In this section of our Colossus Movie Guide for In the Mood for Love, we talk about themes that help us understand the film.
Cast
- Maggie Cheung – Su Li-zhen (Mrs. Chan)
- Tony Leung – Chow Mo-wan
- Siu Ping Lam – Ah Ping
- Rebecca Pan – Mrs. Suen
- Kelly Lai Chen – Mr. Ho
- Joe Cheung – man living in Mr. Koo’s apartment
- Chan Man-Lei – Mr. Koo
- Chin Tsi-ang – Suen’s female servant
- Roy Cheung – Mr. Chan (voice)
- Paulyn Sun – Mrs. Chow
- Wong Kar-wai – Writer and director
The themes and meaning of In the Mood for Love
Unfulfilled love
Unfulfilled love stands as the central theme of In the Mood for Love. It is an exploration of love that doesn’t conform to conventional patterns but is rather a complex interplay of emotions, characterized by longing, despair, and restraint.
The psychology of unrequited love
Unfulfilled love forms the crux of In the Mood for Love, serving as the emotional fulcrum around which the entire narrative revolves. It represents not just the romantic dimension of the feeling but the unexpressed, unrequited and thus, unfulfilled facets of love that manifest subtly in the narrative.
Psychologically speaking, unrequited love represents a complex mix of emotions, ranging from longing and desire to frustration and despair. The agony of unrequited love lies not just in the lack of reciprocation but also in the pain of emotional exposure without the assurance of acceptance. The resulting emotional roller coaster can be psychologically taxing and deeply affecting.
In In the Mood for Love, the two protagonists, Chow and Su, share a mutual attraction, but their feelings remain largely unexpressed. Chow, in particular, is depicted as being more open to the possibility of a relationship, with subtle signs of eagerness and openness towards Su. His longing for a deeper connection is palpable throughout the movie, as is his struggle to maintain the societal decorum that binds them both.
Chow’s willingness to break through the social shackles can be seen as his desperate attempt to fill the emotional void left by his wife’s betrayal. His character presents a poignant portrait of the loneliness and desolation that unrequited love can bring. His heartache becomes all the more profound given the close proximity and shared understanding he has with Su.
On the other hand, Su’s consistent restraint acts as a barrier, further fueling the unfulfilled love theme. Her reservation is equally rooted in the communal norms of the time, but her reluctance to break these models deepens Chow’s sense of unrequited love. Su’s hesitations contribute to the emotional tension that underpins the narrative, adding layers to the theme of unfulfilled love.
The opening intertitle
The opening intertitle in In the Mood for Love sets the stage for the recurring theme of unfulfilled love that weaves throughout the movie. It reads:
It is a restless moment. She has kept her head lowered… to give him a chance to come closer. But he could not, for lack of courage. She turns and walks away.
The “restless moment” alluded to in the intertitle represents the shared emotional state between Chow and Su. The “restlessness” connotes their emotional turmoil— a blend of anticipation, longing, and uncertainty. They share a mutual attraction, a mutual situation, but their emotional relationship remains in limbo, their feelings suspended in the air, forever unexpressed.
When the intertitle suggests “She has kept her head lowered… to give him a chance to come closer,” it presents an opportunity for the expression of love, a moment that could potentially tip the scale and bring their suppressed feelings to the fore. However, this opportunity remains unexploited, representing the ongoing theme of unfulfilled love. The “lowered head” of Su symbolizes her subtle invitation for Chow to express his feelings, yet his “lack of courage” stands in the way. This moment encapsulates their shared emotional journey—always on the brink of confession, yet never quite there.
The intertitle ends with “She turns and walks away,” marking the final blow to the momentary opportunity for the expression of love. The act of “walking away” signifies the missed opportunities and the unfulfilled potential of their relationship. It sets the tone for their shared journey of unrequited and unexpressed love, which defines the narrative of In the Mood for Love.
This intertitle, therefore, provides a fitting introduction to the movie’s central theme of unfulfilled love, effectively conveying the emotional undercurrents that characterize Chow and Su’s relationship throughout the film. The melancholy, longing, and unexpressed emotions evoked by this intertitle foreshadow the emotional journey the viewers are about to embark on, immersing them into the poignant world of In the Mood for Love.
