GROUP 5 ZINE

ART ARTS 1 ZINE OF CINEMA

春 199 光 7 乍 洩

UNEARTHING THEHAPPYTOGETHER: BEAUTIFUL MELANCHOLY by GEO CHRISTOPHER TINTE On the surface, its episodic narrative ap- Widely recognized as one of the mon- pears to have no clear direction or structure, umental films from the Hong Kong Second rendering some viewers bored and confused. Wave and New Queer Cinema, Happy Togeth- But this is a deliberate style of Director Wong er is a romantic drama film that earned a Kar-wai that is echoed from Kubrick’s vision Palme D’or nomination. The film lays out the of films as “a progression of moods and feel- turbulent relationship between two men, Lai ings” (Kagan, 1989). He then has high regard Yiu-fai (Tony Leung) and Ho Po-wing (Leslie for the ambiance to evoke emotions and en- Cheung), who travel from Hong Kong to Ar- rich the story through various film elements. gentina to save a relationship on the ski­ds.

AMBIANCE MATTERS “The mise-en-scene also helps advance the claustropho- The cinematography, done by Christo- bic dynamic of the couple, as pher Doyle, reflects the character’s complex manifested in cramped and emotions—particularly in the colors. The cluttered locations with lim- black-and-white scenes at the beginning indi- ited natural light.” cated their past and melancholic state, which somehow connotes the drain of color from of Astor Piazollo’s Finale (Tango Apasiona- their lives. Meanwhile, the gradual transition do) helps provide the film’s emotional down- and exposure to highly saturated colors show pour. Ultimately, the most powerful use of their experience in the urban setting; the rich the Argentine bandoneón tune is when the colors of the Argentinian flag (blue, yellow, two are dancing the tango in the kitchen, as and white) highlighted their increasing sense if entrancing the audience to see the beauty of displacement and isolation in the said in their chaotic world. Also, Wong uses Dan- country. Those intense colors and grainy tex- ny Chung’s cover of Happy Together, which ture were made possible by film stock. can be diegetic because Fai is listening to mu- Manipulation of time is also a pivotal el- sic on his earphones. The song and title may ement in the film. Slow-motion is incredi- seem ironic, but Wong posits that it can also bly used to fixate on the intimate moments pertain to one person, such as Fai, who even- like when Lai and Ho are carefully looking tually finds peace in himself and his past re- at each other and Lai is shaking hands with lationship (Kersting, 2018). his co-worker Chang. While the step-printing technique, which is “somewhat like viewing Besides music, the film also utilizes voi- freeze frames and fast motion in rapid alter- ceovers to let the audience know about the ation” (Rowley, 1999), helps exhibit the fast- characters’ internal conflict and forward the paced time of urban life, such as when Fai is narrative more closely. Most voiceovers are riding a train in Taiwan. from Fai, but Chang gives a different flavor The mise-en-scene also helps advance because he instead contemplates people’s the claustrophobic dynamic of the couple, thoughts by being an eavesdropper. as manifested in cramped and cluttered loca- tions with limited natural light. The couple’s IDENTITY IN TRANSIT small, one-bedroom apartment gives an un- comfortable feeling of being trapped or con- However, as with any art form, the appre- fined—in their unhealthy relationship and ciation of the visual and technical elements their own heads. And as if the painful plot is not enough, the dissonance of the two lovers is more heightened through music. The repetitive use

comes with the pursuit to further grasp the of queer subjects” (Yue, 2014). Though, Wong social, cultural, and historical contexts. As wanted to extend this feat by deviating from such, momentous events of Hong Kong are the common practice of using queer char- deeply embedded in the characters and atmo- acters to advance comedic or coming out sphere. tropes. Thus, his film shows that the queer One is concerning queer acceptance be- experience is universal—the way queer peo- cause the legalization of homosexuality in ple experience love and heartbreak is not any Hong Kong (since 1991) propelled media pro- different from straight people. And in a great- ductions to produce films that entail queer er sense, he argues that the film does not have storylines. And Happy Together became wide- to be viewed as a ‘queer film’ because it is ly influential for being one of the first East more than just about the characters’ gender— Asian films that incorporated “the visibility as it requires further analysis of the material

queer experience“Thus,hisfilmshowsthatthe is universal — the way queer people experience love and heartbreak is not any different ”from straight people.

