The Sensuous Cinema of Wong Kar-wai: Film Poetics and the Aesthetic of Disturbance

by Gary Bettinson

The widely acclaimed films of Wong Kar-wai are characterized by their sumptuous yet complex visual and sonic style. This study of Wong's filmmaking techniques uses a poetics approach to examine how form, music, narration, characterization, genre, and other artistic elements work together to produce certain effects on audiences. Bettinson argues that Wong's films are permeated by an aesthetic of sensuousness and "disturbance" achieved through techniques such as narrative interruptions, facial masking, opaque cuts, and other complex strategies. The effect is to jolt the viewer out of complete aesthetic absorption. Each of the chapters focuses on a single aspect of Wong's filmmaking. The book also discusses Wong's influence on other filmmakers in Hong Kong and around the world. The Sensuous Cinema of Wong Kar-wai will appeal to all who are interested in authorship and aesthetics in film studies, to scholars in Asian studies, media and cultural studies, and to anyone with an interest in Hong Kong cinema in general, and Wong's films in particular. Gary Bettinson is a lecturer in film studies at Lancaster University, United Kingdom. He is editor of Asian Cinema, the Directory of World China and author (with Richard Rushton) of What Is Film Theory? An Introduction to Contemporary Debates. "In this carefully written study, Gary Bettinson offers a critical assessment not only of the stylistic features of Wong Kar-wai's films but also of the scholarship that has developed around them. Arguing against the facile culturalism that tends to dominate such scholarship, this book does full justice to Wong's cinematic methods in a series of impressively well-informed and informative readings." — Rey Chow, Duke University "Gary Bettinson's Sensuous Cinema of Wong Kar-wai is a major step forward in our understanding of this director. Bettinson scrutinizes Wong's unique place in world film culture, his unusual production methods, and his debts to several cinematic traditions, both Asian and European. A close examination of Wong’s style shows, in unprecedented depth, how these lyrical, apparently loosely-constructed films are underpinned by a strong formal and emotional coherence. The result is an unequaled study of a filmmaker whose work, from As Tears Go By to The Grandmaster, has redefined contemporary cinema." — David Bordwell, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Art

176 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2014

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Longtime fan of Wong Kar-wai here. These essays, though difficult for an inexperienced student of film criticism, were reasonably accessible and thoroughly engaging in any case.

I can't honestly say that one read-through of this text was sufficient for me to gain a firm grasp of film poetics or their applicability and implications for Wong's films. In spite of that, I did manage enough patience throughout my reading to learn some of the techniques (and required vocabulary) applied in film criticism. Taking a one-month break in the middle of the essay series to read another book ended up working in my favor, by allowing my brain some time to assimilate all of the new concepts it was drowning in.

As a frequent exponent of Wong's movies and a relatively engaged reader on the subject, this was a great survey of a ton of Wong criticism. Per the author, cultural interpretation of Wong's oeuvre has been the overwhelming tendency of critics. Bettinson doesn't seek to turn the tables here so much as he apparently seeks to serve us all with a wider array of flavors. I came away appreciating the director's work all the more and I expect that my next watch-through of 2046 around Christmas-time will be even more rewarding than usual.

One additional note: I don't know how common this is in film criticism, but the formal layout of the author's arguments were a marvel. The structure will probably strike some readers as suffering from redundancy, but I found it extremely helpful for following the essays' arguments.

[Kokechii · Rating 4 out of 5]

work related read, no review.

[DD · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was well done but not exactly what I was after.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read almost a dozen books on Wong Kar-wai and I think this one is the best analysis of his work. But not only that, this book also taught me so much more about analyzing films (specifically the poeticist method of analyzing film). I would even recommend this book to people who aren't the biggest Wong Kar-wai fans for this reason. Gary Bettinson is truly one of the great film scholars.