Independent inspiration from the work of Wong Kar-wai and the Hong Kong New Wave
In the late 20th century, a progressive new wave of cinema emerged in Hong Kong, resulting in the release of hundreds of notable films, such as “The Butterfly Murders” (1979) and “Rouge” (1987), that celebrated the lives of the city’s citizens and embraced grotesquery. Split into two parts, the “first wave” spanned from the late ’70s to the mid ’80s, and the “second wave” began in 1984, when the authentic filmmaking style started drawing in international audiences.
Because many families did not have their own TV, cinema was the most popular form of Hong Kong entertainment during this time. Emerging Chinese filmmakers brought a western influence to the Hong Kong film industry with their strong desire to explore human identity, through social commentary and philosophical themes. Among them is Wong Kar-wai, who made a name for himself during the second wave. Films of his include “Chungking Express” (1994), “Happy Together” (1997), “Fallen Angels” (1995) and many others.
The films listed are among my favorites of all time — I was introduced to his work not too long ago in my VM-133 Foundations Colloquium class in the fall 2024 semester at Emerson College. We had a screening of “Chungking Express,” and I immediately fell in love; I had never seen anything like it before. I quickly searched for more of his work online and binged as much as I could over Christmas break. His raw storytelling style, accompanied by stunningly fluid, grungy and colorful visuals inspire the work that I strive to make during my time studying film at Emerson and beyond. As an aspiring filmmaker and photographer, what follows are examples of my own work, heavily inspired by Kar-wai.
A huge characteristic of Kar-wai’s work is bold, contrasting colors. He often uses dramatic dark green shadows and bright warm light, which I am a huge fan of. In this photo I played into the overdramatized color opposites, taking advantage of rush hour and city lighting as well as making heavy adjustments in Adobe Lightroom.
To emulate the content of a lot of his work, being set in the busy city streets, I love to lower the shutter speed of my camera and capture paths of motion in conjunction with still objects, creating subjects that look like brushstrokes.
Reflection of subject and light in windows is another characteristic of Kar-wai films, the subway is a key spot to really play into these and embrace a grotesque look.
Another example of dark and light contrasting colors, as well as using the subway to lean into a more grotesque look.
Black and white is used to create a sense of separation or nostalgia. An example of this can be seen in “Fallen Angels” at the very start of the film, depicting a moment between Wong Chi-Ming and The Killer’s Agent, two of the lead characters. Oftentimes low shutter speed and dramatic lighting are used in these instances too.
The humdrum nature of life is highlighted in Kar-wai’s work, capturing people in ordinary moments. This photo is more inspired by “Chungking Express,” where daytime and mundane routine is prevalent in the second half of the film.
Another black and white moment — isolation.
Hong Kong’s New Wave was a result of a complicated history with colonization. Hong Kong was under British rule for 157 years, and the looming 1997 handover of the colony to China was the most prominent political change. The uncertainty of this time period was something felt by countless Hong Kong citizens, inspiring people to create art that expressed these feelings of turmoil, which turned into a revolutionary film movement that is still studied and appreciated globally. A lot of young, independent filmmakers, including myself, still take influence from Hong Kong New Wave and the work of Wong Kar-wai, bringing back elements of grotesquery, stylization and intimacy. It goes to show that so much work from this era of cinema stands the test of time and never ceases to inspire.