factors that affect their lives. whelmed by feelings of isolation and unfa- Another matter is Hong Kong’s cultur- miliarity from the country and each other. al identity as affected by its colonial history. Thus, Wong conveys that such feelings will This manifests in Wong’s decision to release never be escaped by Hong Kongers no matter the film in 1997, just before the sovereignty where they go. of Hong Kong was transferred from Britain Indeed, Wong has a gift for capturing nostal- to China. In line with that, the film’s empha- gia and fragile human affairs, as also seen in sis on migration circumstances reflects “the his other films such as Chungking Express journeys of hundreds of thousands of Hong and In the Mood for Love. His poetic storytell- Kongers who left the city in the preceding de- ing can make the audience feel the sadness cade, fearing China’s repressive government” and restlessness of the characters insofar as (Wang, 2021). And the couple’s complicated to have a sense of their emotional baggage relationship is said to depict the uncertain fu- and worldly desires. And he succeeds even ture that awaits the people of Hong Kong af- more as he incorporates his visual style— ter the handover. lush colors, sensual textures, step-printed se- Furthermore, the film is exemplary in es- quences, and narrow settings—that makes it tablishing geography as a third character that seem like the whole film is a dream. shapes the characters and steers their narra- Happy Together is, thus, an incredible tives. Although Hong Kong is not the main showcase of how social and artistic elements setting, the characters’ feelings are still trans- can coalesce to create an enticing and authen- lated in Argentina. They initially thought of tic film—that continues to be helpful in pre- it as a place that will allow them to exist, but senting not only the eminence of Wong Kar when they get there, they are more over- Wai’s movies but also of arthouse cinema.

YAOURRONALMLEE: RCOASTER OF EMOTIONS by JOSEPH RYAN ENRIQUEZ Your Name is a Japanese animated film Shinkai, as a person, is a native of Nag- that was written and directed by Makoto ami Prefecture and was into manga, novels, Shinkai. It is a romantic fantasy film that is and anime during his youth. He studied Jap- set mainly in Tokyo and the countryside. The anese Literature at Chuo University but tran- story is inspired by his visit to the Miyagi sitioned to working as a game artist in a vid- Prefecture after the 2011 Great East Japanese eo game company called Falcom. In his time Earthquake, where he thought “this could there, he practiced his art through comput- have been my town.” And he wanted to por- er-aided graphics and animation software. tray a perspective that is different from the One of his outputs is a short called She and people affected by it to the viewers. Her Cat (1999), and although it is in black and

君 の名 は。

white, it features gorgeous lighting and in- together with its surrounding natural ele- credibly detailed background art. The short ments, portrays the people’s simple and close- film garnered awards for the amateur artist. knit life and their relationship to the environ- And seeing this potential, CoMix Wave films ment. Meanwhile, the city of Tokyo shows a then hired Shinkai to work on more short flourishing and busy city. The wide cityscape, films. His signature artwork style continues to towering infrastructures, and the highly tech- improve and develop even today. nology-dependent, active, and dense popu- lation is a clear contrast to the previous rural The opening scene showed us a beautiful living. Shinkai accurately depicts each scene glimpse of a meteor falling down the sky. The layered foam of as the digital effects are clouds, sun’s glaring rays, and grandiose and mesmer- smooth transition to night- izing, especially in the illustration of weather “His artwork istime all worked together to and nature. a product of hisleave a mysterious and fasci- nating view of what’s to come. years of expe- Further analyzing His artwork is a product of his rience in digital the movie shows how years of experience in digital Shinkai balanced reality animation and CGI effects. The and fantasy. The plot is background style is akin to his animation and set in a modern age, and past works with a highly de- CGI effects.” he used adolescent char- tailed background and pleas- acters to further appeal to ing colors—also dubbed as an a broader audience. Some anime wallpaper movie. This of the astonishing scenes is also evident in his past work 5 centimeters and montages are actually influenced by real per second where subtle reflections, ripples, places in Japan, such as the signature “Suga glimmers of light bring each one to life. Such Shrine” in Tokyo itself where the characters selective use of lighting enhanced these real- in the end met, or the Aogashima island in istic backgrounds. the south of Hachijojima where they met in Itomori during kataware-doki (twilight). The Indeed, the scenes in urban and rural Ja- inclusion of the mysterious ritual to the gods, pan emphasize the beautiful contrast in each who govern over human connections and setting. The rural town of Itomori is de- time, is a nice twist to the already engaging scribed as a small town that is still linked to story. its traditions. The vastness of the landscape,