Wong Kar-wai’s aesthetic approach to tragedy
Director Wong Kar-wai’s approach to navigating the tragedy of unfulfilled love is remarkable and is evident in his aesthetic choices. Wong’s use of mise-en-scène, cinematography, and music significantly enhance the emotional intensity of the missed connection. His reliance on close-ups during key scenes underscores the characters’ emotions, lending an intimate quality to their unspoken love story.
One of Wong’s signature techniques is his use of slow motion, which is particularly effective in this sequence. As Su moves through the hotel corridor in slow motion, the audience is given time to absorb the gravity of the moment and the poignancy of the missed opportunity.
Furthermore, Wong uses color and light to portray the characters’ emotional states subtly. For instance, the recurring use of red, a color often associated with love and passion in Chinese culture, contrasts sharply with the characters’ restrained emotions and unfulfilled desires.
The film’s melancholic music score further elevates the emotional intensity of the missed connection at the end of the film, underscoring the tragic underpinnings of Chow and Su’s relationship. The haunting strains of the recurring theme, “Yumeji’s Theme,” echo their longing and unexpressed feelings, encapsulating the essence of their tragic love story.
Societal norms and restraint
The theme of societal norms and restraint is another prevalent element in In the Mood for Love. It is the social conventions and expectations of morality that act as the main barrier preventing Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan from acting upon their feelings. Despite their spouses’ infidelity, they uphold their commitment to communal expectations, reinforcing the idea that expectations often supersede personal emotions.
How norms destroy individuality
In the Mood for Love masterfully employs social norms as a narrative device to illustrate the destructive impact of restraint on individuality. The film is set in the conservative society of Hong Kong in the 1960s, where moral conduct and social propriety held paramount importance, especially in matters of romantic and marital relationships.
Su and Chow find themselves trapped in these societal constructs, their individual desires and emotions restrained by the fear of social ostracism and moral judgment. Despite their mutual attraction and emotional compatibility, they remain painfully aware of their social obligations as married individuals, even though their respective spouses have failed to honor the marital vows.
Their persistent commitment to these broader benchmarks prevents them from expressing their feelings, culminating in a poignant dance of emotional repression and missed opportunities. This commitment not only affects their chances of finding happiness and companionship but also erodes their individuality. They live within the confines of communal expectations, their identities defined more by their marital status than their personal desires or emotional needs.
Chow, despite his willingness to be more open about his feelings, suppresses his desires out of fear of backlash. Su, on the other hand, remains rigidly committed to her role as a dutiful wife, even as her husband neglects her. Both characters, though keenly aware of their predicament, allow social benchmarks to dictate their actions, leading to a slow erosion of their individuality.
The theme of restraint as a destroyer of individuality is also reflected in the film’s visual and narrative motifs. Su’s cheongsam, for instance, symbolizes the broader expectations she adheres to, while the recurring motif of the clock highlights the unchanging nature of their lives, dictated more by societal models than personal choices.
The role of the cheongsam
The cheongsam, a traditional Chinese dress that Su frequently wears in In the Mood for Love, is not only a symbol of cultural identity and fashion, but it also serves as a motif echoing the theme of societal patterns and restraint that forms a core element of the film.
The cheongsam, with its high neck and body-hugging silhouette, is a visual representation of Su’s character: elegant, modest, and restrained. Despite the fitted nature of the dress, which outlines the contours of the body and can be perceived as sensual, its design ensures that the body remains covered, projecting a sense of decorum and respectability. This aligns with the norms of the time, where modesty and propriety were prized, particularly in married women.
Wearing the cheongsam thus positions Su within the expectations of the era. She adheres to these rules, not just through her clothing, but also through her actions and decisions. Even as she grapples with her emotional turmoil, her conduct is always characterized by restraint and a strong sense of morality. Despite her attraction towards Chow, she continually resists the temptation to embark on an affair, firmly stating, “We won’t be like them.”
