"If I had a ferry ticket, would you come with me? If there was another one, would you take me along?" Whenever I hear this line, the classic melody by Shigeru Umebayashi plays in my ear, and the scene unfolds before my eyes: Su Lizhen (played by Zhang Manyu) in a cheongsam, carrying a thermos and buying a bowl of wonton noodles on the street in the dimly lit alley at night, then meeting Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) who's also caught in the rain on her way back... The ambiguous tension brews quietly, with a foreseeable ending. This is Wong Kar-wai's artistic expression of love, and this line has become the most regrettable confession in Chinese film history.
If there's a movie that can fully showcase the beauty of cheongsams, it must be "In the Mood for Love". Even 23 years after its release, Su Lizhen played by Zhang Manyu still lives in the hearts of countless audiences. Few can wear cheongsams as impressively as she did. Her tall and slender figure, graceful posture, and every step exude charm. The grace of the cheongsam and the reserved charm of Oriental women blend perfectly, presenting a multi - dimensional view of female beauty.
Today, let's talk about the cheongsam culture in "In the Mood for Love" through the cheongsam queen Su Lizhen, as well as the emotional expressions and dramatic tensions represented by different cheongsams in the movie.
"In the Mood for Love" was released in 2000. Set in Hong Kong in the 1960s, the story revolves around the emotional entanglement between Chow Mo-wan, a newspaper editor, and his wife, and Su Lizhen and her husband, Mr. Chan, after they become neighbors. The movie begins with Su Lizhen and Chow Mo-wan looking for a rental apartment in the same building on the same day and then moving in on the same day. Discovering that their spouses are having an affair, they start to get in touch and gradually fall in love with each other.
Su Lizhen's first cheongsam appears when she negotiates the rent with Mrs. Sun, the landlady. She chooses a form - fitting cheongsam with a lake - blue background and red roses. The bright and gorgeous style highlights her tall and slender figure, showing that she pays attention to decency when going out for business.
The next day, when moving, Su Lizhen wears a simple cheongsam dress with a dark background and dark - green checks. There are blue lace at the collar and slanting front. It seems plain but has a unique charm. This cheongsam subtly expresses her feelings of moving without her husband around. It also takes into account the convenience and durability for moving, showing her taste in details.
A few days later, Mr. Chan is coming back from a business trip. Su Lizhen happily tells Mrs. Chow that she will pick up her husband at the airport. Her joy is expressed through an artistic ink - dyed printed cheongsam dress. The light - blue hem is dotted with irregular prints in dark - gray and orange. The style is both avant - garde and has a sharp contrast of light and dark colors.
In the scene of playing mahjong indoors, Su Lizhen wears a sleeveless cheongsam dress with red and blue intertwined patterns on a light - yellow background. The colors are bright and eye - catching, and the novel intertwined prints are very attractive. Leaning on her husband who's playing mahjong, her sweet and dependent feelings are subtly expressed through her body language and the choice of the cheongsam.
When Mr. Chan goes on a business trip again, Su Lizhen can't hide her disappointment and loneliness when she hears that he'll be away for two or three weeks. Standing by the door, watching Mr. Chan packing his luggage inside, she wears a cheongsam with vertical black wavy stripes. The slow transition of the gray - black color is just like her indescribable melancholy at that moment.
During her husband's absence, the movie first reveals Su Lizhen's work as an office secretary, often dealing with her boss's wife and mistress. In this scene, she wears a cheongsam with a splash - ink style of color - bleeding, where gray, green, brown, and black are mixed and inseparable.
During her work break, the movie uses a conversation to show Su Lizhen's life when her husband is away. It's a bit lonely, but she never troubles others easily. Her introverted personality is like the cheongsam she chooses. The dark vertical - striped cheongsam is made of comfortable and soft material, suitable for daily life. The low - key and elegant color scheme also reflects the atmosphere of living alone.
One day, Su Lizhen happens to wear a cheongsam made of mulberry silk. The light it reflects from different angles is unique and dazzling. It's the most suitable choice to welcome her husband and his gift.
Unfortunately, the good mood brought by the martial - arts novels doesn't last long. The sign of the extramarital affairs leads to the first meeting between Su and Chow outside. Their conversation in the coffee shop seems simple, but a few turns in the words confirm the fact that Mr. Chan and Mrs. Chow are having an affair behind their backs.
