Chun gwong cha sit (1997)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Kar Wai Wong

Writer:

Kar Wai Wong (writer)

Release Date:

29 April 1997 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Yiu-Fai and Po-Wing arrive in Argentina from Hong Kong and take to the road for a holiday. Something is wrong and their relationship goes adrift...

Plot Keywords:

Argentina | Tango | Gay Asian | Homosexuality | Gay

Awards:

6 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Leslie Cheung	...	Ho Po-wing
Tony Leung Chiu Wai	...	Lai Yiu-fai
Chen Chang	...	Chang
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gregory Dayton	...	Lover
Shirley Kwan	...	(scenes cut)

Directed by
Kar Wai Wong

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kar Wai Wong		writer

Produced by
Ye-cheng Chan	....	producer
Kar Wai Wong	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Danny Chung

Cinematography by
Christopher Doyle

Film Editing by
William Chang
Ming Lam Wong

Production Design by
William Chang

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Johnny Kwong	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Chi-tat Leung	....	sound
Du-Che Tu	....	sound

Special Effects by
Tom Cundom	....	special effects

Music Department
Danny Chung	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Ignacio Barbe	....	location manager
Juan Carlos Copes	....	choreographer

Production Companies

• Block 2 Pictures
• Jet Tone Production
• Prénom H Co. Ltd.
• Seowoo Film Company

Distributors

• Golden Harvest Company (1997) (Hong Kong) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (1998) (UK) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Lucky Red (1998) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Artificial Eye (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Arthaus (????) (Norway) (VHS)
• Artistas Argentinos Asociados (AAA) (????) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Aska Film Distribution (????) (Canada) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Atalanta Filmes (????) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (1997) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Cult Filmes (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Homescreen (1997) (Netherlands) (video)
• JMM Invest (????) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Kino International (????) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Lume Filmes (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2004) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Wanda Distribución Cinematográfica de Films S.A. (????) (Spain) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Optical Art (titles and opticals)

Also Known As:

Happy Together (Hong Kong: English title) (USA)
Buenos Aires Affair (International: English title)
Chun guang zha xie (Hong Kong: Mandarin title)
Happy
Felizes Juntos (Brazil) (Portugal) [pt]
Édes2kettes (Hungary) [hu]
Buenos Aires (Japan: English title) [en]
Eftyhismenoi mazi (Greece) [el]
Glücklich vereint (Germany) (TV title) [de]
Happy Together (Poland) [pl]
Happy Together (France) [fr]
Happy Together (Germany) [de]
Happy Together (Sweden) [sv]
Happy Together (Spain) [es]
Happy together - Viimeinen tango Buenos Airesissa (Finland) [fi]
Mutlu beraberlik (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Mandarin | Cantonese | Spanish

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Netherlands:12 | Iceland:12 | Italy:VM18 | New Zealand:R18 | France:U | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:III | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:(Banned) (original rating) | Singapore:R(A) (re-rating on appeal) | South Korea:(Banned) (original rating) | South Korea:18 (re-rating) (cut) | Spain:18 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Company:

Block 2 Pictures

Trivia:

Tony Leung Chiu Wai agreed to do the film on the basis of a fake script and only learned of the requirement of doing a gay sex scene after arriving in Argentina for filming.

Goofs:

Continuity: Before Fai push starts the old car, the engine has already started while it is standing still.

Quotes:

Ho Po-wing: Do you regret being with me?
Lai Yiu-fai: Damn right I do! I had no regrets until I met you. Now my regrets could kill me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

Bar Sur II

A film about alienation - inside and outside

In "Happy Together" Director Wong Kar Wai tells us the story of a relationship that does not survive the alienation inside and outside.

The film is set in Argentina where two lovers are stranded because they don't have enough money to return to their native Hong Kong.

The film shows us that Fai and Po-wing are unable to find equality or balance in their relationship. It is a story about the way most relationships are defined by the balance of power.. and how this leads to despair. Fai reflects that their relationship was the happiest when Po-wing was ill and had to be cared for like a child. As Po Wing's health improves Fai draws away from him and refuses his attempts of closeness, illustrated by the constant battles over couch and bed. When Po-Wing is well enough to go out again by himself the balance of the power in relationship shifts. Po-wing slowly but surely slips away into the world of hustling. He never finds his way back to Fai who eventually saves enough money to go home.

Both are emotionally devastated by the loss of their lover. We only see them being happy together in a glimpse, as they dance a slow dance together in their room. It seems the happiness in their relationship that Fai refers to in connection with Po-Wing's illness, is an isolated kind of happiness that he himself enjoys without Po-wing's knowledge. If they are ever indeed Happy Together we see it only in facial expressions, in their tone of voice but these are expressions of love and tenderness that never seem to reach the surface that remain unspoken.

Wong Kar Wai's visual style is absolutely stunning. He conveys the alienation inside the relationship - and the alienation outside - (I am referring to the fact that they are in a different country) through colors and camera-movements. We are constantly looking at the protagonists from a corner high above or through the window of a seedy bar. Every single shot feels claustrophobic and it irritates the viewer. It makes the viewer long for closeness and clarity. It imitates the longing of the characters and their attempts - and failure - at connecting to each other. Their feelings, as does the eye of the lens, float above them in a silent, detached loneliness.

"Happy Together" is one of those films that I do not really enjoy watching. It is actually physically painful to watch because it hurts the eye as much as it hurts the soul. The film makes its style and subject matter into one flesh, a "happy" marriage of form and content.

9/10