“CHUNGKING EXPRESS is a lyrical marvel, a JULES AND JIM for our anonymous time.” -- Georgia Brown, The Village Voice
“CHUNGKING EXPRESS functions magically as a modern love story divorced from time and space. DPs Christopher Doyle and Andrew Lau twirl and whirl the camera around our heroes, dipping and diving along with their dancelike movements, bathed in the sickly, fluorescent greens and blues of urban life.” - Clint Worthington, The Spool
Championed by Quentin Tarantino, who swore he cried for joy the first time he saw CHUNGKING EXPRESS, the film blazed a trail through the West for director Wong Kar-wai and his star Tony Leung. Blending pathos with quirky and daring visual stylization, it remains one of the hottest cult titles of all time and a signature piece in the careers of both Wong and Leung. Two fragmented stories of cops with broken hearts collide in the Hong Kong night in the neon-lit maze of malls, bars, and food stalls. Cop 663 (Leung) nurses the pain of being dumped by a stewardess, unaware that a fast-food server is stalking him. (BS) Screened in 2005 as part of Tony Leung: A Star for the Cutting Edge.
25 For 25
To celebrate 25 years on State Street, the 25 For 25 series revisits standout titles from our State Street history, spotlighting films that have lit up our screens since 2001 and reflecting on the Siskel Film Center’s programming legacy. Each selection connects to a past Siskel program, highlighting the Siskel Film Center’s long-standing commitment to diverse and innovative curation.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu