WKW: The Cinema of Wong Kar Wai

by Wong Kar-Wai, John Powers

The long-awaited retrospective from the internationally renowned film director celebrated for his visually lush and atmospheric films. Wong Kar Wai is known for his romantic and stylish films that explore—in saturated, cinematic scenes—themes of love, longing, and the burden of memory. His style reveals a fascination with mood and texture, and a sense of place figures prominently. In this volume, the first on his entire body of work, Wong Kar Wai and writer John Powers explore Wong’s complete oeuvre in the locations of some of his most famous scenes. The book is structured as six conversations between Powers and Wong (each in a different locale), including the restaurant where he shot In the Mood for Love and the snack bar where he shot Chungking Express. Discussing each of Wong’s eleven films, the conversations also explore Wong’s trademark themes of time, nostalgia, and beauty, and their roots in his personal life. This first book by Wong Kar Wai, lavishly illustrated with more than 250 photographs and film stills and featuring an opening critical essay by Powers, is as evocative as walking into one of Wong’s lush films.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Art, Media Tie In, Collections, Coffee Table Books

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 19, 2016

Reviews

[Michael Losasso · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who has seen any of Wong Kar Wai's work and has felt any kind of emotional resonance (which I hope is everyone who watches his films) this work will add another dimension to his work. Hearing the creative exegesis of each film to stories of their making you see not only the artist at work but get a sense of the man himself, how humble and specific he is how he cares more about what is in his characters pocket than about following a script. This has deepened my love and esteem for Kar Wai and I cannot recommend it enough.

[Nguyên Trang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goodreads bây giờ chả cho add sách nhỉ. Cuốn này mình đọc bản Việt "Điện ảnh Vương Gia Vệ WKW". Thật sự ai fan VGV nên mua. Ảnh ngắm sướng hết cả mắt. Text thì gần như xem một bộ phim khác của VGV vậy. Kiểu nó vừa làm lố, vừa màu mè mà lại tình cảm, điện ảnh và nhất là cái hậu vị dai dẳng duma. Đọc xong sách mà thở dài một tiếng miên man rồi quay lại ngắm ảnh tiếp. Giá sách hơi cao nhưng theo mình là xứng đáng, với điều kiện bạn là fan VGV.

[Jia Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for all WKW and movie fans. I have been waiting for a book like this after watching his first movie "Days of being Wild" more than a decade ago. This book is beautiful with lots of photography of all his movies from "As Tears Go By" to his latest "The Grandmaster". The book has many anecdotes of his movies conducted through a series of interviews between the book author and the auteur.

After reading it, I intend to re-watch all his movies with a deeper sense of awe.

[Daphne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words can't describe how much I love WKW, and words can't describe how much I enjoyed reading this. I don't read retrospective books like this often, so I can't exactly tell you if this is something to be expected as per the norm, but any fan of Wong Kar Wai would definitely enjoy this journey into his thoughts with respect to his films

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have. Lots of interesting insights. Great interviewer.

[Ilse van der Spoel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great insights into WKWs persona and methods. There are quite a few typos / errors in the text though which is strange for such a high quality coffee table book.

[Jack Novarese]

My affinity for the cinema of Wong Kar Wai renders this nothing short of a biblical epic.

[Ngoc Nguyen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Là fan cứng của Vương Gia Vệ nên cho hẳn 5 sao, nội dung không làm mình thất vọng, thậm chí còn khiến mình phấn khích, sửng sốt và ngưỡng mộ hơn vị đạo diễn này, cùng ekip ruột của ông gồm toàn những "kỳ nhân" và cả những diễn viên huyền thoại đã hợp tác với ông. Thực sự đây chính là tập hợp những "tinh hoa của tinh hoa" của nền điện ảnh Hoa ngữ, mà qua những chia sẻ của Vương Gia Vệ, độc giả có thể hiểu vì sao lại có những tinh hoa ấy, những kiệt tác ấy, trong một giai đoạn huy hoàng "hoa dạng niên hoa" ấy...

Xung quanh Vương Gia Vệ có rất nhiều giai thoại, nhưng mà trực tiếp lão Vương kể ra thì thấy vừa sởn gai ốc, lại thấy cũng hợp lý vô cùng: chuyện một quản lý nhà nghỉ đóng bố của Kim Thành Vũ vì hai người nói chuyện thân thiết thôi mà sau được đề cử Nam diễn viên mới xuất sắc, chuyện lão Vương "hành hạ" các đại minh tinh như Trương Quốc Vinh, Trương Mạn Ngọc phát rồ lên, chuyện the-one-and-only Chris Doyle Đỗ Khả Phong xỉn quắc trần truồng mang máy quay chạy vào lửa để cố quay cho vài cảnh vì thấy có lỗi với ông bạn Vương... và ti tỉ câu chuyện nghe chỉ biết tặc lưỡi lắc đầu vì nó đã xảy ra như một kỳ tích, nhưng lại rất thường tình nếu nó dính dáng tới Vương Gia Vệ!

