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Olivia Moser

World Cinema

Dr. Howarth

December 8, 2022

Seminar Paper

In the Mood for Love, directed by Wong Kar-wai displays the isolating loneliness and

separation of the two main characters through its portrayal of crowded spaces and a lack of

privacy in their everyday lives. These characteristics can be shown throughout the film using

techniques such as cinematography, mise-en-scene, and editing.

Cinematography is a component that was constructed throughout the film to display a

sense of intrusion for the audience. The framing of the shots and the angle of the camera

provides an insight into the lives of the characters. A reoccurring example of framing in the film

is the shots that are taken behind walls, door frames, windows, and many other objects. There is

typically a barrier in front of the camera that obstructs the view of the couple. A great example of

this is in the scene where Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan are discussing the complications of marriage

and discussing the “what-ifs” of not being married (00:41:07). There is a part of the wall that

makes it hard to see the full view of the two. The point of view, from which audience members

are seeing the interactions between Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow, gives the feeling that they are

looking into a private moment of the characters’ lives. The intensity of the conversation and the

object in the way of a clear shot of the characters, make it feel as though the audience should not

be witnessing this moment between the two.

Another example of this aspect is represented not only through obstructed views but

through the use of reflection as well. This is shown in the scene where Mrs. Chan is crying in the
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shower (00:22:09). After questioning Mrs. Chow for what she thought to be the voices of her and

another man, she is heartbroken from what she assumes is an affair with her husband. The

beginning of the shower scene uses a tracking shot that has the camera moving closer toward the

mirror. It is in this mirror that we see the reflection of the bathroom where Mrs. Chan is crying.

Although the audience cannot see her yet, they can hear the sobs coming from the other room

and the running water of the shower. The shot then switches to a close-up shot where again; the

view of Mrs. Chan is restricted. The audience’s view of Mrs. Chan’s back is to them, and the

fogginess of the mirror portrays a blurry view of the woman crying. Although the viewer cannot

see her face, they can feel the emotion of the character. This sense of intimacy is one that feels as

though the audience should not be peeking into it.

The angles of the camera also heighten the illusion of “looking into” the lives of the

characters. There are many film shots that are positioned not at a high or low angle, but instead

right in the middle which allows the audience to feel as though they are watching at the same

level that the characters are interacting. This adds to the feeling of watching the characters

without them knowing. An example in the film is after Mrs. Chan establishes boundaries with

Mr. Chow (00:55:31). As she walks away through the hallway, the camera sits at an angle that is

positioned in the middle, this allows the audience to watch her walk away as though they are

right behind her (00:55:46). As she walks away from the camera, another tracking shot is

presented, but this time it moves backward. This scale of the shot puts an additional distance

between Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow’s room where she just came from. This distance is

represented not only in her words to him, but in the camera movements as well.

The lack of privacy from their neighbors is another example of the characters constantly

having an eye on them. This creates a separation between the characters as they have to take into
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consideration what the people around them would think. Since both of their spouses are away,

the increasing frequency of their time together could be portrayed as an affair by the others in the

house. When the neighbors come home early and begin to play a game, the two are forced to

hide in Mr. Chow’s room all night (00:48:15). Although they were not doing anything wrong,

they still had to prevent the neighbors from seeing one of them in the other’s room.

The two main characters often meet in crowded places such as restaurants, the hallway

within their house, and the stairway of the noodle stall. These settings, along with the intrusion

from their neighbors create a dynamic that prevents the two from acting upon their feelings for

one another. Although they have agreed that they will not be like their spouses, the feelings that

emerge between them are apparent. The use of crowded spaces creates yet another object that

separates Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow. The crowdedness of the space around them intensifies the

loneliness they both portray. Even though they are surrounded by so many people, their

expressions and body language show their isolation from each other. They grow closer as they

reenact the affair of their partners, but the emotions that are brought up within themselves create

an even lonelier feeling.

Throughout the film, various components demonstrate the use of mise-en-scene. One

specific example of this is the use of color in the film. In the beginning of the film, the characters

are surrounded by many dull colors such as the yellow walls and brown curtains of the house. As

the film progresses, especially as feelings ignite between the couple, the colors become much

more vibrant. After Mr. Chow asks Mrs. Chan if she will go with him on his trip, the scene shifts

to a shot of the red curtain. This is where he waits for her (01:16:34). After realizing she is not

coming, he turns out the lights, walks to the door, and opens it. All of the lights are out, but the

entryway to the door is immersed in red as he steps into it (01:17:00).

