FILM AIRLINE boarding pass

Destination: Chungking Express

Boarding time: 01：31:15~01:32:41

Travel Advice

This scene is about the cop 663 was told that Faye would not come to California restaurant, he leave and walk to a convenient store, then he meet his ex-girlfriend. They chat for a while.

This scene doesn’t have any background music. We can concentrate on character’s dialogue. And this scene shot in a convenient store, so they use the light of convenient store as the lighting. And also, most of the shots in this scene were using the hand-held camera movement, as we, the audiences are part of the film, we are watch what they’re going to happen next. Also most of the shot are the medium shot, that we can put our attention to character’s action and their facial expression. And this time, both of they aren’t wearing the uniform.

The camera follows the officer 663 to get into the store. He and his ex-girlfriend are opening the fridge’s door to gap a drink. Then the girl say hi with 663, then they start to chat.

Obviously, before they chat, the director using the shallow focus, so we wo

uld focus on 663. but after they seeing each other, director start using the landscape focus, and now we are focus on the girl, and we would more interested in the girl. And also he use over the shoulder shot to show that they’re talking to each other.

As we can see, the girl is standing but kind of shaking her body. And 663 asks her if she’s alone, she makes a deep breath then answer. This kind of performance tells us that the girl still have some feeling with 663. but I can’t tell if is love, or a Remembrance, or maybe she thinks the answer would be hurt for 663. the girl’s facial expression is complicated and changeable. We can see she’s happy meeting with 663, but she feels sorry to 663 as well. But that’s woman’s mind.

Before the girl leave, she says she’s prefer 663 that wearing uniform. The costume of the character is part of the emotion and mode of them. At the beginning, officer 663 is wearing the blue colour police uniform. And his girlfriend is wearing the white shirt air assistant uniform. Wearing the uniform, is the mode that showing they loving each other. Even a shot which they are in 663’s house and kissing. Even we can’t see the blue shirt and the white shirt. But if we look carefully, we can see the girl is still wearing the skirt, officer 663 also wears the pants.

The police officer uniform is a feel for 663.

After they broke up, after 663 meet Faye, we can see that 663’s unbutton his uniform more and more. It means that 663 is trying to walk through the pass slowly, and try to accept Faye slowly.

Blue is a cold feeling colour. He is not happy before. After he meet Faye, he is happier, and colour red start to appear in the scene. Red is a warm and passion colour. And red always mean love. Finally 663 falls in love with Faye, he start to wear the red shirt.

So in my opinion, 663’s ex-girlfriend said she preferred the uniformed 633, is mean she miss the time they spent, now 663 is another person for her, she miss the 633 who loves her. But we know that the girl is wearing the black t-shirt. They both have the casual wear. They will miss the time before, but they are decide to keeping going and not going back anyway.

The main reason I would like to choose this scene, is because of the last shot— after 663’s ex-girlfriend said she preferred 663 that wearing uniform, 663 stands behind the window and watch their leaving. At this shot, the director is clever that he use the glass reflection of 663, and a angle to combine with the number plate. And it looks like that 663 is wearing the uniform, the number plate is he’s number.

What I think, that looks like 663 and his ex-girlfriend are farewell with the old time they spent. The 663 with uniform is a symbol for his ex-girlfriend. It’s a symbol of love between she and 663. now she’s saying goodbye whit 663 with uniform. But we know 663 is wearing the red shirt that Faye bought for him, so that 663 uniform is not real. After she says goodbye, 663 is not the one who loves her anymore. He will be the one who loves Faye.

This scene is not long. But it is very important. Before this scene, 663 is waiting for Faye but Faye doesn’t come. After this scene 663 throw Faye ‘s letter away, so that the letter gets wet and he doesn’t know the destination of Faye’s boarding pass.

That’s a suggestion. He meets the air assistant ex-girlfriend, and Faye become a are assistant as well. He’s afraid that the letter will be the same as what he received before. He’s afraid that the flight will be cancel. So he would throw the letter away. He just falls in love with Faye, but Faye go far away straight away. But he just say goodbye to his ex-girlfriend, he just say goodbye to the pass time. He think it will be a new beginning. So he goes back and get letter back.

Without this scene, we can not know why he throw the letter away and take it back. We can not understand why he is taking the midnight express and wait for Faye.

We may not know what director’s thinking, but we can guess and understand from these scenes, to feel how brilliant this film is.