Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

Chungking Express Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov November 4, 2010

Winner of the Film of Merit award granted by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, Wong Kar-Wai's "Chungking Express" (1994) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah Entertainment. The supplemental features on the disc include the film's original theatrical trailer and a gallery of stills. In Cantonese, with optional English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Heartbroken cop

A lonely cop (Takeshi Kaneshiro, Perhaps Love, House of Flying Daggers) is wandering the neon-lit streets of Hong Kong. He is heartbroken, sad, and unable to connect with the people around him. His loved one (Valerie Chow, Red Zone) has left him and life has suddenly become pointless. So, to numb the pain, the cop decides to fall in love again as quickly as possible.

A blond woman (Brigitte Lin, Warriors from the Magic Mountain, Ashes of Time) with thick dark glasses hires a group of Indians to transport a large amount of drugs for her. After she pays each of the Indians a hefty chunk of money, the woman takes them to a local tailor. There they are given new clothes, while the drugs are hidden in their personal belongings. When the time comes for the Indians to serve their part of the deal, they disappear. Devastated and jaded, the woman heads to a local bar where she encounters a funny-talking cop.

A second cop (Tony Leung, In the Mood for Love, Lust, Caution) is also struggling to overcome the loss of a loved one. He often dines at a fast-food restaurant where one of the workers, a beautiful girl (Faye Wang, Okinawa Rendez-vous, 2046) addicted to music, falls for him. The cop, however, is unaware. Eventually, the girl manages to get a key for his apartment and starts visiting it while the cop is at work. Slowly but surely, the apartment begins to look cleaner, better organized, and friendlier, while the cop begins to question his sanity.

Mixing humor, drama and romance to perfection, Wong-Kar Wai’s Chungking Express could be a difficult film to like if one isn’t particularly impressed by the stylistic preferences of its director. It is a moody, episodic, and focused on detail film whose narrative is practically unimportant. In other words, this is a film that focuses heavily on moods and feelings. Unsurprisingly, its two stories come to an end without providing a conclusive resolution.

Christopher Doyle (Fallen Angels, Happy Together) and Lau Wai-Keung's (Infernal Affairs) lensing provides the film with a very unique look. In the beginning of each story the camera follows the main protagonists from afar, then gradually comes closer, and finally befriends them. The camera moves are also tied to the manner in which color is utilized throughout the entire film. Naturally, even many seemingly casual sequences can look quite extraordinary.

The flm also boasts a very unusual soundtrack -- a wonderful mix of traditional Asian and lush ambient tracks (the sax-theme is truly one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever heard) -- courtesy of Frankie Chan, Michael Galasso, and Roel A. García. The Mamas and the Papa's classic hit "California Dreaming" is used as the film's leitmotif as well.

*In 1995, Chungking Express won four Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Director (Wong Kar-Wai) and Best Actor (Tony Leung), as well as the Film of Merit award granted by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards.

Chungking Express Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Wong Kar-Wai's Chungking Express arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Hong Kong-based distributors Mei Ah Entertainment.

Generally speaking, this is a good high-definition transfer - but drastically different from the one Criterion used for their Blu-ray release of Chungking Express. As far as I am concerned, Mei Ah Entertainment's Blu-ray release is quite similar to British distributors Artificial Eye's Blu-ray release.

Fine object detail is good, particularly during the daylight scenes. Clarity and contrast are also pleasing, but definitely not as consistent as they are on the Criterion release. Certain scenes, for example, are quite dark, and occasionally noisier. Edge-enhancement is not a serious issue of concern, though during the second half of the film there are a few scenes where it is quite easy to spot. There are no serious stability issues either. Lastly, the color-scheme is not identical to that of the Criterion release; the blues, greens, reds, browns, and blacks are much darker on this Blu-ray release. All in all, even though there are no serious technical issues with Mei Ah Entertainment's Blu-ray release of Chungking Express, I prefer the overall better look of the Criterion Blu-ray release. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Chungking Express Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1, Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1, and Mandarin Dolby Digital 5.1. For the record, Mei Ah Entertainment have provided optional English, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese subtitles for the main feature.

The Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track is solid. The bass is potent and punchy, the rear channels intelligently used, and the high-frequencies not overdone. The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and very easy to follow. There are no balance issues with the beautiful soundtrack either. Lastly, I did run a few quick tests ( I tested a few of the scenes with the wonderful sax solo) to see how this Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track compares to the Cantonese DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track, but could not hear much of a difference.

Chungking Express Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Chungking Express. Music only, not subtitled. (3 min, 1080p).

Photo gallery - a collection of stills from the film.

Chungking Express Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

It appears that Criterion's Blu-ray release of Chungking Express should be considered the film's definitive presentation. Artificial Eye and Mei Ah Entertainment's Blu-ray releases are both good alternatives for fans of the film who cannot play Region-A "locked" discs, but Criterion's Blu-ray release is clearly superior. If you have not yet seen Chungking Express, as well as its 'sequel', Fallen Angels, I urge you to find the time to do so soon. Both are fantastic films, and both have received wonderful Blu-ray treatments. RECOMMENDED.