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Wong Kar-Wai

Wong Kar-Wai
Wong Kar-Wai

Was born 17 July 1958, years active 1982 – present. Born in Shanghai then moved to Hong Kong with his parents when he was five. While he was growing up new to the area he struggled with the langue of the Hong Kong province.

Later he went to Hong Kong Polytechnic College, where he studied graphic design. He then moved to a production training course organized by Hong Kong television broadcast limited (TVB) where he studied scriptwriting and then went on to become a full time script writer where he worked on eight different television projects. He then began working with Alan tang that owned the production house that celebrated on his first set of films, (Wong first film: As Tears Go Bye 1988).

It was during this time that Wong style took shape. Exceptional at ‘art’ films, they are different to Hong Kong normal films, he is able to capture commonality with broader genre: expresser intensity, exaggerated, facial expressions, reactions, gestures etc.

Wong belongs to the second New-Wave (Hong Kong) that belonged to the mid-1980s. Wong main themes that he covers in his films include: Identity and Hong Kong’s relation to China, history and the personal issues (directly or indirectly). Music is very prominent and a static element in all of Wong's work.

In Wong’s work the concept of the ‘moment’ is a crucial component of Wong's oeuvre, the notion of time is a pervading concept in all of Wong's films, capturing time is a constantly evident, his camera doting on specific moments and intent on finishing difference in repetition.

Points of note

-1st Chinese to win the Best Director Award at Cannes film Festival (1997)

-Director with the most films (6, all directed between 1989 to 2000) among the Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures, selected by Hong Kong Film Awards in celebration of 100 years of movies.

-Does not use detailed scripts for his films.

-He claims that the late Argentinean writer inspires his non-linear style of story telling Manuel Puig's
novel titled "The Buenos Aires Affair".




What members say | Filmography

Wong Kar-Wai - what members say


  • Happy Together
  • Happy Together review by from Cambridge
    Rated - 3.0 stars Beautiful cinematography 12 January 2005
    ...It's when I watched the accompanying 'making of' that I realised how Wong Kar-Wai and friends had to put this together from a huge amount of footage - whole characters were...   Read customer review
  • Chungking Express
  • Chungking Express review by Zamy from LONDON
    Rated - 2.0 stars 20 September 2004
    ... instead of being a fluid narrative. Not a major piece of work so it looks like Wong Kar-Wai may be over-rated as a director. All right for a couple of hours in front of yo...   Read customer review
  • Days of Being Wild
  • Days of Being Wild review by from London, England
    Rated - 5.0 stars Not a jump on point for Wong Kar-Wai 9 August 2006
    ...d, the quality is not much better than vhs and it is quite easy to tell that is Wong Kar-Wai's first feature. Before seeing this i would recommend Chunking Express, In The...   Read customer review

