In the mood for love is great. I can’t get in the mood for 2046.
In the Mood for Love has a lot more repetitive value for me and I really love the end.
I think Iliveinfear is right in saying that “In the Mood for Love” will probably be considered the ‘greater and more important’ film, although I do prefer “2046”. I used to think that “2046” was the inferior film because it seems to go on weird (albeit beautiful) tangets that bordered on self indulgence, in contrast with the focused structure of the earlier film. Also, I thought none of the female characters were as compelling Maggie Cheung’s character and never felt an emotional attachment to any of them. Furthermore Tony Leung’s character was not as sympathetic as it was in the other film. I came to the conclusion then, that “2046” was a beautifully ambitious failure.
Having watched both again recently, I realised that that was the point of “2046”. Wong Kar Wai knows that the audience wants Leung’s character to find someone that’s as perfect for him as Cheung’s character was. But ultimately Leung’s character finds out that this is impossible, no matter how many times he tries to replace her. That was the mistake I made in watching “2046”: I was projecting my bias and preference for Maggie Cheung’s character onto the female leads of “2046”, hoping that they were indeed perfect for Leung. I was dissapointed, as Leung was, in realising how futile, foolish, and unfair to the female characters this was. The fact that Leung’s character never returns from 2046 and is left impossibly trying to replicate what he had is so sad and poignant that it also affects the way I watch “In the Mood For Love”. I know that his time with Cheung’s character is the only time he’ll be content and I can’t help but feel for him knowing his ultimate fate.
So yes, “In the Mood For Love” will probably be the one that’s remembered because it’s a film that can be enjoyed by itself. One has to be familiar with “In the Mood for Love” to watch “2046”. And I think one has to exprience the dissapointment of watching “2046” for the first time – just as Leung continually experiences romantic dissapointment throughout the film – and realise that “2046” isn’t “In the Mood for Love” , and understand that it’s precisely that, which makes the film a truly touching and heartbreaking experience.
In the mood for love for me definitely. 2046 unfortunately kinda left a bad taste in my mouth, and trust me I did my best to really like it.
In the mood for love, is more of a love story, while 2046 was for me more a 2 hour delight of images, a poetry in it self. The soundtrack was beautiful and a great match. I both like them a lot but in a different way.
I thought My Blueberry Nights was less a success, maybe because it was in New York and a complete different setting and it misses the elegancy of Asia. The choice of music was again great though and set a special kind of mood.
In the mood for love, is more of a love story, while 2046 was for me more a 2 hour delight of images, a poetry in it self. The soundtrack was beautiful and a great match. I both like them a lot but in a different way.
I thought My Blueberry Nights was less a success, maybe because it was in New York and a complete different setting and it misses the elegancy of Asia. The choice of music was again great though and set a special kind of mood.
In the Mood for Love. They’re both exquisite in their own way, but ITMFL is the more subtle, delicate, and sympathetic of the two.
Why choose? I like to think of Days of Being Wild, In the Mood For Love, and 2046 as a trilogy where each film complements and enhances the other.
I wholeheartedly agree w/ Grecco, Amelia, AND Brian! They should ALL be considered ‘classics’ at some point in the future (IMO.)
well,i thought In the mood for love is more straightforward,and easy to digest,.while 2046 is a little bit confusing at times,but i do find it a more rewarding experience..but whatever it is,both is an unquestionable masterpiece !
They’re really one film. You can add The Days of Being Wild and make it a 3 part film.
And you can also add In the Mood for Doyle…:)
Having just watched 2046, I found myself enthralled from beginning to end, much as I was the last time I watched In the Mood for Love. Perhaps the imagery, the prolonged gazes, the spiraling cigarette smoke, the latin ballroom tunes, weren’t as fresh as the first time around. Nevertheless, I can’t say it was an any less exhilarating experience.
In the Mood for Love but I will say that I enjoyed “2046” because Faye Wong reunited with Wong Kar Wai and also featured Japanese actor Takuya Kimura.
If one were to look into this director should these be the first I watch? I was going to start with Chungking Express.
Michael: Chungking Express is a great film to start off with for Wong Kar Wai films.
“2046” definitely.I liked it much more than “In the mood for love”.Not only for it’s powerful images but also it includes the perfect soundtrack.It features music of Georges Delerue,Preisner,Peer Raben.It’s a much more difficult film than In the mood for love that’s why you’ve to digg in again.
In The Mood For Love
Days of Being Wild
Happy Together is WKW’s most underrated work so i’d choose that as option C plus the back story on how WKW roped Tony Leung into that character is priceless. With just two choices though i’d go with In the Mood for Love.
The cinematography, music, and atmosphere in that is just timeless but 2046 was definitely more ambitious and imaginative.
Liubei im not familiar with that “back story” what do you mean exactly?
WKW gave a brief summary of the film on the phone to Leung and delivered a fake script to him. Then told him he was going to do a film with full on gay sex when he got to Argentina to shoot. Apparently Leung was pretty annoyed but decided to stay out of respect for WKW and Leslie Cheung his co-star. It’s mentioned in more detail in a HK press interview.
I’d have to go with In The Mood For Love over 2046.
o very interesting :) although the first scene in Happy Together is intense so I guess Wong wasnt really joking hah
In the Mood for Love. 2046 was barely tolerable and we walked out of it the first time I saw it. Ha.
I think In the Mood for Love is the better film of the two, but that’s not to say 2046 wasn’t great. I agree that In the Mood for Love is the more important film, especially in Wong Kar-Wai’s filmography.
“2046 was barely tolerable” Really? And how’s that? It’s just a harsh comment you made i should ignore.I doubt
your taste for good cinema sorry to say.Ha
i think 2046 was certainly tolerable but Allison usually has great taste in cinema, Shahidullah.
In The Mood For Love is one of the best and most beautiful films of the 00’s,
2046 is pretty good.
Iliveinfear
Two of the most critically lauded films of the decade and companion pieces, yet they are almost completely different from one another in style and tone. Initially I felt quite sure that 2046 was the superior film. However, having re-watched In the Mood for Love, I have changed my mind. Tony Leung’s character transforms through both films. First, from someone who longs for love and is ultimately heartbroken, then to someone who shuts himself off from the possibility of ever loving someone again and breaking another’s heart. Both films are breathtakingly beautiful and convey romantic longing and unfulfilled dreams. However, In the Mood for Love is much more subtle and in its own way a perfect film that hauntingly conveys its themes of isolation, repression, and missed opportunities through the beauty of cinema. It also features as good a musical score as I’ve ever heard. I think of the two, In the Mood for Love will be considered the greater and more important film.