Fallen Angels: A Wong Kar-wai Film
Photo from Rotten Tomatos.
Fallen Angels is a 1995 film directed by Hong-Kong screenwriter and producer Wong Kar-wai. Artistic colorgrading paired with vibrant Hong-Kong urban nightlife made this film a visually appealing watch.
Here are all the themes I picked up on: urban loneliness, the search for connection, crime, obsession, nihilism, romance, and alienation.
This film follows two storylines that loosely influence each other. The first involves an assassin (Wong Chi-ming) and his agent (unnamed, played by Michelle Reis). The second involves a mute ex-convict (He Zhiwu) that becomes infatuated with a woman (Charlie), who is obsessed with her ex-boyfriend.
Imagine This: Get To Know The Characters!
Wong Chi-ming
Imagine this: you’re a contract killer in Hong-Kong, though you don’t resonate with the word “killer.” There’s no hate or rage or fight in you. Your nights are heavy with rain and regret. Your partner finds you the jobs and cleans up the mess you leave in your apartments. You’ve never met her; she communicates by leaving you messages in your apartments or calling you over the phone. Sometimes, you wonder about another life. But questions make you slow and slip, a luxury you can’t afford in this life. Still, the city doesn’t let people like you stop. This business you’re involved in; it’s a relentless pursuit.
He Zhiwu
Imagine this: you don’t talk. You’re on borrowed time and space. What will it be tonight? Sometimes it’s a noodle shop, sometimes an ice cream truck. If you’re lucky, you forcibly do business with poor passersby, sitting them down at the barber shop at midnight and washing their hair, silently demanding payment. It’s the only way you’re living. Since you’re always prowling around at night, you see things. You lock eyes with a hit-man, a mutual understanding forming. Once, you’re eating noodles when a girl with a camcorder begins filming you. You turn the camera to her, and spend the rest of the night roaming the streets together. You’re in love with her, but she’s obsessed with her ex-boyfriend and his new partner, Blondie. You spend your nights with her trying to find Blondie and comforting her tantrums. Eventually, like everything else in your life, it doesn’t last. She’s gone.
Overview
There is minimal English dialogue in Fallen Angels. Subtitles will be needed unless you can understand Japanese, Cantonese, Taiwanese Mandarin, and Mandarin.
Fallen Angels can get intense, but there were definitely lighter comedic moments. With voiceovers, viewers are able to hear Zhiwu’s inner dialogue and understand him better. This voiceover also provides a sense of isolation, given he is not able to communicate with anyone but his mind. Facial expressions alone would not be enough to know his hilarious reactions to the situations he gets himself into. Viewers also get a deep backstory of his life, suggesting that people are not what they seem—it’s harsh to judge quickly.
Plot
I must admit, this film was confusing to follow at first. This is usually the case when following multiple characters that don’t seem related at all. The different languages that each character speaks highlights the diversity of Hong-Kong, but also confines nonfluent audiences to subtitles when attempting to understand the film.
You’ll be taken on a rollercoaster of emotions. Your stomach will be a pit after following along the hit-man’s life and begin hurting from laughter after witnessing He Zhiwu’s hilarious interactions.
The ending is symbolic and full-circle, with the theme of urban isolation coming to an end in the final scenes.
Connection to Chungking Express (1994)
A fun fact is that Fallen Angels originally started as a sequel to Wong Kar-wai’s 1994 film, Chungking Express. However, in the middle of filming, this concept was cut to focus on the intended Fallen Angels plot.
He Zhiwu becomes mute after eating a can of expired pineapple. Canned pineapple was significant in Wong Kar-wai’s film Chungking Express, where there is also a character named He Zhiwu. However, their differences are clear: Fallen Angels He Zhiwu is a mute ex-convict while Chungking Express He Zhiwu is a police officer.
Additionally, Chungking Express is a lot happier and carefree, while Fallen Angels has darker themes and focuses on nightlife.
Overall Thoughts
The cinematography of Fallen Angels is unlike any other. The colors work so well together and I love Wong Kar-wai’s spin on connecting different perspectives. If you enjoy different storylines merging into one, Fallen Angels should be your next watch!
