[Filmmaking] Prompt 3

Share one of your favorite Directors. In a one sentence description describe his/her body of work. How is his/her voice unique? 

Wang Kar Wai, an internationally renowned director in Hong Kong, well known for his significantly stylized cinematic language and visually artistic vision, made films such as Chungking Express(1994), Happy together(1997) (which earned him the best director prize in Cannes), In the Mood of Love(2000), and 2046(2004).

In general speaking, Wang’s films are personal. We can almost claim that most of the techniques, the narration, and the acting style in Wang’s films are to convey the private and sensitive feelings of characters. Wang is an amazing story-teller, which he wrote most of his screenplays. Lots of poetic asides, monologs, and even texts are used, and especially most of the time, it is the first person narrator (the major role speaks out in the film) who takes the lead of the story. In Chungking Express, Police 233 told his personal story in the first part of the film. Some very classic lines lie in his monolog, for instance, “if memory is a can, I hope this can will never expire. If we really have to put a date on it, I wish it is ten thousand years.” By developing story in these ways, it is difficult for Wang’s films to follow the main stream dramatic structure. Climax is seldom seen in Wang’s films, but we are able to witness the mosaic-like snapshots of major roles, most of whom are soaked in the extreme loneliness, solitude and a sense of isolation from the rest of the world. Considerable close-ups (taking the object in close details) are exploited. Not only can we distinguish the facial expression of major roles, but also by using close-ups, the single major role is then confined in the frame, which creates distance from other major roles by this kind of composition. Wang never avoids hand-held camera, which definitely generates unease. When the woman in yellow raincoat escapes from the raging crowd of Indians in Chungking Building, the camera catches up her unsteady pace in a spontaneous manner, at the same time, the frame shifting in and out focus, light and shadow streaming, with the shots rapidly cut and weaved into sequences.  She is desperate. The sequence showcases she has no way to run away this paradox. Wang has partnered with his DP, Du, for so many years. Du’s cinematography gives Wang a big hand to reach his aesthetic achievements in film. With high exposure (letting in more light) and saturation (more light and color intensity), Wang’s film world is more colorful, but meanwhile it sharply contrasted to characters’ pale and lonely mindset. Moreover, Wang integrates slow motion (slow down the speed of shot) and long takes (uninterrupted take over 1 minute) to generate the continuous flow of emotion and lengthen the impact of the sequence. In Happy Together, when Ho Po-wing returns to Lai Yiu-fai for shelter, turning Lai’s life from black to color (both visually in film and spiritually in Lai’s life), Ho lies head on Lai’s shoulder in the cab. It is a classic long take with slow motion. The cab is just like elegantly gliding on the road. With shaky street lamps in rear background glowing out focus, two wounded men, at this point, match. We the audience can catch the strong emotion in this take easily.

The figure and cinematic language of Wang’s are too huge and profound to cover in few sentences. I haven’t even mentioned his mise-en-scene and usage of sound. In brief, Wang prefers crowded and complex settings in order to shot in distinct angles, presenting the characters’ distorted inner self at the same time. His score is usually original, matching the plot perfectly. There is a saying that Wang’s film reflects the rise and fall in Hongkongese’ mind for the unknown future in 1990s, when the Great Britain was ready to turn Hong Kong back to China. In conclusion, Wang tells personal story. His roles have shouldered the whole era. By his unique and captivating cinematic language, we are able to feel the joy and sorrow those characters feel.


還是無法講得很清楚啊！王家衛太博大精深了@@