Moreover, the emotions felt through- composed the orchestral score, which great- out the film are intended to reflect Shinkai’s ly accompanied the scene’s weight and at- own experiences. “I just want to pack the mosphere. The main theme Sparkle perfect- film with everything I had ever felt over the ly illustrates the rollercoaster of emotions as course of my life.” The animation is further we follow through their adventure. Personal- complemented by the music, which is anoth- ly, this is my first Shinkai film, and it totally er jewel of art in itself. The band Radwimps left me in awe. The opening scenes and mon-

tage gave me the impression that this film was done by talented and dedicated artists. The mesmerizing animation and soundtrack elevated my emotions throughout the film. The first time I watched it was with my high school friends, and it truly was an experi- ence of a lifetime, and I can’t thank Shinkai enough for sharing this work. Shinkai’s animation style is a testament to his dedication and perseverance in his ca- reer as an artist. His use of modern tech- niques in digital animation will be remem- bered in animation and art history. ”I just want to pack the film with every- thing I had ever felt over the course of my life.”

EELIECEE. (2016, September 29). Kimi No Na Wa (Your Name) – An- references ime Based on Real Life Locations. WordPress. https://eeliecee.word- press.com/2016/09/29/kimi-no-na-wa-your-name-anime-based-on-real- life-locations/ Kagan, N. (1989). The Cinema of Stanley Kubrick. Continium. Kersting, E. (2018). East, west, and gendered subjectivity: the music of Wong Kar-Wai [Masteral Thesis, Northern Illinois University]. Huskie Commons. https://commons.lib.niu.edu/handle/10843/21471 MANGA.TOKYO. (2016, September 8). Interview with Makoto Shinkai, Director of Kimi no Na wa. MANGA.TOKYO. https://manga.tokyo/re- port/interview-with-makoto-shinkai-director-of-kimi-no-na-wa/ Protsenko, V. (2019). The Emotional cinema of Wong Kar-wai. http:// hdl.handle.net/10803/667114. Rowley, S. (1999). Chungking Express, Happy Together, and Postmod- ern Space. http://www.werple.net.au/~lerowley/postmod2.htm Thew, G. (2017, November 19). The Films of Makoto Shinkai [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_9IFy0_QGA VHSfx. (2017, April 16). Making of “Your Name” - Makoto Shinkai [Vid- eo]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rbh3fHWhWeQ Wang, I. (2021, February 16). Happy Together: Wong Kar-Wai And The History Of Hong Kong Migrant Cinema. The Quietus. https://thequi- etus.com/articles/29577-film-wong-kar-wai-migrant-cinema Yue, A. (2014). Queer Asian Cinema and Media Studies: From Hybrid- ity to Critical Regionality. Cinema Journal 53(2), 145-151. doi:10.1353/ cj.2014.0001. GROUP 5 - ARTS 1 THW-8 Essays by: Geo Christopher P. Tinte Joseph Ryan Enriquez Layout by: Geo Christopher Tinte

“The cinema has no boundary; it is a ribbon of dream.” - Orson Welles