The cheongsam, therefore, symbolizes the self-imposed boundaries that Su adheres to throughout the movie. The frequent appearance of the cheongsam serves as a constant reminder of these social rules, a visual symbol of the restraint that characterizes her relationship with Chow. It emphasizes her decision to suppress her personal desires, further reinforcing the theme.
Time and memory
Time and memory form a significant theme in In the Mood for Love. Throughout the film, there is a constant interplay of time and memory, often highlighted through repetitive motifs and symbols. The characters are trapped in a time loop of their own, reliving their spouses’ affairs, practicing confrontations that will never happen, and reenacting scenarios that keep reminding them of their loneliness.
The presence of clocks
The film uses the motif of time—and, more specifically, clocks—to enhance the characters’ state of emotional stasis. The repetition of sequences, settings, and even costumes all reflect the inescapable circle of time that the characters are caught in. This repetitive pattern of life reflects their emotional state—always on the brink of change but never quite there.
The motif of the clock in In the Mood for Love plays a pivotal role in enhancing the themes of time and memory, underscoring the film’s exploration of love, longing, and regret. The persistent ticking of the clock, often emphasized during significant moments in the narrative, serves as a constant reminder of the unceasing march of time. Time, in this context, is not merely a chronological measure, but a container of emotions, memories, and missed opportunities.
Chow and Su’s relationship, defined more by restraint than by expression, develops within the frame of this ticking clock. Their suppressed feelings and unspoken words accumulate with each passing moment, amplifying the emotional tension between them. The clock thus embodies their emotional journey, charting the trajectory of their unfulfilled love.
Moreover, the clock also highlights the ephemeral nature of time. As the hands of the clock move forward, the opportunities for expressing their feelings keep slipping away, reinforcing the theme of unfulfilled love. This element of transience creates a sense of urgency and emphasizes the fleeting nature of the “blossoming years” – a nod to the film’s original title.
However, the motif of the clock serves another crucial purpose: symbolizing memory. While time moves forward, the past, encapsulated in memory, remains a constant. The clock, therefore, embodies this paradox of time – always moving, yet always constant in the realm of memory. This dual nature of the clock motif strengthens the film’s exploration of the interplay between time and memory.
For instance, the scenes where Chow and Su rehearse confronting their spouses or simulate encounters between their cheating partners are marked by the presence of a clock, linking these fabricated memories to the motif of time. These rehearsed scenarios, while not real memories, form a significant part of their shared experiences, blurring the lines between reality and imagination, past and present.
The emotional canvas of memory
Memory plays an instrumental role in In the Mood for Love, serving not just as a narrative tool, but also as an emotional canvas that adds depth and nuance to the characters’ experiences and emotions. Memories, both real and fabricated, serve as a refuge for Chow and Su, offering an alternative reality where they can momentarily escape the societal regulations that restrain them.
A significant part of the film is dedicated to the pair rehearsing imagined scenarios, effectively creating shared memories out of experiences they never truly lived. These “memories” allow them to explore their feelings, confront their spouses’ infidelity, and navigate the complicated emotional landscape that their unexpressed love has created. They find solace in these rehearsed confrontations and fabricated encounters, highlighting the therapeutic role of memory in coping with emotional trauma.
Memory plays a crucial role in showcasing the depth of their relationship, which blossoms not from physical intimacy but from an intimate shared understanding and emotional connection. Even as they resist their feelings, their shared experiences, conversations, and fabricated scenarios form an indelible imprint on their memories, further solidifying their bond. These memories become the emotional foundation of their relationship, reinforcing the theme of unfulfilled love.
The significance of memory is also evident in the closing intertitle:
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 refers to an ancient practice where people would whisper their secrets into a hole in a tree and then cover it with mud. Chow does this at the ruins of Angkor Wat, suggesting that he’s entrusting his secrets—the memories of his unexpressed love for Su—to time and history. The closing intertitle, thus, encapsulates the essence of the film: the unfulfilled love story of Su and Chow now exists only in the realm of memory, preserved in the metaphorical hole in the tree.
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