The Influence of Film Noir to Chinese Film Chungking Express
Chong Yi
The Chinese film “Chungking Express” is one famous film in that era. “Chungking
Express” consists of two basic irrelevant stories. The Relations between two stories like
Takeshi Kaneshiro and Faye Wong who passing with each other that unlimited approaching
and missed the intersection. In the film, the time has precise definition, especially in the first
basic stories. The reason is why this movie influenced by Film Noir because of a lot of
commonly special parts. The accurate time, special narrators, dim lights, following shot,
snooping camera lens, gun crazy with mysterious woman, smoking, raining night… All of
these stuffs are appearing in the Film Noir. So, for this essay, I would like to talk about some
almost important viewpoints for “Chungking Express”, and why Film Noir has influenced
this film.
The time in “Chungking Express” is one specific main point. At the beginning of this
film, Brigitte Lin was quickly walking on the street. When Brigitte Lin bumped against
Takeshi Kaneshiro, the clock displayed 9:00 pm. When Takeshi Kaneshiro went to
girlfriend’s apartment, the clock showed 12:00 pm. This elaborate shot makes me think about
one Film Noir – The Set-Up. The Set-Up is a 1949 American film noir boxing drama directed
by Robert Wise and featuring Robert Ryan and Audrey Totter. In this film, director used time
sequence to state the story. Also, one clock in the hotel was always appeared in the film.
Audiences could easily understand this story was happened in the evening to the midnight –
between actors went into the boxing match and walked out falling on the street. It's worth
mentioning that at the end of “The Set-up”, one big clock appeared from zooming out shot.
The time was almost midnight. No flashback, and no muddled time. So, from this timing part,
“Chungking Express” imitated “The Set-up”.
First-person narrator is a bright spot in “Chungking Express”. Takeshi Kaneshiro,
Brigitte Lin, and Tony Leung are using first-person to state their own story. Takeshi
Kaneshiro broke up with his girlfriend. He decided to wait for her girlfriend, and the deadline
is one month. Every day he bought one canned pineapple, and he hopes when he bought the
last one can, his girlfriend would come back. These series of emotions are his entire internal
monologue. It helps audiences feel sympathetic with Takeshi Kaneshiro. In addition, one
interesting part was Tony Leung. He broke up with his girlfriend. And director wanted him to
show his own internal monologue, let him talk to some stuff in that room which his girlfriend
lived with him before. In the film noir, some actors also used first-person to advance the plot.
In noir film “Double Indemnity”, actor Fred MacMurray as an insurance salesman, was
falling in love with a housewife Barbara Stanwyck. They both hoped Barbara’s husband died,
and then they could be together. So, one murder was beginning. All story advanced through
Fred first person narrative. This particular process could let audience follow the actor’s mind
completely.
Like film noir, although “Chungking Express” is not just white and black color, his
shooting style is like film noir—mid lights, shaky and special lens sense. In film noir, the
shooting angles were Low-key and night lighting. More use of chiaroscuro, and the picture
often was a large area shadows. The use of photographic techniques is to achieve confusing
visual effects. The overall style was repressive and closed. Also, the screen was divided into
unstable shape by slash to create a sense of crumbling tilt. That's all the similar styles in
“Chungking Express”. Wong Kar Wai used dark and mid light to make film style repressive,
and his following shot also largely appeared in that movie.
Meanwhile, the actress Brigitte Lin was one worth part in “Chungking Express”. She is a
strong woman in urban forest. There is no passion, and just is survival modern animal. Urban
jungle survival tips are not minded simple, but heavily disguised; wig, sunglasses, raincoats,
and guns. This arms were enough to deal with day, night, rain, and sunny day. Like females in
film noir, strong femme fatale of noir is the main female character in these movies. These
women are given not only sexual powers, but also ambitions. They are longing or looking for
independence, often economic, and freedom, often from relationships with men. Brigitte Lin
was one brave woman in the film. She shoot men without hesitate, to defend her dignity. The
sexual women's power and strength are visually expressed in the films, both through the
iconography of the image, and through the visual style.
In a word, Wang Kar Wai has visually unique, highly stylized, and emotionally resonant
work. The film “Chungking Express” depicts a paradox in that even though the characters
live in densely packed Hong Kong, they are mostly lonely and live in their own inner worlds.
The background music changes, lights flickering, and fast or slow lens. Even he uses a lot of
the tilt angle to shoot in the film. His movie is a legend to China movie style. Not only his
shooting style is best, but also his actor’s lines are perfect. A man cries, you just give him a
pack of paper towels. But a house crying, you have to do a lot of effort… He is a delicate wit,
and he focuses on his movies. Because of film noir, “Chungking Express” can be one of
important similar films in the China film history.