MovieChat Forums > Moonlight (2016) Discussion > The influences of Wong Kar-wei

The influences of Wong Kar-wei

posted 7 years ago by fujianironchain
4 replies | jump to latest

I was really looking forward to it and consider it's the only second feature film of the director I didn't know what to expect.

It all goes as great as I can expect, but when it comes to the third/final act it goes all the way up to another level. It also immediately becomes obvious at the beginning of the restaurant/reunion scene that Wong Kar-wei's influences are everywhere - from the use of popular songs to evoke certain moods and carry the emotion forward (I would never be able to listen to 'Hello Strange' again without getting a bit stirred), the sharp editing/cutting between takes and the use of objects to signal the end/beginning of a scene (as the famous clock in Days of Being Wild, in Moonlight it's the doorbell), to even the setting/color palette is very inspired by In the Mood for Love.

Then I read that Barry Jenkins openly talks about Wong's influences and how he's been a big fan since he first saw Chungking Express. And he and the cinematographer were referring back to scenes from In the Mood for Love and Happy Together during the early storyboarding stage.

I am a fan of Wong so it makes me happy to see that a new director is able to draw inspirations from him - but Moonlight is much much more than just an imitation of Wong's style. It is as close to perfect a film I have ever watched.

Not sure it will win the Oscar but I surely hope it would.

[–] Dondi0 7 years ago

Bang on.
I picked up on the Wong vibe as well. I've loved his films since I saw Chungking Express back in the 90s.

I think it will take the Oscar.
It's the right year for this film. I'll be so disappointed if it goes to La La Land which for all its technical expertise just left me completely cold.

[–] jenniness 7 years ago

Awesome background story!

Maybe the colour schemes do resemble Wong Kar Wai's work, but I did feel that Moonlight was even more subdued, like Chiron's personality. It does have a poetic quality, very stylised and tasteful.

Wong Kar Wai's Happy Together is very raw, with raw cuts - so even though they both work with monochrome colours / colour schemes, the contrast is also very evident.

[–] moiestatz 7 years ago

Yes, yes. I felt the WKW vibe as well. Love the restaurant scene and the changing moods/tones that the characters go through in their conversation.

[–] PrivateBozz (156) 7 years ago

Yeah, there's definitely Wong Kar-Wei in this. The 'lagged' handshake when they say goodbye after the beach scene and the moment when they embrace in the diner both scream Wong Kar-Wei. And of course Cucurrucucú Paloma is a major giveaway.