleeting glances, nervous twitches, and slow-motion walks to tell his story. And yet, it's easy to become engaged with the relationship between Chow and Su, allowing us to understand the passion and heartbreak of their mere presence in the scene as Wong films them with colorful, deep close-ups of both them and their surroundings. The cinematography of Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping Bin is so rich that we can almost feel the fabric texture of Su's patterned dresses, or smell the smoke coming from Chow's cigarettes. "In the Mood for Love" places heavy emphasis on a mood.

One of the skillful themes of this movie is the roles that people play in this society. Chow is a newspaper reporter who is often free to do what he wants, while Su works as a secretary for a shipping company, but remains restricted because of her gender. When others notice the two of them spending more and more time together (initially to collaborate on a martial arts written serial), it is Su they engage with to casually remind her of the promises she made to her husband of fidelity, not Chow. In one scene, Chow calls over to her office once, and her employer, Mr. Ho (Kelly Lai Chen), answers the phone. When Mr. Ho relays the message, he silently stares for a moment in judgment. The look speaks volumes because earlier in the film, Mr. Ho had Su call his wife to tell her he would be working late but was really getting ready to go to dinner with his mistress. The double standard is clear, as the married woman in this time, in this place, has to live up to a far more upstanding role than a man, even when she doesn't do anything improper. The mere appearance of it is enough to impact her life negatively, and so she continues to play her role no matter how much she suffers emotionally.

After Chow and Su discover the affair between their spouses, the two of them begin to role play with each other, acting out how they think their respective wife and husband began their infidelity. It's a way to connect and converse with each other through the heartbreak, but also, a cover to excuse their own growing feelings for each other in a safe space. "I wonder how it began," Su says as they walk home after dinner. Chow continues the conversation, but now playing Su's husband. Su becomes Chow's wife. Chow touches Su gentle, and she stops the play there, "My husband would never say that." Despite their initial abruptness, Chow and Su continue to imagine different conversations with people they are not, and depending on when we as the viewer enter the scene, it becomes disorienting for us as well because we are unsure if the discussion is role play or real. Soon, the characters are as confused as we are, once they finally admit their paths have reached a turning point, and neither can make the first move. Even when they decide to part, they cannot help but play-act through the scenario themselves, as if the break-up wasn't real, because they cannot face their emotions.

"Feelings can creep up just like that," Chow tells Su. "I thought I was in control."

The final roles played here are by the actors Cheung and Leung, who must convey all the complexities of a passionate romance without ever losing their demeanor. The performances between the two are remarkably subtle, as Cheung and Leung only manage to maintain eye contact with each other when their characters are playing different roles. When the characters drop their facades, the actors convey the change by only giving each other fleeting glances, or waiting for the other to turn around before he or she allows themselves the gift of a more prolonged gaze.

Another element drawing us into this would-be romance is the beauty and attractiveness of the lead actors. Leung is a handsome man consistently dressed in the men's suits of the 60s, offering a classic style several years before Don Draper was introduced in television's "Mad Men." Meanwhile, Cheung's rare smile and form-fitting dresses that go up to her neck offers a compelling cinematic representation of sexual repression. Wong frames his actors not only for their faces, but their clothed bodies walking in slow motion, and it only increases the desire of the audience to see them finally give in to their desires. When the simple act of holding hands becomes the most sensual act you can imagine from this couple, you know Wong has successfully captured the feeling and agony of longing.

"In the Mood for Love" was a massive success in China in 2000 and in other international markets, like becoming the top-grossing film from China with French audiences. By the time it was released in the United States in early 2001, it had grossed $2.7 million in its limited release. It was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, and it won several international awards for best picture, director, and acting. The cultural legacy of "In the Mood for Love" remains relevant, as it is still routinely picked as one of the best movies of the century, and new audiences continue to find the film through its Criterion Collection release and streaming service.

While some may believe foreign films of artistic significance to be akin to "movie homework," "In the Mood for Love" transcends those limitations to become an engaging film for any audience willing to overcome cultural perceptions. It is also the perfect tonic for those dreading the upcoming holiday, as it finds beauty and passion in loneliness and longing. If you ever wondered how a movie could be sexy while the two leads rarely touch and remain clothed, it's time to get "In the Mood for Love."

The Weekend: "In the Mood for Love" is a great movie, but it's also the kind of cinema deep cut that checks off a lot of boxes for the Ultimate Movie Year: Drama, Romance, and Foreign, plus it connects to the next major holiday. But it is by no means an easy choice, as history shows us the release of films that could be considered the greatest Silent movie, the greatest satire, and the re-release of one of the biggest blockbusters of all time.

