When looking at expectations in terms of editing romantic first meetings, one may assume that people tend to modify their perceptions of the individuals who attract them. In particular, upon encountering someone appealing, a person is likely to think of the situation in an idealistic manner by anticipating the upcoming relationship as pleasant and satisfying. However, love is not always enjoyable and may cause harmful feelings. For instance, while being one of the most romantic movies in cinematography, Chungking Express demonstrates the side of love that society rarely considers (Prince). People form certain expectations of love by editing their first meetings into anticipation of pleasure, but the editing of Chungking Express twists these perceptions by illustrating romance in quite tragic ways.
Chungking Express presents love not simply through the story but primarily based on how the film is edited. The movie has two distinct sections, each being minimally plotted and following a man left by his girlfriend and about to start a new relationship (Taubin). The first fellow is Cop 223, and he is heartbroken and misses his former lover when he meets and then falls for a mysterious woman in a blonde wig (Risley). The second man, Cop 663, is also sad about his past romance when he encounters Faye, a new employee at the snack bar where Cop 663 regularly buys a salad (Risley). Accordingly, as the two stories are not extremely complicated, the film’s unique portrayal of love lies in it is presented. The movie involved a non-linear editing process that encompassed three editors who created remarkable pacing, with some scenes shown in a fast and quite shaky manner and others moderately slow and smooth (Shiwakoti). Consequently, the editing demonstrates that while being in love, both Cop 223 and Cop 663 feel lonely (Risley). Therefore, Chungking Express illustrates that romance is not always affiliated with something pleasant.
Furthermore, Chungking Express’s editing shows that not only past relationships but also new romantic first meetings may lead to negative feelings as well as good ones. As Cop 223 and Cop 663 are still recovering from being left by their prior girlfriends, the two men do not have many expectations about encountering their potential love interests. There are no truly deep confessions of woes, and the movie expresses romance in the least sensual form (Prince). Nonetheless, the pacing of the story suggests that love can be found in the most unlikely places (Prince). Accordingly, Chungking Express portrays quite different emotions, depicting tragedy, loneliness, grid, and mourning, while also exhibiting hope, desire, and acceptance (Prince; Risley). Consequently, the movie presents that love can be perceived in ambiguous ways that are not always positive.
To conclude, the editing of Chungking Express twists the perception that people form pleasant expectations of love by editing their first meetings based on illustrating romance in an unusual manner. Cop 223 does not have truly optimistic anticipations when encountering the woman in a blonde wig, and neither does Cop 663 upon seeing Faye. The reason the two men do not expect much from the meetings is because of experiencing heartbreaks from prior relationships. The film implies that perceptions of potential love interests are not always associated with joy but does so not through the plot but rather through the editing that creates a unique pacing of the story.
Works Cited
Prince, Karen. “Chungking Express Is Romance in Its Rawest Form.” Goggler, Web.
Risley, Matthew. “Matthew’s Video Store: “Chungking Express” and Wong Kar-Wai’s Intimate Explorations of Love.” The Guardian, Web.
Shiwakoti, Romash. “A blog on the film form of “Chungking Express” (1994) (Director: Kar — Wai Wong).” Medium, Web.
Taubin, Amy. “Chungking Express: Electric Youth.” Criterion, Web.