Virtual Pheromone

Recently I stumbled upon a trailer for a soon-to-be-released Redux version of Wong Kar Wai’s heart-rending period romance cum magical martial arts epic Ashes of Time. It reminded me of my first viewing; it was in my late teens and I was overwhelmed and deeply shaken by the beauty of the film but could feel I was missing some of the core experiences needed to fully appreciate it. I’m looking forward to trying it again, the original next weekend and then maybe the Redux when it’s released in October.

Wong Kar Wai is an auteur known for weaving the quiet, emotional lives of his characters in and out and through each other, and for his control of atmosphere, narration and setting to create a realistic, intimate experience bordering on voyeurism. My favorite film of his is his first full length, Days of Being Wild, but the most acclaimed and influential are probably Chunking Express, In the Mood for Love, and Happy Together. Ashes of Time is unique in that it is his only period piece (until the future-set 2046), and his only film to employ any special effects, although they are all of a decidedly analog Mexican magical realist bent. Despite their prevalence in the trailers, the “action” takes a far-backseat to the character’s stories of regret, memory, and love lost. I suggest reading some of the IMDB comments for perspective.

This movie was a ridiculously long time in the making, so much so that Kar Wai took a break from it to write and direct Chunking Express, to “get his head straight”. From what I have read and remember it shows. It may not be very cohesive or on first viewing coherent, especially with the weaving, non-linear vignettes, but those who are willing to put forth a little effort will be doubly and doubly again rewarded by Kar Wai’s heartfelt and human ruminations on the connections that bind lovers together and their slowly twisting, constricting movements on the paths of memory as, with time, they move farther and farther apart.

-RW

Here in Oakland, Dean has created some interesting new subsections that don’t exist at our Bloomfield store. He’s separated out 70’s Drama, 70’s Comedy, 70’s Thriller and 70’s Sci-Fi.

I’ve been slowly going through them, re-discovering the flavor of the last age that actors, writing and direction were king. The 1970s were a unique time in auteur movie making, producing a quantity of intelligent, full bodied cinema that stands against the hygenicised pop-hits of the eighties and 90s. The storylines meander more than we’re used to today, down paths more dangerous, more rewarding. The film stock’s gritty quality creates a natural, immediate atmosphere that connects you to the action in a way that digital post-production, with all it’s polish and perfection, fails miserably. And in the pre-blockbuster age the actor is always paramount. Characters are developed, nuanced and real, their interactions pulsing with charisma and connection that used to be the mark of Hollywood greats. In many ways it’s a much purer cinema than what is produced today.

My friend Ted joked that the new sections might as well be called “Best of”. Come down and see for yourself.

-RW