Mise-en-scène and Cinematography:
In the Mood for Love (2000)
In the film In the Mood for Love, Wong Kar-wai has used unusual techniques to bring out the intimate connection between the two characters, while showing the fact that they are unable to change the fate of their relationship. The clip “Trip to the night market in the rain” has shown the deep attachment through facial expressions, while the environment and surroundings tell their inner emotions of keeping a distance from each other.
The sequence uses low-key lighting to set the dreamy, unrealistic mood. As the scene happens at night, the low-key lighting enhances Su and Chow’s shadows, while the street lamp becomes the only light source in this scene. The shadows of Su and Chow heighten their body figures’ sharpness and add mystery to their relationship.
The story’s setting is at night in a rainy night market. The environment creates a romantic atmosphere with everything sets in a dark narrow alley, and the rain also adds a hazy, fantasized mood to the story. There are not many actors in this sequence in terms of blocking, so Su and Chow often appear in the foreground, but Wong Kar-wai emphasizes the settings by showing the rain, light lamp, and stairs. However, in some scenes, some actors or actresses are put in the foreground for a transition. Taking the scene of Su wiping off her face as an example, someone walks by in front of her casually while the focus is still on Su and the foreground is blurred. This allows the audience to understand her difficult situation in the rain, and then the camera immediately jumps to Chow. The passersby become an essential part of the scene which adds a transition and connects Su and Chow.
In terms of costumes and makeup, Su is wearing a Qipao dress which enhances her body figure. As the film is set in the 1960s Hong Kong, when being feminine was an important characteristic in the community, the Qipao is tight that it presents Su’s gracefulness, emphasizes Su’s character traits, and shows how well-mannered and elegant she is. The makeup also displays Su’s feminine side and sexiness with heavy makeup, such as bright red lipstick.
This sequence uses simple props, including the blue thermos bottle that Su is carrying at the beginning of the sequence, the handkerchief, and the cigarette. Props become an essential part of this film to show reality and set the mood. The sequence uses a lot of smoke, including the cigarette Chow is smoking in the alley, representing a sense of pleasure and freedom and the smoke that appears behind Su. The smoke emphasizes their facial expressions and sets a romantic mood.
In terms of cinematography, Wong Kar-wai uses a lot of panning and tilting in this film. The clip begins with tilting the camera from Su’s legs to her upper body to emphasize her body figure without showing her front face. Panning is used to capture the scene when Chow is smoking.
Wong Kar-wai uses a lot of frame within a frame technique in this film. The characters are framed by the basic rectangle shape of the film and also framed by the shape of the wall in the film. For instance, Chow is framed by the wall when he is smoking behind the stairs, which creates a smaller frame. While both Su and Chow walk by each other, the wall also creates a smaller frame and shows how narrow the alley is. The small frame also illustrates the border between the two and the little intimacy they can have because of society’s views.
Wong Kar-wai also uses a lot of the rule-of-thirds technique to frame and balance out the foreground and background, allows the audience to focus on the main characters in some of the shots while concentrating on the setting in other shots. It acts as a guide for the audience and guide where their eyes should be looking into. The low-key lighting also further enhances the silhouettes and shadows, which adds dimension to Su and Chow’s bodies.
In terms of camera distance, extreme close-up and close-up shots are used to show Su and Chow’s detailed facial expression, bothered by the pouring rain. At the same time, eye-level tracking shots are used to track them from behind.
One of the most compelling aspects of this film is the camera movement and the film’s point-of-view. As the sequence uses many eye-level tracking shots, this guides the audience to view Su and Chow’s interactions from behind. For instance, the camera pans from right to left, from behind the walls to revealing Chow smoking. The audience feels like they are hiding behind the walls watching Chow. Meanwhile, the scene when Su is sitting down, and someone is in the foreground is also an example of getting a “hidden” view. The camera’s viewpoint displays the secret hidden relationship between Su and Chow, emphasizing privacy and intimacy.
Comparing this film’s style to Classical Hollywood Cinema, they have similarities and differences. In terms of visual conventions, this film contrasts with Classical Hollywood Cinema. In the Mood for Love uses low-key lighting that shows darkness to highlight the secret romantic relationship and atmosphere, while Classical Hollywood Cinema often uses high-key lighting. However, both styles use eye-level shots to put the focus on the main characters. This film has many blurred objects in the foreground to show what is happening in the surroundings and show the barrier between Su and Chow, while everything is centered and stays in the foreground in Classical Hollywood style films. Finally, Classical Hollywood style films try to create an illusion of reality. And In the Mood for Love successfully blended reality and fantasy. It first illustrates the fantasized romantic relationship between Su and Chow and gradually reveals the love and affection they have for each other and hides their relationship in reality.
Overall, In the Mood for Love uses unique lighting, framing, camera angle, and movement techniques to reveal the secret relationship between Su and Chow. The Mise-en-scène and Cinematography manifest Su and Chow’s deep connection and intimacy and but they feel distanced at the same time. It is surprising how vital camerawork is in a film.