Days of Being Wild (1990)

Sublime suspension.

A very satisfying affair: here's the first project where Kar-Wai Wong found his groove with the Spanish notion of metastory, the story about how one hesitates in resolving what they see in life. And how that is a matter of touch. And how touch is word — and how one can touch and speak with the eye.

The first project with Doyle. And with Maggie. In a way, the first version of "Mood/2046." I think no one understands cinematically suspended longing like this man. When you enter this, you enter a space where everything is connected, every connection is passionately loaded and seen. But there is no logic, no comprehension, no future. Ever.

Its anti-love but fulfilling nonetheless. Its empty in a rich way. Its about created selves in the French New Wave sense, but those selves then being honestly inhabited.

If you love, really love, it has to rest on the earth in some way. There seem to be only a few ways to rest, the usual one being a matter of anchors and roots. This is different, a matter of frictionless liquidity — a local zone of antigravity where the love seems fixed by never really touches the planet. There are several metaphors in the story along these lines.

We may not have the courage to love in this way even if we are among the few who chance love at all. But it is a rather sublime visit, this.

Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.

Fmovies: It's difficult to find words to describe feelings that appear after watching any WKW's film. Maybe they just don't exist. WKW make movies like others breath and see dreams. He makes me believe that cinema is not technology. He's the greatest director on this planet. No marks, no rewie. Everything will sound too banal. It's like to describe a melody, almost senseless. I like cinema, the entertaining spirit of cinema, i like Indiana Jones or Armaggedon, but WKW films give you something very unique and important.

Just one more remark: it seems to me, sometimes the spirit of Nabokov's prose lives in WKW heroes' rooms.

Many people here seem to be of the opinion that this film is not very typical of Wong's work. I would like to disagree. To me, this film is a very typical Wong film. That is, if you are expecting the absolutely perfect colours, pictures and frames of 'In the Mood for Love', you will be disappointed. This film, like many of his other films, has a more rough quality to it.

All you who have seen 'In the Mood' and liked it should really see this film, as I don't think you can understand 'In the Mood' without having seen this one. I was not particularly overwhelmed by 'In the Mood', but now that I have seen this film, I at least understand the later film better. So maybe also those who did not like 'In the Mood' should see this one, as it might change their perception of that film.

To me Wong Kar-Wai's best film is still Chungking Express. And this film, although kind of in line with that film, does not reach up to that standard. I am glad I saw this film, as it explains other parts of Wong's work to me, but were it not for the sake of understanding that bigger picture, I don't think I would recommend it.

Days of Being Wild fmovies. The only other film of Wong Kar-Wai's I have seen is Chungking Express, which asks a second viewing on account of not, like with a Godard film, being able to really soak up everything that he was putting forth with his characters. On the other hand, his second film I have seen, Days of Being Wild, kept me in tune from start to finish. His film is one of what I completely understand, and find emotionally fulfilling, as it deals with people and themes that are universal. At the core is the basic premise that in youth we don't know where we're going, we may feel like we're 'not all there', and being on our own scrambles us up. With his principals, Kar-Wai delivers a love story about what it means to be in love, or not, and how it affects the people around us.

The late Leslie Cheung is our main protagonist, who at the start of the film woos a worker in a stadium, played by Maggie Cheung, and they start up a relationship that seems to go nowhere. Leslie Cheung's Yuddy is the usual kind of angry young man of the late 50's, early 60's, with violent tendencies and a level of detached mood from his counterparts. But he also has a sense of longing, for his parents he's never known (his 'aunt' is rather selfish) and perhaps for something he never says outright. There is also a supporting story involving, and soon co-coinciding with Yuddy's, with a cop wanting to be a sailor (Andy Lau as Tide), who has a sense of quiet longing after becoming interested in one of Yuddy's frustrated girlfriends (Carina Lau as Leung Fung-Ying). By the time the last half hour kicks in, the main focus of the story comes in, at least for our two main heroes, and for the women in the story.

Cheung and Cheung give many of the more powerful scenes in the picture, with dramatic tension and the kind of fun youth posses. But also, Lau is rather remarkable in his supporting role even when we are basically following him around, himself in his own thoughts we only hear occasionally in voice-over (as with a couple of the other characters). More often than not, Kar-Wai wisely chooses to bring more mood to the story than actual plot contrivances or twists like in a common teen love story. While some passages are rather blunt in this respect (i.e. the quote about the bird with no legs, a fitting, stark image), they seem to work. That there is not much violence as could be expected from a title like this is also a pleasant surprise.

Adding to all of this, there is Christopher Doyle behind a camera that moves much like is was guided by a next-generation Raul Coutard. Some shots are impressive just by being elaborate (like when we glide from the street up the stairs to a lunch-hall where Yuddy is at in the Philippines). Other are more subtle, with the emphasis of darkness and light a voracious method to bring out the kinds of moods in these characters. Early on in the film, as in midway as well, some of the close-ups (like with two lovers in an intimate moment) are of the highest quality in artistry. Doyle, who ended up working on Kar-Wai on most of his films, displays foremost a wandering, intuitive approach that bring Days of Being Wild somewhere special, if not perfect.

Simply put, this film may be more directed to a specific kind of audience (art-house/Hong-Kong film buffs) than a mainstream romance/youth picture, but it doesn't compromise any of its integrity.

This film was directed by the Chinese director, Wong Kar-Wai, who came to Western attention through his strange and quirky CHUNGKING EXPRESS. Because it was such an unusual and unique film, I decided to watch this other film. And, as in CHUNKING EXPRESS, DAYS OF BEING WILD was indeed a very unusual film--though with none of the kooky sensibilities of the other movie.

The film begins with a man trying to slowly ingratiate himself to a rather shy lady. Slowly but surely he is able to bring her out of her shell and after months of grooming her, he is able to bed her. To him, it's all a game and he has absolutely no regard for her or any other woman. But this nice lady is shattered and he could care less. Later, you see him pretty much doing the same thing in another self-centered relationship. While this is moderately interesting, what makes it even more so is his relationship with his foster mom. Their sick and dysfunctional interactions tell much about why he is who he is. The rest of the film concerns both of them as they separate and go their ways.

The DVD case compared this movie to the French film, LA RONDE. In most ways, this is very unfortunate, as both movies are excellent on their own and Wong Kar-Wai's film is not derivative. The only major similarities I saw is that both films involved sex and also showed how the two people at the beginning later had impact on others' behaviors as well. LA RONDE was about a large group of people and how sex (and an STD) unites them, while DAYS OF BEING WILD is about connections--and how some are unable to have deep or meaningful relationships. In this sense, it's a standout film. However, unfortunately, this also makes it a rather unpleasant film and is a bit difficult to watch--definitely NOT a date movie! It simply is NOT a fun film. But for someone who wants something with insights and is well directed and written, this is a film well worth seeing.

NOTE--While this film is about sexuality and the DVD case looks very steamy, there is no nudity in the film. This actually might be an excellent film for teens to see with their parents, as it opens up a great opportunity to talk about intimacy and sexuality--and how some cannot or will not combine the two.

I guess the main reason that this is my favorite WKW movie is that it's one of the least abstract of his movies and I feel like the viewer becomes more emotionally involved with the characters because of that. The music, as always with WKW, is wonderful and the cinematography is fine, I especially like all the shots of the lush tropical forests. It isn't as beautifully photographed as many of his later films like chungking express and in the mood for love. And it doesn't feature much of the fancy techniques that WKW likes to employ in movies like fallen angels or happy together. Still I think this is my favorite of Wong Kar Wai's movies, not necessarily the best, but the one I enjoy the most. Highly Recommended.