Days of Being Wild
1991 ‘A Fei jingjyuhn’ Directed by Wong Kar-Wai
Synopsis
The movie is set in Hong Kong and the Philippines in 1960. Yuddy, or 'York' in English (Leslie Cheung), is a playboy in Hong Kong and is well-known for stealing girls' hearts and breaking them. His first victim is Li Zhen (Maggie Cheung) who suffered emotional and mental depression as a result of Yuddy's wayward attitude. Li Zhen eventually seeks much-needed solace from a sympathetic policeman named Tide (Andy Lau). Their near-romance is often hinted at but never materialises.
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Having seen and loved 2046 and In the Mood for Love, I was excited about finally seeing the first of the trilogy. I expected it to be good, but not as good as the other two. Well, it turns out I was right, but just barely.
Wong Kar-Wai is the master of loneliness and longing. No one does it better. It is not the easiest thing to film, this inner life, but he does it brilliantly. One of his ways is to show rain. He doesn't use rain in that typical way where the character is looking out the window at the bleakness of it all. He doesn't do it to set a tone or a mood. He does it…
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And thus concludes the short Wong Kar-Wai re-watch of Feb20-Feb21. Days of Being Wild marks the joining of two souls; Wong Kar-Wai and Christopher Doyle, a beautiful companionship that i hope rekindles itself one day. It is also where Kar-Wai finds his footing and voice as an auteur; the clear visual style, the atmosphere, the subtle mood changes, the love for dark knights, neon colours, and stormy weather. It's all here and more.
Thanks to it's poor box office what was planned to be a series became a one off film, which accidentally creates the strangest ending to a Kar-Wai film yet, causing it to end on a silent Tony Leung (who is not in the film prior to this)… -
Wong Kar-Wai's style is crafted with a special kind of beauty, he romanticizes the simple dramas in a way that evokes emotional responses like no other. Following a group of social outcasts desperately searching for their own idea of love while trying to find purpose in their lives. At the center is York (Leslie Cheung), a young man who lives life with a hypnotic flair and a natural romantic sensibility. He is the orphan of Rebecca (Rebecca Pan), a former high-class escort whose affection for him is challenged by his desire to meet his real mother. This desire results in him having a detached relationship with women, with all of his relationships ending in him breaking their heart. His victim…
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I’ve now completed the trilogy.. backwards.
I saw 2046 a number of years ago and immediately fell in love with it. Last year, by chance not design, I watched In The Mood for Love knowing that it was Kar Wai Wong, but not knowing it’s connection to 2046. It was only when I saw the room number that it suddenly struck me. I was all smiles! I think I squeaked! After that I discovered that Days Of Being Wild was the first of the loose trilogy. We’ve had it for a while now, and decided to take the plunge this morning. I admit that I had cheated on my rule about reading reviews head of watching it. I limited my… -
Days of Being Wild is like a proto-form of Wong Kar-Wai's great style.
More likely a homage to Hong Kong's commercial cinema, this film presents a protagonist surrounded by the psychological chilchés of filmmaking: the loneliness of growing without a mother, the resulting lack of care with women and the women that likes this kind of men and that will make everything for him.
This usual story was fortunately saved by Kar-Wai's trademarks: the utilization of memories as a strong thematic subject, the mesmerizing scenes on bed, the slow takes and bold travelings. We can't see here those much of those wonderful takes from medium distance that makes In the Mood for Love Kar Wai's masterpiece and his romantic mise en scène is still a baby here.
Therefore, Days of Being Wild is a more accessible movie for people more interested in stories than style. For me, it's just a embryo of a masterpiece.
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A perfect case of the title being better than the movie. The title really tells you things and sets certainly simple expectations, but it never really measures up. There's nothing particularly "wild" about the character other than the fact that he treats the women around him like they are not even capable of feelings of their own.
One can really see the styling of Wong Kar-Wai beginning to shape up here, but the story really doesn't take you with it. It has the same (though smaller versions) of his favorite themes of emptiness and loneliness but without anything that makes the story come to life for you.
I suppose the point is that the character is on some kind of…
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This film is tricky to review. It's mesmerizing to watch, and yet if I were try to explain why I liked it so much I don't know if I could. It has a certain quality about it that just sucked me in. It's not about plot, its about mood. I don't know if anybody does mood like Wong Kar-wai. And the cinematography. Oh, the cinematography!
As I mentioned, the plot doesn't really matter here. It's a bit of a love entanglement. There is a guy, York, who seduces two young women, but doesn't actually commit to either of them and ends up walking out on both and really only wants the love of his real mother who he does not…
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"I used to think there was a kind of bird that, once born, would keep flying until death. The fact is that the bird hasn't gone anywhere. It was dead from the beginning."
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Day 5. 14th Film, 13th Country: Hong Kong
of the "May: 30 Days, 30 Countries" Challenge.A typical Kar Wai Wong ride about love, loneliness, existence and what not. Beautifully filmed.
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Εκεί που περίμενε το τηλέφωνο..
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A bit more story here than Wong Kar Wai's usual fare, which is always good. Although the key plot doesn't actually start until about 50 mins into the film. And I love the artist Leslie Cheung, even if he does seem to play a lot of emotional parasites.
Ultimately, this origins story shows a lot of later trademarks. Focused on romantic musings and coupling deconstructions, plus some eye-catching scenes which shamelessly pack a lot of emotion.
This film didn't leave a big impression on me though, and I felt the subtitle translation I had was borderline at times, knowing a bit of Mandarin and Tagalog myself.
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This viewing was hindered by some very unintelligible subtitles. But from what I can gather I really disliked it. The main character is very unlikable, treating women really badly, just because his mother abandoned him?? Had heard glowing reviews elsewhere about how this was a masterpiece. Sorry, not for me
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Lovely, floaty, blue-green and shimmery. Like being underwater. Everyone and every thing is so pretty and so sad. Quiet, but not peaceful. I liked it.
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this film was, unfortunately, not the first time watching a WONG film therefore most of the then very innovative techniques did not feel that fresh.
the usual theme of lost love [and a little lust] can be seen here as well but maybe with more strength and less style than every other film in the auteur’s works.
the usual techniques are seen here as well but perhaps with more subtlety than after; the out-of-context score and colorful cinematography.
to be quite honest i could not care less for most of the characters, nonetheless i thought MAGGIE CHEUNG scene with the cop was outstanding and the closing scene was very cool as well.
for the hardcore fans, like me, of WONG this film is a must see; it is in a weird was an origins story for the auteur. -
Wong Kar-Wai's best film. I could watch this film once a month.