Nostalgia and Postmodernism Flashcards
Postmodernism
⦁ Formally: mixture of high and low culture that does not uphold the “elite-ness” of modernist texts; instead, it embraces the artificial nature of the text and punctuates it with references
⦁ Socially: refrains from positioning the text as more like real life than it is like other texts in the cultural milieu
Intertextuality
⦁ One text references another and creates a relationship between them
⦁ In postmodernism, the creator(s) “uses quotation or allusion as a more casual form of borrowing or ‘sampling’ that is not tied to invoking a hallowed tradition. This allows the filmmaker to build his own work from the fragments of previous work without claiming the originality
Universal Narrative
⦁ In the Mood for Love: an example of a “universal narrative” (a story about failed love, the pain of the human condition, and spiritual transcendence)
⦁ Themes of unrequited love and emotional restraint
⦁ Timeless exploration of loneliness
⦁ Minimalist dialogue and universal visual language
⦁ Relatability of forbidden desire
⦁ Ambiguity and memory
⦁ An industry expectation, and in some cases, viewer expectation, that stories are made palatable to a broad audience so as to maximize its profitability and the potential for audiences to relate to it, though it ultimately reinscribes a hegemonic social order and implicitly presumes the audience to be white
Allegory
⦁ (Reminder: the deeper meaning that a text puts forth—often with an additional symbolic or moral meaning to it)
⦁ However, in Hong Kong and the Chinese-speaking world, In the Mood for Love also serves as an allegory of the ‘impossible’ relationship between Hong Kong and the People’s Republic (that will be consummated by the end of 2046, when the “one country, two systems” principle that united them will expire)
⦁ According to Dr. KSMR: In the Mood for Love seeks to balance the universal with the specific (allowing an allegorical interpretation of Hong Kong’s colonial / postcolonial condition to coexist with its postmodern ruminations on memory, time, migration, consumerism, and transnational capitalism)
Nostalgia
⦁ Permeates both the narrative and aesthetics, reflecting the characters’ yearning for lost or unattainable connections while evoking the socio-historical context of 1960s Hong Kong
⦁ Serves a dual purpose: it universalizes the pain of longing and unfulfilled desires while also allegorizing Hong Kong’s colonial past and its uncertain relationship with mainland China
⦁ The richly detailed period settings and music evoke a longing for a time that is both specific to Hong Kong’s identity and universally resonant in its impermanence
Autonomy
⦁ The film’s characters, Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow, struggle to assert personal autonomy within rigid social conventions, mirroring Hong Kong’s own liminal position under the “one country, two systems” policy
⦁ Their resistance to consummating their relationship reflects a desire to maintain moral agency, even as they remain confined by external pressures, much like Hong Kong’s negotiation of its identity amid colonial and postcolonial influences
Commercial Culture
⦁ In the Mood for Love - goods and people circulate freely
⦁ Business trips (Mr. Chan) > import of goods
⦁ Shopping company (Su) > transport and export
⦁ Newspaper (Chow) > mass media
⦁ Hotel (Mrs. Chow) > Tourism
⦁ Fashion enhances the film in multiple ways
⦁ Part of mise-en-scène and the narrative
⦁ Hybridized identity visible through fashion references
Seduction
⦁ Revolves around enigmas, artifice, and appearance—which are essentially the stuff of cinema
⦁ Generates possibilities and lingering glances—on both the part of the character and the viewer—towards considering what might take place
⦁ Less “concrete” than depictions of sexual encounters on the screen
⦁ In In the Mood for Love, seduction operates on a subtle, psychological level, reflecting themes of restraint, allure, and the tension between societal norms and private desires
⦁ Wong Kar-wai portrays seduction not as overt action but as a slow, atmospheric unfolding that draws both characters and viewers into its emotional intensity
⦁ Subtlety and suggestion
⦁ Role-playing and mimicry
⦁ Seduction of space and aesthetics
⦁ Political allegory of seduction
⦁ On an allegorical level, the film reflects the seduction of Hong Kong by external forces, whether colonial or postcolonial. Just as Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow are drawn together yet remain apart, Hong Kong’s political identity is shaped by a complex and fraught relationship with external powers
Artifice
⦁ Wong Kar-wai’s use of artifice—seen in the stylized cinematography, fragmented narrative, and repetitive use of music—emphasizes the constructed nature of memory and identity
⦁ This artifice aligns with postmodern themes of time and consumerism, as Hong Kong’s transformation under global capitalism blurs the line between authentic tradition and commercialized nostalgia
⦁ The heightened aestheticism underscores the impossibility of recapturing the past, reinforcing both the personal and political allegories
Homage
⦁ The film pays homage to cinematic traditions and cultural influences, from the works of Michelangelo Antonioni to Hong Kong’s own cinema, weaving a transnational dialogue that reflects its themes of migration and hybridity
⦁ These intertextual references honor Hong Kong’s global cultural connections while situating its story within a broader cinematic and historical legacy, reinforcing its identity in an era of rapid change
