Romantic
love is unrequited love between those of different social
positions. Western civilization has moved beyond romantic
love, largely because barriers of class have broken down and
women are liberated. Many parts of Asia, however, retain traditional
cultures that present impenetrable barriers. In the
Mood for Love, written and directed by Kar-Wai Wong,
brings romantic love to the screen from Hongkong of the 1960s.
The two lovers are journalist Chow Mo-Wan (played by Tony
Leung) and shipping clerk Su Li-Zhen (played by Maggie Cheung).
The film begins in 1962. They live next door to each other,
and their spouses either are out of town or make excuses for
not coming home for dinner after work, so they run into each
other a lot as they try to socialize or get fresh air in the
neighborhood. Eventually, they realize that they really do
not have satisfying marriages, they get acquainted, hold hands,
but they never even kiss. However, when she decides that she
cannot betray her husband, Chow gets himself reassigned to
Singapore in 1963 to get over the affair. In the most poignant
scene of the film, which is filled with languid looks and
long, sad pauses between few words of dialogue and sentimental
Spanish songs sung by Nat King Cole (but not "I’m I the Mood
for Love"), comes when she places a long distance call to
Chow in Singapore but hangs up without saying anything after
hearing his voice. In 1966, Chow goes to Cambodia, yet another
strategy to get over the unconsummated affair. The last frames
show him leaning against a portion of the Angkor Wat temple
almost in tears. The sad film speaks to the brokenhearted,
and could easily have featured two married men confronted
with the amorous dilemma that they are gay. What is the film’s
message? Cry in a moviehouse if you can, but move on with
your lives lest depression brought on by unconsummated love
become your quicksand. MH
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