Chungking Express



"This is the kind of movie you'll relate to if you love film itself, rather than its surface aspects such as story and stars."

- Roger Ebert

Chungking Express (重慶森林) is a movie directed by Wong Kar-wai and released in 1994. Quentin Tarantino loved it so much that he signed a deal with Miramax to start his own releasing company specifically to distribute the movie in the US.

The movie can't be easily summarized, if only because it start with one story, which it abandons on the way to continue with another. Arguably, rather than having a plot, it is a depiction of the cramped, hectic, neurosis-inducing but strangely exciting life in contemporary Hong Kong.

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 * Big Eater: The first cop eats his way through 30 cans of pineapple to get over his ex, and then several plates of miscellaneous food when Brigitte Lin is sleeping.
 * Dogged Nice Guy: 223 can't take a hint if his life depended on it.
 * Even Beggars Won't Choose It: When the first cop, who has been collecting pineapple cans with a May 1 preemption date in memory of his girlfriend dumping him, tries to give one to a beggar on the night of April 30, the beggar lobs it back at him. "It's past its sell-by date! you keep it!"
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Policeman 663 is only known by his badge number. (223 introduces himself at the beginning as He Qiwu.)
 * Femme Fatale: Brigitte Lin's character.
 * Fetish: Policeman 663 has a thing for air hostesses.
 * Genre Shift: It starts as an urban thriller and turns into a romantic comedy.
 * Girl Next Door: Faye.
 * Halfway Plot Switch
 * Hong Kong: Arguably the main character of the movie is the city itself.
 * Indy Ploy: The Brigitte Lin character stages an impromptu kidnapping to get some information.
 * Local Hangout: Both cops get their snacks and coffee at a local pit stop called the Midnight Express. It's the setting for much of the movie.
 * Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Faye. Childlike, wacky mannerisms? Check. Idealistic and free-spirited to cop #663's broken heart and outward stuffed shirt? Check. Tendency towards petty crime? Check. Amazingly cute? Very much check.
 * The Nameless: We never learn the name of Brigitte Lin's character, or as mentioned, cop #663.
 * Sexy Stewardess: The second cop's former girlfriend. His next girlfriend emulates her and becomes one as well.
 * In a flashback scene, we see his then-girlfriend do her safety instruction routine over the usual voice recording ("emergency exits are located at the front and back..."), while at his place and with her top off. It's an obvious turn-on for him.
 * Shipper on Deck: The store manager gives people advice about their love lives, and even hustles all the other employees away when #663 approaches so Faye will be alone with him.
 * Sleep Cute: Cop 633 and Faye.
 * Sorry I Left the BGM On: The first usage of "California Dreamin'," and the second usage of "What a Difference a Day Made."
 * Stalker with a Crush: Faye steals the second cop's house keys and sneaks into his flat. She makes a habit of moving his stuff around and buying him new things just to see whether he'll notice. She also inspects his bed with a magnifying glass for evidence of sexual activity.
 * Train Escape: Brigitte Lin's character, as she's being chased by vengeful drug dealers.
 * Word Salad Title: The title blends together the name of Chungking Mansions, a cheap apartment complex in Kowloon, and that of the Midnight Express pit stop.