Wong’s influential international breakthrough is fascinating, sensual and carefree, and an essential Hong Kong classic from the ’90s.

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This was the film that launched the international career of Wong Kar Wai.  The Hong Kong film auteur is not only one of the most original filmmakers to emerge in the 1990s, but also one of the top directors from the East, standing tall amongst fellow established filmmakers such as Zhang Yimou and Hou Hsiao-Hsien. 

Chungking Express is in many ways a sumptuous treat for the senses.  The splashes of neon-like colours used, the fluidity of the camerawork, the crisp editing, and an energetic soundtrack all add up, eventually leading to what is now known as the ‘Wong Kar Wai style’. 

The story in Chungking Express is deceptively simple.  Two love-struck cops find it tough to come to terms with a lonely life without their girlfriends who have left them.  

Set in a bustling, cross-cultural arena that is Hong Kong, Wong splits the narrative into two separate parts with a food-and-beverage stall as the only link. 

“Actually, really knowing someone doesn’t mean anything. People change. A person may like pineapple today and something else tomorrow.”

Chungking Express begins with a bang with impressive sequences after one another. One notable example was when Brigitte Lin’s character was running away from several assailants, weaving through dimly-lit corridors and underpasses, and eventually into a crowded, departing train. 

Most of the frames in this sequence employ the step-printing effect, creating splashes of vague dream-like images that are hallmarks of the director’s artistry.  

Its second story, however, eschews the thrills and heartbreak of the first and plays out more sensually and carefreely, featuring popular singer Faye Wong dancing to the tune of ‘California Dreaming’, a song that might have been played one time too many in the film. 

A Hong Kong classic from the ’90s, Chungking Express is essential viewing and a great entry point for those starting to explore Wong’s filmography.

Grade: A-

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