Nói chung, để diễn tả cảm xúc sau khi đọc xong thật quá khó! Sắp tới sẽ tranh thủ cày lại hết các phim của ông cho đã, với một tâm thế mới và vài góc nhìn mới!

[Matt Carton · Rating 4 out of 5]

37 great observations, 6 great conversations on art commerce, craft. Wong’s process as a filmmaker is the complete opposite of Hitchcock’s. Nevertheless, he’s created tremendous works. It’s a cool coffee table book, but it didn’t need to be one. This is something any fan of film or the history of Hong Kong before the handover should read.

[LYDIA · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ll always be inspired by Wong Kar Wai. This book showcases photography film stills from his movies and every single one is incredible. I love everything about his films and after reading this, I have to watch more.

There’s just something so special about his films and the emotions they portray, that you can even capture in the film stills.

[Camille🪼 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bref

[Brett Plaxton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must for any fan of Wong Kar-wai

Now to acquire that Criterion box set!

[David Kilmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book marred only by inordinate number of typos.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous, huge hardcover retrospect of Wong Kar Wai. I highly recommend it for fans of his films. Tons of interviews and literature by John Powers and Kar Wai himself, glorious film stills and insight into ALL of the directors' filmography. Well worth the price.

[Dragan Nanic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book at EYE Film Institute and immediately liked the cover. And as I am extremely fond of some of the movies of WKW I wanted to buy it but it was too expensive for me at that moment. Then it disappeared... From time to time I would remember it with slight regret, so imagine my surprise when I found it, a couple of years later, on Amazon for a slightly cheaper price. This time around I caught it.

What a pleasure this book is. Supremely done in design and print, it was a joy from the moment of unpacking and smelling that unique smell of glossy paper that brought me back to my childhood and Princ valiant books. Photos are exquisite, stills from the movies immediately evoke the mood and sensation. The content represents a series of interviews with WKW grouped thematically around the moves, almost in the order the movies were made, and represent his philosophy about filmmaking, from the approach to it, script making, directing actors, finding the locations, sacrifices, friends and family and a lot more. Yet they are very down to earth and full of life at the same time. These glimpses into his mind well accenuate the ouvre he's done. No wonder, as he said himself, at the end of the book, that he only accepted doing his book as a way of explaining to his son, if son ever decides to watch all his movies, why they exist as such and why WKW spent so much time away from him. Above all that warmth and love is caught on every page. Not to forget also a beautiful introduction that was done almost poetically and fits in accordingly.

It was a pleasure reading it and it is a pleasure just browsing through it from time to time. Only thing I cannot help but notice that there are numerous typos - they didn't manage to ruin my exaltation but they should have no place there.

[Jack Syron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome life; awesome piece of movie history condensed in a very glossy (sexy) book. WKW still leaves enough for the imagination to ponder on. Most of his films I've seen only once but they are stagnant to the mind and this book brought back memories of certain parts of his films where I shared the same questions. WKW is well informed as I thought he would be, I wish there was an appendix to his references and influences. Still it was a fever to read but bittersweet like his films, thus why I've seen most of his films once; they're too good.

[Anh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phim VGV đẹp.
Diễn viên của VGV có thể ko nổi tiếng (vào thời ấy) nhưng ai cũng hợp vai, và nhất là lên hình đẹp một cách kì ảo.
Chuyện hậu trường có cái vui, có cái hơi buồn, có cái gây tiếc nuối.
Tác giả (John Powers) biết cách đặt câu hỏi và dẫn dắt nội dung.
Dịch giả (Trần Minh) chuyển ngữ mượt mà suôn sẻ, nhiều chỗ dùng từ thoải mái tự nhiên ko gây cảm giác gò bó thay thô thiển.

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing

[Peter Borges · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the mood for love!

[Macy J · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always " In The Mood For Love"

[Russ · Rating 5 out of 5]

“It’s always more interesting to think about the life you aren’t living. It excites your imagination.” - Wong Kar-wai

[Lợi Trần Tiến · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phải tìm xem hết mọi phim của VGV sau khi đọc cuốn này!!!

[Robert Blenheim · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written masterpiece that does full justice to one of the finest cinematic artists alive. Anyone even remotely interested in this poetic genius's films must own this book! My advice is to buy and read it while rewatching In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express, Happy Together and The Grandmaster as you finish each chapter.