...engaging and discerning culture, as a way of life...

January 15, 2006

2046 - 6

The loose sequel to In the Mood for Love. Like most sequels this film doesn't have the plot tightness that the first one has. It wanders as Chow, the main character, keeps telling the stories of his past in order to relive them. He always stays hopeful that his true love will return. In the process he writes stories that reflect on what happened to him, and to try to capture how humans love and are loved, and the mystery that it is. The film shows well how memories haunt us in both good and bad ways. Here are two quotes that will give you the idea: "Everyone who goes to 2046 has the same intention, they want to recapture lost memories. Because in 2046 nothing ever changes. But, nobody knows if that is true or not because no-one has ever come back." and, "A long time ago, if you had a secret, you would climb a mountain, find a tree..., carve a hole into it, and you would whisper the secret into the hole, and cover it with mud."
The soundtrack with orchestral music fits well with topic and flow of the film.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I'm teaching this film to my English 2 class this semester, looking at how it presents memory, fantasy, and testifying to the trauma. I'll be interested in seeing how the students react to the film.

While it lacks the tightness of ITMFL, it still retains a power and singularity that is all its own. The case could be made, however, for the film ending right after Chow helps Faye Wong get in contact with her boyfriend (when he puts his hand on the window and smiles).

Paul