The Wong Kar-Wai Collection: Inc As Tears go By; Days of Being Wild; 2046 [DVD]

For a big Wong Kar Wai fan, this is, as they say, an essential purchase. For everyone else, it rather depends on whether you like his kind of films. They are often very slow moving, character based, visual pieces. Some may consider him to be too "artsy" for them, but many find him the maker of some of the most beautiful and intoxicating films they've ever seen. His stories develop slowly, if they develop at all, but that's beside the point. If you have ever read the works of Haruki Murakami, you will understand what Wong is trying to achieve. Internal monologues and voice over commentaries by various characters link interaction to interaction, where we get the pleasure of seeing genuine emotion and believable human reactions played out in what is often an almost dreamlike fashion. To say the characters are eccentric can sometimes be an understatement, and the extreme actions and expressions they deliver can be deliriously tragic or absolutely hilarious. To sum it up, the story simply doesn't matter, because Wong gives us so much more.
As an extra audio treat, we are often presented with some of the most mesmorising soundtracks through his films. His love of Western and Latin American music give his films a unique feel amongst East Asian cinema. The pieces selected are often very moody, lending to the hypnotic visuals. Otherwise, they are usually symbolic, and often repeated several times throughout the film. For some, this is irritating. For others (like me), this just adds to the complete picture.
All that aside, the most important part of a Wong Kar Wai film are the visuals. He uses a variety of camera angles and colour schemes to achieve what I have mentioned before as his famous mesmorising, hypnotic cinematographic style, with the aid of Christopher Doyle. He presents Hong Kong as the busy, thriving city that we all dream (or know) it is, but also manages to achieve visual brilliance with all other settings as well. Different combinations of colour and shots leads to different feels in each film, but there is certainly a variety of common styles and effects used throughout, so you certainly know when you are watching a Wong Kar Wai film.
So, if you have managed to read through all this and still be interested, then I cannot recommend this boxset more. The main themes of Wong's work, such as memory, the pain of memory and lost love, are arguably present throughout all three of these films. The first, "As Tears Go By", is Wong's directorial debut, and is surprisingly commercial, considering his other works. Often describes as the Hong Kong "Mean Streets", it features Andy Lau as a low down Hong Kong gangster, Ah, trying to maintain position and prestige in the local underworld, whilst dealing with the mess ups of his brother (Jackie Cheung). As his brother becomes more ambitious in his criminal activities, a distant relative of Ah (the always lovely Maggie Cheung) comes to stay with him, and they fall in love, forcing him to choose between his own and his brother's ambitions, or the tenderness of the woman he loves. This film has little of the visual styling of Wong's other films, making it a breathe of fresh air for some people. Due to its age and low budget, it may not come across well to all, as it appears very dated to the '80s. Still, the storyline is present and tense enough to create an enjoyable experience, if not a profound one, and it is nice to know where he started out.
The second film, "Days of Being Wild", is the first in a kind of trilogy, followed by "In the Mood for Love" and "2046". It is set in the '60s, following the womanising ways of the seemingly cold hearted York (the late but brilliant Leslie Cheung), as he emotionally abuses the women in his life by cruelly casting them aside, perhaps as a response to how his birth mother cast him aside. Once again we get to see the wonderful Maggie Cheung, this time premiering Li-Zhen, a character she would also play in the next two installments in the trilogy. This film shows the dawn of the Wong Kar Wai we all know and love. Andy Lau's policeman makes a cool, caring break from the harsh York, and Jackie Cheung provides a side kick character you can really lend your heart to. The Phillipine setting, alongside the usually Hong Kong one, gives this film a unique, tropical feel amongst his work.
The last film is "2046", the last in the trilogy. I do recommend seeing "In the Mood for Love" first, as it will fully explain the events in this film. Tony Leung plays Chow, who first appears at the end of "Days of Being Wild", an author returning to Hong Kong, after supposedly recovering from heartbreak, only to fall into the ways of York, running away from love and future pain at every turn. This film is gloriously visual, with stunning futuristic Sci Fi scenes relating to Chow's books. The music, too, is absolutely gorgeous to listen to, fitting the film perfectly. This is the longest of Wong's works, but also the least conservative, introducing much more obvious sexuality and dealing clearly with the troubles of relationships. However, it can also prove hard to follow for some (though not as hard as "Ashes of Time", another of his films). This is, essentially, a summary of his work so far, before he ventured to new territory and techniques in "My Blueberry Nights".
The choice of films here does seem a bit odd. Why we have "As Tears Go By", and not "In the Mood for Love" to complete the trilogy, is beyond me, but that can cheaply be purchased separately. If you want PAL editions of "As Tears Go By" and "Days of Being Wild", this is the way to go. This is the only edition featuring the original Cantonese soundtrack. The individual Tartan releases feature a mainland Mandarin dub. If you only want "2046", you may as well just buy it individually, as it will be cheaper and individual edition features a short essay, which is quite interesting. These are, in my opinion, not Wong's best films, so if you wish to be introduced to his work you may wish to set out to buy "Chungking Express" (which is included in the Artificial Eye collection of his), but this boxset is still a worthy buy if you appreciate films. Presentation wise, it looks wonderful. The pink/red colouring suits Wong perfectly, with an aesthetic plastic outer sleeve with his name printed on it, over the Chinese printing of his name on the inner case. Each disc has its own individual colour, with its title in Chinese on the label. There isn't much in the way of special features, just some commentary, and interviews with Wong Kar Wai and lead actress Zhang Ziyi concerning "2046".
Overall, there may be better versions out there, but they are likely to be Hong Kong editions, and therefore harder to find with slightly dodgy subtitles. This boxset looks great, features great films, and makes available the true editions of some of the films of one of the greatest directors of our time. A must have for fans of Wong, Chinese cinema, or just artistic cinema in general.

well done Tartan, lovely boxset, great quality and amazing films

best film was as tears go by but others are great too

thank you for reading

The other review mentions everything you need to know. I'm simply backing up that is a worthy product and worked out a lot cheaper buying this boxset. Also having the original cantonese is nice. Anyway, i thought this item was worth the money. Good films too of course!