Written and directed by Wong Kar-wai 2046 is often considered by many film enthusiasts one of the most intriguing, epic importance piece of not only International cinema but modern ‘Film Noir’. Made in 2004 the Hong Kong epic life drama is part of a family of Wong Kar-Wai films including Days of Being Wild (1990) and In the Mood for Love (2000). It’s a true film exploration of high end romance, drama, fashion, love, life and pain in extremely old fashion Hollywood manner. However more modern and socially relevant with the location and culture of oriental modern Asia. It tracks the long non explicit but more emotional affair of Su Li-zhen in 1960s Hong Kong with Chow Mo-wan. It also manages to touch on grande elements of time travel and science fiction exploring moments and coincidences in life which are unexplained due to time, it’s past and present effects on people which create a dramatic circle of life in the big scheme of things. It’s complex and grand in scale, visual delivery and entire plot narrative. It’s ‘Cloud Atlas’ (2012) big basically but the idea before and Chinese culture driven by Wong Kar-Wai (2004).
Wong Kai-Wai is a true ‘Auteur’. He is not simply a film director who takes any script or genre lightly in order to cash a pay cheque to live according to film production presented for skills. For him to write and direct a project which reaches for so many intense and beloved well known areas of cinema is the sign of director who takes himself and cinema REALLY seriously. It’s Shakespeare like in terms of film noir, romance, science fiction, cinematography and should really be viewed well on a huge cinema screen rather than laptop.
There is a huge cinema and film legacy this particular film series of films from Wong Kar-Wai leaves behind concerning the importance of global international cinema outside Hollywood. We are as audiences even though for many through subtitles watching immense love story and glamour outside Beverly Hills about Chinese culture which is highly captivating and beautiful to see on screen and follow narrative wise. It’s a perfect case for the argument of seeing cinema which not local and too familiar but somehow completely is at the same time.
Von Von Lamunu
Von Von Lamunu 