Days of Being Wild Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Days of Being Wild Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov February 22, 2021

Wong Kar Wai's "Days of Being Wild" (1990) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include arhcival interview with Maggie Cheung; archival interview with cinematographer Christopher Doyle; vintage trailer for the film; and more. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The text that is included below was first used in 2008 for our review of the Hong Kong release of "Days of Being Wild" from Media Asia.

Yuddy (Leslie Cheung), a dreamy drifter, falls for the beautiful but shy Su Lizhen (Maggie Cheung). At first Su is annoyed by Yuddy’s persistence to talk to her, but eventually she warms up to him and the two become lovers. Soon after, Su asks Yuddy if he would marry her -- and gets a negative answer. When she asks why, Yuddy explains that even though he has been with many women before, he has never known whether or not he loved them. Su isn’t an exception -- Yuddy will know if he loved her only moments before he dies.

Excluding his directorial debut As Tears Go By (1988), where his obsession to capture the inner worlds of its protagonists produces some most unusual visual and thematic contrasts, Days of Being Wild is Wong Kar Wai's most fluid film. It is a lot like an odd fragment from a lethargic séance that somewhat reluctantly becomes a character study.

Surprisingly, however, Days of Being Wild looks and feels like a more mature effort than the far better received In the Mood for Love (2000) and 2046 (2004). This is quite interesting because its protagonists are actually a lot less predictable in their inability to reach a spiritual catharsis while confronting personal demons. Love and loss are very much irrelevant here, allowing the audience to simply absorb their inertia without questioning any of their actions. As a result, even some of the most unusually fluid material in Days of Being Wild actually feels entirely logical. (Malaysian director Tsai Ming-Liang has mastered the same expressive technique to perfection).

The visual strength of this film remains its greatest strength and it is routinely what inspires critics and casual filmgoers to praise it. This isn’t surprising because Christopher Doyle is particularly impressive with his use of long continuous shots and management of color. In the séance-esque setting, without his personal touch the sense of sweet sadness that gives the film its unique structure would not have materialized.

Leslie Cheung and Maggie Cheung do not always share the screen but remain the film’s commanding figures and actually develop a very interesting relationship with the camera. When they struggle apart from each other, the camera appears mostly in a shy-mode, observing from afar, almost as if there is an invisible force that prevents it from coming closer. When they attempt to connect, it frequently feels like the camera is trying to help as well. So, it does not take long before this particular relationship becomes just as interesting to observe.

Days of Being Wild Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Days of Being Wild arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

There are some good news and some not so good news. I am going to separate them below.

The good news: The new restoration is a revelation. I did direct comparisons with the only other release of the film that I currently have in my library and I can confirm that there are substantial improvements virtually everywhere. In some areas you will see better nuances that instantly strengthen depth. The ways in which different types of light interact are more effective as well. There are vastly superior ranges of shadow nuances as well, though in select areas black crush definitely sneaks in. Additionally, all of the primary colors and nuances are much healthier, which is why when there is sufficient light you will see different layers of information being better defined as well. Image stability is excellent. Lastly, the entire film looks spotless.

Not so good news: I saw density fluctuations that are not introduced by the original cinematography. Indeed, it seems like in a lot of darker areas the grain struggles to remain 'tight' and becomes mushy. Now, some of the fluctuations are introduced by the very particular manner in which Christopher Doyle positions his camera and light is captured by it, but some are not. So, there should have been encoding optimizations to ensure that this particular issue is avoided. The film hides it quite well, but on a larger screen trained eyes will spot it because it affects fluidity (see screencapture #5). My score is 3.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Days of Being Wild Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Cantonese: LPCM Mono. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The original Hong Kong release did not have a lossless Mono track, so it was great to see the film with a proper audio track. Clarity, sharpness, and stability were excellent. But the biggest upgrade here is the excellent English translation. Frankly, it makes such a big difference that certain parts have a completely different vibe. (If you have the Hong Kong release, see the segment around the 40-minute mark where the two protagonists meet in the middle of the night).

Days of Being Wild Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Alternate Version - presented here is an alternate version of Days of Being Wild which features an altered prologue sequence and different edits during the final sequences of the film. It was taken from a 35mm print. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles. (95 min, 1080p/Cantonese Dolby Digital 1.0).

• Trailer - vintage trailer for Days of Being Wild. In Cantonese, with optional English subtitles. (3 min, 1080i).

• Christopher Doyle - in this segment, Christopher Doyle discusses his work and career as well as his contribution to Days of Being Wild. There are some very interesting comments about Mr. Doyle's preferred ways of capturing light and "seeing" with/through his camera as well as the use of green filter(s) in Days of Being Wild. The segment was taken from a filmed appearance at the National Film Theatre in London in 2005. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).

• Maggie Cheung - presented here are illustrated excerpts from an August 1994 British Film Institute audio interview with Maggie Cheung in which the actress discusses her contribution to Days of Being Wild and explains how the film changed her career. In English, not subtitled. (5 min, 1080p).

• Book - a perfect-bound, French-fold book featuring lavish photography, an essay by critic John Powers, a director's note, and six collectible art prints, as well as technical credits.

Days of Being Wild Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Days of Being Wild might be my favorite Wong Kar Wai film. It is certainly the one that I keep coming back to the most. There is something about its fluidity and period ambience that I find incredibly attractive. The film has been fully restored under the supervision of its creator and the I think that the makeover is terrific. However, I think that I could have been presented on Blu-ray a lot more convincingly. The disc we have reviewed here is included in Criterion's upcoming World of Wong Kar Wai box set, which will be out next month. RECOMMENDED.