Human existence is made up of extremities. We carry within ourselves our heaven and hell. Both of these are often thrown together, when we allow ourselves to love and be loved. A passionate love is a love that is pure but also one that demands breaking the rules of society and thereby, reality. But what happens when one wants but can’t commit to that passion?
‘In the Mood for Love’, directed by Wong Kar-Wai is probably one of the best romantic films ever made. It narrates the story of two neighbours- Mrs Chan and Mr. Chow, who find out that their respective spouses are cheating on them with each other. This discovery brings them closer, as they embark on a journey of their own- guided by desire, insecurities and the greatest of all- love.
The film has a slow-moving pace when required, and quick time lapses- creating an illusionary state of being. We know from the beginning that the two protagonists’ romance is destined to be doomed, but the director’s subtle tricks sparks hope amongst the viewers. There is seduction using colours that are dark but romantic. The maroon-red curtains flying in the air when Mrs Chan tries to visit Mr. Chow in the hotel sets the ‘mood for love’ that is visibly resisted by the characters.
Another key element of seduction is the amazing sound-track of the movie by Michael Galasso and Shigeru Umebayashi. This soundtrack is best illuminated in the market-corridor scenes where the couple cross their paths often. That scene is my personal favourite. It shows the loneliness and subtle desperation for hope of the actors and hence the obviousness with which they could be in the arms of each other.
An element of the movie that interests me is its use of frame within frame technique. A frame within a frame is when the photographer uses something within the scene in front of them to frame the main subject. The director exaggerates on the fact that we are the third person in the story. One can literally feel that the characters are being watched. This indicates a larger concept- the threat of being seen and judged. The so-called affair for the two characters is unconventional and they are constantly under the eyes of scrutiny. They know this and so do we. Hence we see them through mirrors, windows and doors. A specifically interesting scene is when Mrs Chan is in Mr Chow’s room and the neighbours unexpectedly come in his apartment. We see only their feet - suggesting that one is watching them from under the bed or table- as if we are hiding just as Mrs Chan is.
Another significant use of the technique is seen in perhaps the only scene where the two couples are together. Mrs Chan sits near her husband in the table. Just then Mrs Chow approaches. Mrs Chan then gets up, almost isolating herself from the group as Mrs Chow finds her way in. Mr Chow gets up and leaves the room. This is one of the initial scenes of the film that predicts the flow of the rest of the film. As the story unfolds, Mrs Chan does isolate herself from her husband as Mrs Chow becomes the mistress. On learning this, Mr Chow is able to let go of his wife- something Mrs Chan never could. And all of that is aestheically watched through the eyes of the door.
The most important element of the film, as regarded by many critics, is the role play between the protagonists. When Mrs Chan and Mr Chow confirm that their spouses have been cheating, rather than letting the thought absorb- they build a bubble of denial. They enact the role of each other’s spouses to understand how their partners might have cheated on them. Throughout the film, they repeatedly vow to not let their relationship become an affair, all the while enacting the affair of their partners. This reflects an overt expression of their psyche. By enacting the role of Mrs’ Chan’s husband, Mr. Chow is trying to be the husband his wife fell in love with and vice versa. Mrs Chan and Mr Chow’s relationship lies in the desire to be enough and not in quest of companionship. If it was the latter, the film would have a happy ending.
The concept of falling in love outside marriage, which is depicted in the movie, is unconventional but not so bold for 2000s. Especially in Bengali cinema, that has produced films like Charulata, Mr and Mrs Iyer and many more- we have seen marriages as social intuitions that often demand an escape. What is unique about ‘In the Mood for Love’ is its ability to show the desperate resistance of the idea of ex-marital affairs by being in one. Perhaps the reason why the spouses of the protagonists are never shown in the movie is so that our opinions regarding them is not coloured. As the movie builds up, one can understand that the spouses were probably right in seeking intimacy from each other just as Mr. Chow and Mrs Chan were.
‘ In the Mood for Love’ narrates love, envy, desire, seduction, hope and tragedy. It is a story told through touches, glances, reflections and camera movements. It is rhythmic and smooth but also defragmented. It is a story of fantasies, of a ‘what-if’ world. Not surprisingly a poem by Amrita Pritam comes to mind so often while watching this film.
एक मुलाकात / अमृता प्रीतम
मैं चुप शान्त और अडोल खड़ी थी
सिर्फ पास बहते समुन्द्र में तूफान था……फिर समुन्द्र को खुदा जाने
क्या ख्याल आया
उसने तूफान की एक पोटली सी बांधी
मेरे हाथों में थमाई
और हंस कर कुछ दूर हो गया
हैरान थी….
पर उसका चमत्कार ले लिया
पता था कि इस प्रकार की घटना
कभी सदियों में होती है…..
लाखों ख्याल आये
माथे में झिलमिलाये
पर खड़ी रह गयी कि उसको उठा कर
अब अपने शहर में कैसे जाऊंगी?
मेरे शहर की हर गली संकरी
मेरे शहर की हर छत नीची
मेरे शहर की हर दीवार चुगली
सोचा कि अगर तू कहीं मिले
तो समुन्द्र की तरह
इसे छाती पर रख कर
हम दो किनारों की तरह हंस सकते थे
और नीची छतों
और संकरी गलियों
के शहर में बस सकते थे….
पर सारी दोपहर तुझे ढूंढते बीती
और अपनी आग का मैंने
आप ही घूंट पिया
मैं अकेला किनारा
किनारे को गिरा दिया
और जब दिन ढलने को था
समुन्द्र का तूफान
समुन्द्र को लौटा दिया….
अब रात घिरने लगी तो तूं मिला है
तूं भी उदास, चुप, शान्त और अडोल
मैं भी उदास, चुप, शान्त और अडोल
सिर्फ- दूर बहते समुन्द्र में तूफान है…..