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Immediately following the scene with Mr. Chow, Mrs. Chan is seen descending the stairs

wearing a green dress (01:17:21). While red is used to portray their passion for one another,

green is often surrounding Mrs. Chan or she is seen wearing it. The use of the color green can be

interpreted as balance which she has to keep within their dynamic and within her social beliefs.

As she walks down the stairs, moments after Mr. Chow leaves, she is making the decision to do

what she believes is right. She is conforming to the societal pressure to remain faithful to her

unloyal husband. Mr. Chow steps into the red surroundings in the scene before this. This could

be the director’s way of establishing where Mr. Chow stands with his feelings. He is stepping

farther away from the camera and out of view in doing so. And Mrs. Chan is stepping towards

the camera. This could be interpreted as her stepping towards the view of the audience, and the

need to conform to their opinions. While Mr. Chow is stepping away and realizing he no longer

wants to follow this social construct. This representation aligns with her actions of telling Mr.

Chow that they cannot pursue their interest in one another (00:55:32). The contrast of the green

and red associations helps show the perspectives of the two characters. Although it is clear that

their feelings for one another are strong, the colors represent the colliding reality of their love for

each other and the isolating feeling of not being able to pursue it.

One way that Wong Kar-wai portrays the mood of the film is through the use of sound. In

the film, there is a continuous song that evokes a sense of longing. The sound of the violin is

slow, and many of the scenes that they are introduced with are too. Many times when the violin

plays, the scenes are slowed as well. This can be seen when the neighbors are playing games

with one another upon the arrival of the new couples (00:05:32). Mr. Chow passes Mrs. Chan

briefly but this motion is slowed down to go along with the melody of the song.
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Later, when Mrs. Chan enters the stairs to the noodle stall, this tune plays. As she and Mr.

Chow are close to one another but in separate shots, this song is brought to the attention of the

audience (00:25:35). Mr. Chow is standing at the top of the stairs to the noodle stall where she

sits only a few feet away. This sense of closeness is brought together as they are in the same shot

leading up the stairs (26:05). When they get close to one another, the music comes to an end,

possibly signifying that the longing has been soothed.

Through the use of editing techniques, the director portrays a separation between the

characters. The use of analytical editing can be seen as a representation of the relationships

between one another. One aspect, which involves the spouses of Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan, is

that they are out of the view of the camera throughout most of the film. When there are

interactions with the spouses, they are deliberately separated from the shot. The choice to

exclude them from the view of the audience pulls the focus onto the other two individuals.

Another example of analytical editing that involves showing the relationship between Mr.

Chow and Mrs. Chan. At the beginning of the film, the two characters are rarely shown within

the same space. However, this shifts as the two discover the truth about their spouses. One night

after the noodle stall, they follow each other home (00:26:03). This is when they are seen in the

same scene for a long period of time. During this interaction, they also discover that both of their

spouses have been gone for quite some time.

An aspect where the editing was used to mislead the audience is the scene where Mrs.

Chan is pretending to confront her husband (00:58:03). Since Mr. Chan has been primarily out of

view, the audience is led to believe that the back of the head is his. As the scene plays out, the

viewer comes to realize that it is actually Mr. Chow and that the viewer was tricked into thinking
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it was an actual confrontation. This example, along with many other misleading roleplays

throughout the film, questions the reality of these events.

Not only do these editing techniques separate the spouses, but Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan

as well. As the film comes to an end, the two of them can be seen in the right place at the wrong

time. The scene where Mrs. Chan is at the window of Mrs. Suen’s apartment portrays her

sadness as she holds back tears looking through the window into the next-door neighbor’s place

(01:27:12). Only moments later, there is a scene that shows Mr. Chow going to the window of

Mr. Koo’s old apartment (01:28:04). The editing of this scene appears as though the audience is

looking at Mr. Chow from the view of Mrs. Suen’s window. This gives the impression that the

shot will pan to the two of them looking at one another. However, the disappointment that

follows is they had just missed each other. There is a black screen that is edited into the next

scene that reads “That era has passed. Nothing that belonged to it exists anymore” (01:28:49).

This solidifies the ending of their interactions and the missed chance they have encountered.

Wong Kar-wai, director of In the Mood for Love, skillfully executes the cinematography,

mise-en-scene, and editing throughout the film. These elements all contribute to the depiction of

the separation and loneliness of each of the main characters as they navigate the affair of their

spouses and their growing love for one another. Through the crowded spaces and lack of privacy,

Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan are forced to maintain the social boundaries of their relationship.
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Works Cited

In the Mood for Love. Directed by Wong Kar-wai, performances by Tony Chiu-Wai Leung and

Maggie Cheung, Jet Tone Production Paradis Films, Block 2 Pictures, 2000.