Chungking Express (1994)
Figures
Locations
- The setting of Chungking Mansions and the Midnight Express food stall. → The Glocal Aesthetic
- Faye's quirky behavior, particularly her "sleep-walking" renovation of Cop 663's apartment.
Form & technique
- The overall atmosphere and narrative focus on expiry dates, fleeting encounters, and memory.
- The fragmented, rapid-fire editing style, particularly in the film's first half.
- The film's narrative structure, which juxtaposes a crime/noir story with a romantic comedy. → The Cinematic Chimera
Tropes
- The diegetic repetition of the song "California Dreamin'" → Anempathetic Sound
- The film's use of step-printing (smearing motion) and slow motion. → The Time-Image
- The contrast between the claustrophobic, labyrinthine Chungking Mansions and the open, transitional space of the urban escalator. → The Counter-Space
- Faye's character design and behavior (short hair, large eyes, playful and innocent demeanor).
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