Save Tony Lung

It was just the other day that I noticed this subtle cinematic touch: In the Mood for Love shows Tony Leung's character Chow gazing out through his office window, lost in his feelings for Su Li-zhen. While in 2046 we see Chow now looking in through that very same office window, distanced but still lost in those feelings that linger like smoke. I love finding those kinds of heart wrenching nuances on second viewings, and they're plentiful in these films.

My theory is that Tony Leung was placed into films by the big tobacco industry. He just makes it look so good! Then again, Wong Kar-Wai could make coughing up a lung look absolutely exquisite.


What is it about smoky atmosphere that conjures up such sensuous longing? Well Wong Kar-Wai gets it. Cigarettes are like a perfect union between his solitary souls, or fallen angels. What some would consider a bad habit becomes a revealing character trait in his hands; tracing the repetition, the delayed exhale, and the slow burn of inescapable emotions.

Note: I do not advocate smoking unless accompanied by a great cinematographer.