A Fei zheng chuan (1990)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Kar Wai Wong

Writer:

Kar Wai Wong (writer)

Release Date:

15 December 1990 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Set in 1960, the film centres on the young, boyishly handsome Yuddy, who learns from the drunken ex-prostitute...

Plot Keywords:

1960s | Philippines | Unrequited Love | Teenage Boy | Oedipus Complex

Awards:

6 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Leslie Cheung	...	Yuddy
Maggie Cheung	...	Su Li-zhen
Andy Lau	...	Tide
Carina Lau	...	Leung Fung-ying
Rebecca Pan	...	Rebecca (as Tik-Wa Poon)
Jacky Cheung	...	Zeb
Danilo Antunes	...	Rebecca's Lover
Mei-Mei Hung	...	The Amah
Ling-Hung Ling	...	Nurse
Tita Muñoz	...	Yuddy's Mother
Alicia Alonzo	...	Housekeeper
Elena Lim So	...	Hotel Manageress
Maritoni Fernandez	...	Hotel Maid
Angela Ponos	...	Prostitute
Nonong Talbo	...	Train Conductor

Also Known As:

Days of Being Wild (Hong Kong: English title) (USA)
Ah Fei ching chuen (Hong Kong: Cantonese title)
Ah Fei's Story
The True Story of Ah Fei (literal English title)

Runtime:

UK:94 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese | Shanghainese | Tagalog | English | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) | Singapore:PG (original rating) | UK:12 | Finland:K-11 (2006) | Finland:K-18 (2002) (self applied) | Sweden:11 | Brazil:18 | South Korea:15 | USA:Unrated | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Hong Kong, China

Company:

In-Gear Film

Trivia:

Su Lizhen also appears in another Kar Wai Wong's film Fa yeung nin wa (2000). Both Su Lizhens are played by Maggie Cheung, although it has never been clearly indicated that both Lizhens are the same character.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When Tide checks into the hotel, the hotel manageress hands him the key to Room 206. However, in the next scene, Tide uses the key to enter Room 204. This, however, may not be so much a 'goof' as another recurrence of the number '2046' seen so often in Wong Kar-Wai's films.

Quotes:

Yuddy: I've heard that there's a kind of bird without legs that can only fly and fly, and sleep in the wind when it is tired. The bird only lands once in its life... that's when it dies.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Ga yau hei si 2009 (2009)

Soundtrack:

Always In My Heart

The search continues...as does life...until it suddenly stops

Though it has been argued that 'A Fei Zheng Chuan' (aka 'Days of Being Wild') is the first set of the trilogy which is completed by 'Fa Yeung Nin Wa' (aka 'In the Mood For Love') and '2046', it 'looks' different from the other two films. Kar Wai uses less colour, more shadow, rain and heat and more rawness. The tone is much darker than in 'Fa Yeung Nin Wa' as the film is set in the 50s. The music is beautiful and effectively used. And, here too Kar Wai ends up making a powerful product. Though this film was a box office failure, it is an artistic victory.

'A Fei Zheng Chuan' tells the story of 6 individuals whose lives are interconnected by each character's search and struggle for an identity. It's about loneliness, unrequited love, lost love, the search for love, and how the search continues. Kar Wai clevely brings up the theme of sex (without showing any nudity). The writing is excellent and the characterization is strengthened by superb and unique performances. The late Leslie Cheung's Yuddy is not a very likable person but we do sympathize with this man and recognize him. Maggie Cheung as Su gives one of the most subtle and finest performances. Carina Lau is energetic and terrific as Mimi. Rebecca Pan gracefully downplays her part. Andy Lau's Tide and Jacky Cheung's Zeb too are relatable and the actors are nothing short of remarkable. Actually, I recognize all the characters in this film.

I loved the cinematography, especially the long shots. One of my favorite shot is the introduction of the scene that glides from the Phillipine streets to Yuddy and Tide in a lunch bar. This is one fine example of skillful camera-work. The shaky camera (which thankfully isn't overdone) and the close-ups that mostly take place during conversations and intimate moments between two characters work very well. Doyle's camera-work simply guides us through the lives of these characters.

Summing it up, 'A Fei Zheng Chuan' works on many levels. It is an excellent study of characters, it 'tells' a universal story in a poetic way and it is a fine cinematic experience.

A bird that never lands will one day suddenly seize to exist.