1931 saw the premiere of what would be arguably Charlie Chaplin's masterwork, "City Lights." Released a few years after sound and dialogue was introduced in films, "City Lights" maintains Chaplin's commitment to the art of the silent movie and remains one of the earliest visions of pure auteur filmmaking with its star being involved in all aspects of its creation. Not selecting the film for the Ultimate Movie Year is one of the most difficult choices I've made thus far, as it brings in one of the most iconic movie stars ever, it's a romantic comedy, and it remains the essential silent film. If there's ever a sequel to the Ultimate Movie Year, consider "City Lights" a first-ballot entry.

Flash forward about three decades, and we are introduced to the best satire about war ever made. Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove: or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" was released in 1964, directly amid the Cold War and shortly after the Cuban Missile Crisis. It is an hilarious, incisive, and frightening look at the mentality of those responsible for the military systems that put us in war, and even more relevant today considering the once-hidden vocal philosophies of our leaders are now blasted out publicly 240 characters at a time. "Dr. Strangelove" is another prime contender for the Ultimate Movie Year, but as the weekends were decided, none of the Kubrick films made it the final cut. It's certainly not because of any lack of esteem I have for the late director, as I would put up "In the Mood for Love," "City Lights," and "Dr. Strangelove" as one of the strongest three options for a weekend over the year.

Slightly down the draft list, but still reasonably noteworthy, is the Disney adaptation of "Sleeping Beauty" from 1959. A core member of the Disney Princess pantheon, Aurora benefits from being featured in one of the Walt Disney Studio's best-stylized animation of the era, plus the inclusion of the iconic villain Maleficent.

While I love that we still can celebrate classic films on the big screen with repertory theaters and programming, I have ignored the re-releases of older movies while researching this column. But this one return bears mentioning because of its historical significance at the box office, and the relationship between filmmakers and fans. George Lucas and his team at Lucasfilm worked hard to clean up, restore, and revise his original Star Wars trilogy, and in 1997, fans were eager to catch the Special Edition release of "A New Hope" when it debuted on this weekend. Audiences were initially thrilled to see the original "Star Wars" and its two sequels; after all, it was the first time you can see it in a theater in a generation, and it came out before the Internet really exploded as a place for cultural conversations. However, Lucas made many changes to the original versions of the movies, and as time passed (and the maligned prequels were seen), the backlash to moments like Han Solo and Greedo in the Cantina, or a CGI Jabba the Hutt, was strong in the Force. Still, the re-release of a 20-year-old movie topped the weekend with $35 million in box office receipts and went on to gross a total of $257,000 million worldwide, adding to its already substantial financial tally.

Other classic films that debuted during the weekend include "Broadway Melody" from 1929, the first movie to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards, but it's not really worth going out of your way to see. 1961 saw the release of the final film starring Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe, "The Misfits," directed by John Huston.

As the 80s rolled in, writer-director Paul Schrader launched "American Gigolo," the 1980 mystery drama starring Richard Gere. David Cronenberg took the weirdness of the era to a new era with 1983's "Videodrome." Nick Nolte, Bette Midler, and Richard Dreyfuss launched class warfare with the 1986 comedy, "Down and Out in Beverly Hills."

This weekend also brought us a true mix of unique comedy voices and styles, particularly in the 90s. Jim Carrey experienced his first breakout hit with 1994's "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective," and then starred in "The Mask" and "Dumb and Dumber" later that year, cementing him as a bankable superstar for laughs. Chris Farley and David Spade tried to recapture their "Tommy Boy" magic with 1996's "Black Sheep," but couldn't get there. Christopher Guest first assembled his mockumentary improv troupe in 1997's "Waiting for Guffman," and they would go on to kill it with an Ultimate Movie Year selection "Best in Show." 1999's "She's All That" rode the wave of teen movies and music to box office gold.

As the new century began, most of the latest releases coming to theaters were mostly genre movies that didn't make much of an impression with general audiences outside of the fanbase. Some of the exceptions to the pattern include 2009's "Taken," the first movie of Liam Neeson's late-stage ass-kicker phase, the 2008 concert documentary "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert" that became a hit, and the found-footage superpower thriller from 2012, "Chronicle," which featured a younger Michael B. Jordan just making his way into cinema.

Next Week: "Blazing Saddles"

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