Studying American Beauty

Wong Kar-Wai's 1994 Chungking Express explores timt and desire and, on an allegorical level, the perceived loss of independence that many felt would take place post-1997. Studying Chungking Express considers these historical details but also the key issues of form, authorship, representation, and identity. In particular, the book studies the film's central place within the Hong Kong New Wave film movement; its radical film form--notably the cut-and-mix play with editing techniques, Wong Kar-wai's signature as an auteur; its representation of the postmodern city, and its relationship to both Hollywood cinema and European art film.