With its exemplary cinematography, distinctly bold colour palette and unique sound design, Wong Kar Wai’s ‘Chungking express’ (1994) possesses some of the most evocative and powerful imagery in modern cinema. One of the most dynamic shots, lasting just thirteen-seconds, 29 minutes into the story is of a mysterious woman in a blonde wig (Blondie), played by Brigitte Lin. The character is shown via a mirrors reflection as she looks up at the ceiling, speculating on human behaviour.

It’s interesting to note that the subject has been shot from above. Not only does this reiterate her position of vulnerability, make us focus on the dialogue but also gives us the impression that in her state of depression she will be swallowed up by the frenetic pace and lifestyle of Hong Kong.
While Blondie is narrating, the camera slowly eases into the subject, but comes to a halt before we get a clear close-up shot of her face. It’s almost as if the director has nearly allowed us to finally connect with this recluse but then terminates the intimacy. It reveals a lot about her character. She is cold, aloof and taciturn. This is the point where she exhibits some of her opinions and feelings which is why we get the zoom up. She is in her most vulnerable state of the film. The fact that she is so prominent within the frame demonstrates that this is the closest we have been to Blondie. However, the cameras movement ceases before a more detailed shot is included which is frustrating for the audience, as we feel that we can never be truly intimate with this character. If the film is fundamentally about connection, then this character personifies someone who doesn’t want to be connected with and perhaps would rather be alone than extend herself. ‘You’ll never know me’ is a perfect example of this; inviting no one to witness her rawest form. This would then explain why Blondie chooses to dress how she does.

Costume designer, William Chang and makeup designer Lee- na Kwan collaborate to depict Blondie as a detached, yet seducing femme fatale. Blondie always wears the same outfit and this shot makes no exception. A beige trench coat, blonde wig, red lipstick and sunglasses. Ostensibly, she wears these items as a disguise for her drug trafficking career and because she ‘never know[s] when it will rain and when it will be sunny’. Nevertheless, there is never a scene which displays her wearing alternative clothes, which suggests they are part of her persona. The coat covers her entire body and its beige colour ensures she remains camouflaged amongst her external surroundings. Her tinted sunglasses at night hide all of her sadness and inevitably cover ‘the windows to [her] soul.’ Lin hides behind veneers, to shield herself from bareness. She is afraid to be noticed as it would run the risk of having someone want to know and appreciate her and potentially hurt her. Wai exemplifies the instinctive reaction to protect oneself from the uncertainty that comes with exposing yourself. Paradoxically, there is a pop of colour with the strikingly red lipstick and glasses. The colour red is indicative of being lustful and is overtly attractive to the eye. The lipstick combined with the platinum blonde hair are directly contradictory to the sunglasses and conservative coat. It suggests that underneath her facade, Blondie is crying for attention and love. She wants to be left alone, surely she could have found a more remote place to mourn, yet she seeks out a bar, a place designed for socialising. This very notion is similarly expressed by Zhiwu, who tries to suppress his emotions by jogging, yet constantly makes references to May and her love for pineapple. Wai underlines the complexities of the human condition, the inconsistency of concealing yourself yet thirsting for intimacy.

The overall colour of variations of yellow in the shot conveys an abundance of information about the character of Blondie. The usage of amber interestingly enough represents ‘impurity yet the ability to do more’ which is appropriately fitting. Blondie hardly possesses any innocence with her hard exterior and her job title of a drug trafficker. However, we like this character because she is strong and respectable. So when we see her in her sunken state, we want more for her and can empathise with her. Dull yellow symbolises decay, sickness and ‘the colour of the dying sun.’ Through these colours the director and cinematographer Christopher Doyle are able to skilfully communicate the demise of this tragic hero.

The non- diegetic music that plays in the background is used to infer Blondie's mind frame and demeanour. Like Blondie, the soundtrack has style with its jazzy flare and suavity. It is also quite alluring, with pangs of sleaze. At the same time, the music feels like its on the decline with its low drowning notes. It creates a sense of tragedy and loss, or a feeling of loneliness and hopelessness. It is tragic, not for the reason that her relationship and job has ended. It’s tragic because she is sitting next to a man who is trying to get to know her, but she would rather talk to herself inside her own mind than to share herself. It is ironic that she speaks of never getting to know someone, yet here, she does not give anyone the chance for that. It is necessary to point out that the music is quickly cut off by the sound of a juke box, highlighting the rapid speed of Hong Kong, disallowing for anything to play out.

If we analyse the mise-en-scene, it is unmistakable that the mirror has been divided into three sectors which can be interpreted in multiple ways. Of course, we know that mirrors allude to spiritual reflection and in this case, that is exactly what Blondie is doing; assessing people and life.
Whats captivating about this mirror however, is that the three divisions may suggest her multiple personalities or different ways in which she projects herself. In one sense she is hardened, murdering her lover, smuggling drugs and dismissing a friendly stranger who just wants to ‘keep [her] company.’ On the other hand, we see her kinder, exposed side when she ends up texting the stranger a ‘Happy birthday.’ The three segments give us a sense that the character is torn between two personalities and she seems to have lost her identity. Mirrors require white light to reflect things and colours as they truly are. As the light in this shot is amber, the reflection produced is inevitably distorted to some degree. Blondie can never get a true sense of who she is.

It is the dialogue in this shot which is the most philosophical and thought-provoking element of the entire text. Blondie concurs that ‘Knowing a person doesn’t mean they’ll love you. They change.’ Wai infers through this monologue that you can never know someone truly. Humans are constantly changing their views, values and what they do with themselves. We’re sporadic, spontaneous and always evolving. We may think we know someone but they may just surprise us, as well as surprising themselves. When Blondie affirms “They may like pineapple today and something else tomorrow”, she is referring to the idea that are always growing, changing, expanding our minds with new experiences and technology. This is reflected in the fast pace of the film, constant allusions of expiry dates and the very fact that the characters jump from one idea or one person to the next, as evident in the dialogue “six hours later I fell in love with this woman.” It seems as though the characters are scrambling to find an eternal lover to die with before time runs out.

A deeper reading would suggest that Wai is examining the theory of solipsism which suggests that anything outside our own mind may not actually exist. This in turn raises the question, if you don’t know someone unconditionally, then how can you love them. Wai subtly infers that love is an illusion, and we see this in many examples. For instance, we witness Lin be betrayed by her proposed lover, cop1 and cop 2 both fall in love with literally the first person they see after being dumped for no apparent reason, and when May has the chance to go on a date with cop 2, she flees. It would seem that we purely enjoy the idea of falling in love because like religion, it gives us hope that we have reason to be alive instead of being stuck in a meaningless cycle. Because the film, and particularly this shot is focused so heavily on the concept of ‘connection’ Wai is asking what is our purpose if not to connect with one another and regenerate? It would seem that we would be just floating individuals wandering the planet and thus concludes that rebirth, relationships and intimacy are essential for our fulfilment, whether it is phantasm or not.