Fallen Angels
In the glimpse of the eye, love is fleeting. Through small moments of joy; the length of a song, the gentle caress of the sea breeze lingering on your skin, maybe even a videotape of a cherished time. Wong Kar Wai reminds us that we’re all just passengers floating through each other’s lives.
Fallen Angels invites us to a deceptively sweet and superbly engaging journey of lost souls, passing glances, loneliness and love. Set in the neon-lit underbelly of Hong Kong, this film creates an atmosphere that is both dreamy and intensely real, capturing the essence of urban isolation and the desperate search for connection. Fragmented lives intertwine to analyze this beautiful mess of human condition. As we are navigating the nocturnal and hazy neon atmosphere, our character’s lives intersect in a series of chance encounters, each meeting marked by a mix of humor, violence, and melancholy.
The non-linear and fragmented narrative, reflects the disjointed nature of the characters’ lives. Wong Kar-Wai eschews traditional storytelling in favor of a more poetic approach, allowing the audience to piece together the narrative through visual and emotional cues. This fragmented storytelling mirrors the characters’ sense of displacement and their yearning for connection in an indifferent city.
Fallen Angels is a meditation on loneliness and the human desire for connection. Each character is profoundly isolated, seeking solace in a city that seems to swallow them whole. Wong Chi-Ming’s detachment from his own violent actions, his partner’s silent longing, and He Zhiwu’s desperate attempts to communicate in a world that doesn’t understand him—all speak to a deep-seated sense of alienation. Yet, amidst the chaos and solitude, there are moments of genuine human connection. These brief encounters—a shared meal, a stolen kiss, a fleeting touch—are imbued with a poignant beauty, highlighting the characters’ vulnerability and their capacity for tenderness. The lack of self-expression and incomprehensibility at the core of human nature resembles a spider’s web in poetic rigour.
We could argue the main character of the movie is the camera, the love for filmmaking, Hong Kong. Fallen Angels is a cinematic tour de force that combines this elements into a stunning visual masterpiece. Every frame is a work of art, every moment a poetic expression of longing and despair. The film is a vibrant collage of visual motifs: the incessant glow of neon lights, rain-slicked streets, and claustrophobic interiors. These elements combine to create a mood that is both chaotic and melancholic, reflecting the inner turmoil of the characters.
Christopher Doyle’s cinematography completes the movie, binding together the suspense, intimacy, confusion and the action together perfectly. Every shot of the movie is coded with Fallen Angels, Doyle employs a variety of techniques to immerse the viewer in the world of the characters. Nearly 30 years after its release, the movie still standout with its signature visual dynamism.
A master piece of hauntingly beautiful visuals and evocative soundtrack envelop you in its unique ambiance. As we are immersing into the atmosphere check out our curated playlist inspired by the movie: