By Sadie York
A beautifully tragic film of unfulfilled yearning revolves around the romantic lives of Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan. Set in 1960s Hong Kong, the two neighbors form a bond as they both realize their constantly departed spouses are cheating with one another. Their initial companionship stems from a loneliness they desire to mend, as they’ve both lacked the presence of their partners in their marriages. However, as time progresses, it’s clear to Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan that the unspoken tension of unplanned feelings have blossomed into something more than platonic. Despite their deeply rooted emotions, the two constantly remind themselves that they aren’t comparable to their unfaithful spouses. In refusing to cross the line of romantic affiliation, Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan must cope with the struggles of suppressing their sentiments for each other despite the fact that they can’t seem to not be in proximity with one another. In realization of this never-ending cycle of tormented feelings, Mr. Chow decides to move to Singapore, eager to flee the rumors of the two’s relationship, especially when knowing Mrs. Chan will not leave her husband. In a final request, Mr. Chow asks Mrs. Chan if she’d leave for Singapore with him, but she arrives at his hotel room too late, as he’s already gone, exemplifying one of the many missed opportunities throughout this film.
Later on she travels to Singapore, arriving at his empty apartment when he’s at work. She calls him, but remains silent, her lingering feelings of regret still present in her action, yet she hangs up and returns to Hong Kong. With several other occurrences throughout their lives where the old lovers barely miss each other,—such as when Mr. Chow returns to the Hong Kong apartment looking for his old tenant, unaware of the fact Mrs. Chan and her child were next door—viewers are constantly cringing with dissatisfaction as it becomes more and more clear the two will simply live their separate ways—never to see each other again. The film ends with a scene featuring Mr. Chow, who whispers his secret—likely a confession of love for Mrs. Chan—into a hole in a wall before covering it with mud (a reference to a story he told earlier in the film). Walking away from the temple, Mr. Chow leaves his secret behind as he could never express it publicly, due to the constraints of societal disapproval, essentially putting a seal on his unfulfilled desire.
The final scene of In the Mood for Love is symbolic in several ways. Mr. Chow admits his secret at the site of Angkor Wat, a ruined Cambodian temple, representing a glorious past with no future of return—aligning to the potentials of Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan’s relationship. Mrs. Chan now raises a child, while her husband is still nowhere in sight, now owning the old apartment building in Hong Kong. Earlier when in Mr. Chow’s Singapore apartment, she had taken with her the pair of slippers she had worn from Mr. Chow. In these actions, it’s clear Mrs. Chan still holds onto the fond memories with Mr. Chow, as she seemingly still remains discontented with what could’ve been.
A final on screen text, a poetic passage, reads: “He remembers those vanished years. As though looking through a dusty window pane, the past is something he could see, but not touch. And everything he sees is blurred and indistinct.” This message, as a whole, reflects on Mr. Chow’s final actions, burying his love, and accepting the past as something which will remain unfulfilled.
As a whole, the stylistic theming of In the Mood for Love is phenomenal. The faces of Mr. Chan and Mrs. Chow are intentionally avoided, with only their voices and backs being revealed to the audience. This choice cleverly acknowledges how little Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan truly knows about their spouses, and how disconnected they are from their marriages. The time jumps and repetition of scenes as Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan’s relationship progress allows viewers to understand the unexpected nature of their mutual feelings. Neither wanted a romance, they even tried pushing it away, but it crept under their skin and simply occurred whether they wanted it to or not—revealing the raw depiction of human connection.
In the Mood for Love has certainly made its way to be one of my favorite films, touching my heart with the authenticity of a tragic romance, portraying a story in one of the most realistically vulnerable ways. The soundtrack, color grade, camera shots, acting, and pleasing visuals all compose a beautiful film, and should definitely be considered for your next watch.