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In hind\u00adsight, it is not sur\u00adpris\u00ading that the film\u2019s nos\u00adtal\u00adgic ren\u00addi\u00adtion of 1962<\/span> Hong Kong left such an indeli\u00adble influ\u00adence on an entire gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtion of cineast\u00ades. In the 2000<\/span>s, Wong\u2019s for\u00admal and nar\u00adra\u00adtive restraint set him apart from the increas\u00ading\u00adly grandiose cin\u00ade\u00admat\u00adic ambi\u00adtions of both Chi\u00adnese and Hol\u00adly\u00adwood stu\u00addios. Dur\u00ading this peri\u00adod, his peers like Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou chore\u00ado\u00adgraphed com\u00adplex fight scenes on pic\u00adturesque vis\u00adtas, inter\u00adspersed with charged moments of intense melo\u00addra\u00adma. Wong resist\u00aded any temp\u00adta\u00adtions towards man\u00adu\u00adfac\u00adtur\u00ading max\u00adi\u00admal\u00adist spec\u00adta\u00adcles. Even com\u00adpared to oth\u00ader works in his oeu\u00advre,\u00a0<\/span>In the Mood for Love\u00a0<\/i>is notice\u00adably lack\u00ading in kinet\u00adic fren\u00adzies of vio\u00adlence or bursts of pas\u00adsion\u00adate inti\u00adma\u00adcy. Instead, the film con\u00adsists of long takes where char\u00adac\u00adters, no more than one or two at a\u00a0time, appear in the shot: writ\u00ading, eat\u00ading or sit\u00adting in plumes of cig\u00ada\u00adrette smoke.\u00a0In close-ups, yearn\u00ading stares and brief moments of phys\u00adi\u00adcal con\u00adtact are in full focus. In the wide shot, lone\u00adsome fig\u00adures walk away into the distance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Of course, the film\u2019s last\u00ading lega\u00adcy is more than just a\u00a0mood board ref\u00ader\u00adence. At the turn-of-the-cen\u00adtu\u00adry, Wong\u2019s mag\u00adnum opus exists in con\u00adtra\u00addic\u00adtion to the promis\u00ades of a\u00a0new age. As the inter\u00adnet instan\u00adta\u00adneous\u00adly con\u00adnect\u00aded bil\u00adlions of users around the globe,\u00a0<\/span>In the Mood for Love\u00a0<\/i>real\u00adized an inter\u00adper\u00adson\u00adal con\u00adnec\u00adtion that tran\u00adscend\u00aded the frame\u00adwork of forums, chat rooms or video calls. For 25<\/span>\u00a0years, gen\u00ader\u00ada\u00adtions of view\u00aders raised in cyber\u00adspace con\u00adtin\u00adue to res\u00adonate with a\u00a0decep\u00adtive\u00adly sim\u00adple nar\u00adra\u00adtive of a\u00a0love affair that nev\u00ader comes to fruition. In the wake of unfet\u00adtered eco\u00adnom\u00adic glob\u00adal\u00adiza\u00adtion and the explo\u00adsion of WiFi access around the world, Wong swam against the tides of dig\u00adi\u00adtal excess. Except for a\u00a0few phone calls and a\u00a0telegram, signs of mod\u00adern tech\u00adnol\u00ado\u00adgy are absent from the film. By plac\u00ading us in the past, divorced from our con\u00adnec\u00adtions to the dis\u00adtrac\u00adtions of the present moment, Wong mines for the raw essence of a\u00a0feeling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The pro\u00adtag\u00ado\u00adnists nev\u00ader get to unleash their desires on screen. In the hands of anoth\u00ader film\u00admak\u00ader, Leung and Che\u00adung would\u2019ve like\u00adly been direct\u00aded to throw them\u00adselves into each other\u2019s arms, undress\u00ading in a\u00a0steamy cli\u00admax to relieve the 90<\/span>\u00a0min\u00adutes of sim\u00admer\u00ading sex\u00adu\u00adal ten\u00adsion. Against all con\u00adven\u00adtions and instincts, Wong instead pulls his two star-crossed lovers apart. There is no scan\u00addalous affair, just a\u00a0fleet\u00ading slip into a\u00a0fan\u00adta\u00adsy that nev\u00ader tru\u00adly plays out. With the film\u2019s con\u00adclu\u00adsion in mind, all the instances of con\u00adtrolled affec\u00adtion, the silent stares, the late-night writ\u00ading ses\u00adsions and the tame re-enact\u00adments of adul\u00adtery feel even more erot\u00adic. The cou\u00adple don\u2019t end up rid\u00ading off into the sun\u00adset togeth\u00ader, but the time they shared as neigh\u00adbors has left a\u00a0seis\u00admic impact on their lives. Like ide\u00adal\u00adized mem\u00ado\u00adries that stray fur\u00adther from the truth each pass\u00ading day, each of Wong\u2019s images rev\u00adel in the sat\u00adu\u00adrat\u00aded shad\u00adows of a\u00a0nos\u00adtal\u00adgic mirage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the Mood for Love<\/i> clear\u00adly bears an impor\u00adtant per\u00adson\u00adal mean\u00ading for its direc\u00adtor. What was prob\u00ada\u00adbly intend\u00aded as a\u00a0love let\u00adter to a\u00a0bygone era of Hong Kong\u2019s his\u00adto\u00adry, a\u00a0con\u00adstruc\u00adtion of child\u00adhood scenes where gos\u00adsip\u00ading fam\u00adi\u00adly mem\u00adbers played Mahjong all night long, has now mutat\u00aded into a\u00a0mourn\u00adful trea\u00adtise to lux\u00adu\u00adri\u00adate in fad\u00ading pasts. Whether it is a\u00a0per\u00adson, a\u00a0place, or a\u00a0mem\u00ado\u00adry, every frame of Wong\u2019s mas\u00adter\u00adwork allows view\u00aders to get lost in their own sink\u00adhole of long\u00ading. Recent box office and crit\u00adi\u00adcal hits like the Daniels\u2019\u00a0<\/span>Every\u00adthing Every\u00adwhere All at Once\u00a0<\/i>or Celine Song\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>Past Lives<\/i> are evi\u00addence that Wong\u2019s impulse for nos\u00adtal\u00adgia remains as wide\u00adspread as ever. Though the for\u00admer is far more direct in its homage to Wong\u2019s film, both grap\u00adple with visions of what could\u2019ve been. A\u00a0vivid recall of fond mem\u00ado\u00adries and the inven\u00adtion of alter\u00adna\u00adtive futures might be our best recourse in deal\u00ading with an over\u00adstim\u00adu\u00adlat\u00ading, and over\u00adbear\u00ading present.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In The Mood For Love + In the Mood for Love 2001<\/span> will screen at venues across New York and Lon\u00addon this summer.<\/strong><\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n