Wong Kar-Wai - filmography


  • My Blueberry Nights on DVD (2007)
    Starring: Norah Jones,  Jude Law,  David Strathairn
    Director: Wong Kar-Wai
    Certificate: Certificate: 12
    Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
    A young woman (Jones) takes a soul-searching journey across America to resolve her questions about love while encountering a series of offbeat characters along the way.
    2.5 stars out of 5 50% from 7,323 members
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  • In the Mood for Love on DVD (2000)
    Starring: Tony Leung,  Maggie Cheung,  Rebecca Pan
    Director: Wong Kar-Wai
    Certificate: Certificate: PG
    Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
    IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE centres around Chow Mo-Wan (Tony Leung) and Su Li-Zhen (Maggie Cheung), neighbors living in a crowded apartment building in 1962 Hong Kong. Both married to people who are always away, they spend many nights home alone. The two make each other's acquaintance and soon find that ..read more »
    3.5 stars out of 5 69% from 12,543 members
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  • Happy Together on DVD (1997)
    Starring: Leslie Cheung,  Kwok-Wing,  Tony Leung
    Director: Wong Kar-Wai
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    HAPPY TOGETHER was re-written and re-conceived over and over again as they filmed on location in Argentina. It strained patience and health of Kar-Wai's loyal cast and crew, they even ran out of good film stock. But despite, or perhaps because of this long and difficult shoot, Kar-Wai and ..read more »
    3 stars out of 5 61% from 3,242 members
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  • Fallen Angels - Blu-ray (1995)
    Starring: Leon Lai,  Michelle Reis,  Leon Lai Ming
    Director: Wong Kar-Wai
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Wong Kar-wai's FALLEN ANGELS is a sequel of sorts to the director's 1994 U.S. breakthrough Chungking Express. Expanding on the latter's style, themes, and mood, Fallen Angels is set in the surreal milieu of urban, nighttime Hong Kong. As with the filmmaker's other features, plot takes a back seat ..read more »
    2 stars out of 5 36% from 3 members
    Due for release on 9th July 2012
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  • Fallen Angels (1995)
    Starring: Leon Lai,  Michelle Reis,  Leon Lai Ming
    Director: Wong Kar-Wai
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Killer is a disillusioned hit man, adored secretly by his beautiful female contact. Ho has a unique line in late-night shopkeeping, but little success with the gorgeous Cherry. Dazzlingly photographed and set to a cool trip-hop soundtrack, this is a violent, funny and surprisingly moving film from ..read more »
    4 stars out of 5 78% from 358 members
    Due for release on 9th July 2012
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  • Chungking Express on DVD (1994)
    Starring: Brigitte Lin,  Takeshi Kaneshiro,  Faye Wong
    Director: Wong Kar-Wai
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    'Chungking Express' is the ultra-stylish film by internationally acclaimed Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai. Using gorgeous Hong Kong stars and perfect pop music, 'Chungking Express' tells two stories of lovelorn cops, dangerous drug smugglers and California dreamers. The first story takes place in ..read more »
    3.5 stars out of 5 69% from 5,919 members
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  • Days of Being Wild on DVD (1990)
    Starring: Leslie Cheung,  Maggie Cheung,  Andy Lau
    Director: Wong Kar-Wai,  Kar Wai Wong
    Certificate: Certificate: 12
    Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
    Set in 1960, the film centres on the young, boyishly handsome Yuddy, who learns from the drunken ex-prostitute who raised him that she is not his real mother. Hoping to hold onto him, she refuses to divulge the name of his real birth mother. The revelation shakes Yuddy to his very core, unleashing ..read more »
    3 stars out of 5 62% from 1,646 member
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  • As Tears Go By on DVD (1988)
    Starring: Andy Lau,  Maggie Cheung,  Jacky Cheung
    Director: Wong Kar-Wai,  Kar Wai Wong
    Certificate: Certificate: 18
    Watch now: Included in all packages with LOVEFiLM Instant
    Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai makes his feature film debut with this gritty romantic crime-drama inspired by Scorsese's Mean Streets. The film opens with young gangster Wah (Andy Lau) getting a visit for the day from his beautiful cousin Ah-Ngor (Maggie Cheung), who is coming into Kowloon from the ..read more »
    3 stars out of 5 58% from 959 members
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Wong Kar-Wai facts

5 most recent films

My Blueberry Nights - Blu-ray - 2.5 stars
My Blueberry Nights - 2.5 stars
2046 - 3.0 stars
In the Mood for Love - 3.5 stars
Happy Together - 3.0 stars

5 highest-rated films

Fallen Angels - 4.0 stars
In the Mood for Love - 3.5 stars
Chungking Express - 3.5 stars
Days of Being Wild - 3.0 stars
Happy Together - 3.0 stars

5 lowest-rated films

Fallen Angels - Blu-ray - 2.0 stars
My Blueberry Nights - 2.5 stars
My Blueberry Nights - Blu-ray - 2.5 stars
2046 - 3.0 stars
As Tears Go By - 3.0 stars

Most frequent co-stars

Maggie Cheung - 8 times - show films
Tony Leung - 5 times - show films
Andy Lau - 4 times - show films
Rebecca Pan - 4 times - show films
Jacky Cheung - 4 times - show films

Most frequent directors

Kar Wai Wong - 5 times - show films
Kar-Wai Wong - 2 times - show films
Wong Kar-wai - 1 times - show films