Can
a big-screen romance also incorporate elements of film noir and experimental
cinema? New Yorkers said “yes,” making Bi Gan’s sophomore feature an arthouse
hit that was held over week after week. Mainlanders begged to differ—vehemently
and angrily. Admittedly, the clever marketing campaign was a bit of a
bait-and-switch, inviting couples to smooch along with the co-leads on opening night,
New Year’s Eve 2018, according to the western calendar. Apparently, they were
not as enraptured with the nearly hour-long 3-D tracking shot that forms the
film’s second half as were international critics. New Yorkers can see it on the
big screen [again] when Bi’s Long Day’s Journey into Night, which
screens today as part of MoMA’s annual Contenders series.
Luo
Hongwu has a sketchy past, but he has returned to Kaili City at some risk, to
find his former lover. It will be difficult, because he never really knew her
name. She simply called herself Wan Qiwen, just like the [fictional] actress. They
used to meet in an abandoned house that would flood when it rained. Wan wanted
to escape from her abusive underworld husband, but she disappeared from his
life as well.
In
addition to his search for Wan, Luo is also carrying karmic baggage leftover
from the murder of his childhood best friend Wildcat. Of course, Wan is foremost
on his mind, even though he claims to have trouble remembering her. In fact,
his memories somewhat intrude into his present, until he steps into a dingy
movie theater and puts on a pair of 3D glasses, at which point the film
completely dives down the rabbit hole into a noir wonderland. Suddenly, Luo
finds himself pursuing Wan’s doppelganger as he takes a Dante-esque journey
through a surreal analog of Kaili City.
Simply
on a technical level, the dreamy possible dream-sequence tracking shot is quite
a feat, involving multiple locations and a great deal of movement, even including
aerial shots. Yet, it is also here where the film really starts to pay off on
an emotional level, as Luo and Wan-not-Wan seductively circle each other and
verbally spar.
Tang
Wei never has much dialogue as the woman or women who might be Wan, but she
still smolders up the screen. It is an arresting performance that conveys street-smart
toughness, romantic yearning, and physical vulnerability, as well as just about
everything in between. As Luo, Huang Jue is strong and silent, just as Bi’s
aesthetic requires, but he still projects a sense of haunted, weary soul. They
are certainly not a conventional movie couple, but they are quite striking
together nonetheless.
Bi’s
previous film, Kaili Blues, tangibly transported viewers to the back
alleys of Kaili City, but despite the ostensibly common setting, Journey immerses
the audience into a dark fantasia unique to itself, immediately establishing Bi
as a major new cinematic stylist to be reckoned with. More than the attractive
cast (including the great Sylvia Chang briefly portraying Wildcat’s mother), it
is the accomplished work of production designer Liu Qiang and the remarkably
consistent lensing of cinematographers Yao Hung-I, Dong Jinsong, and David Chizallet
that really help realize Bi’s vision.
This
is invigoratingly ambitious filmmaking. Maybe it isn’t the perfect date night
movie, but it is better than most of the disposable rom-com that wash in and
out theaters. It just requires an attention span and a bit of taste.
Recommended for adventurous fans of romance, noir, and experimental movies, Long
Day’s Journey into Night screens today (12/26) at MoMA, as part of this
year’s Contenders—and it is currently available on BluRay and DVD.
