Days of Being Wild

Days of Being Wild

Film poster for Days of Being Wild
Traditional 阿飛正傳
Simplified 阿飞正传
Mandarin Ā Fēi Zhèng Zhuàn
Cantonese Aa3 Fei1 zing3zyun6
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
Produced by Alan Tang
Written by Wong Kar-wai
Starring Leslie Cheung
Andy Lau
Maggie Cheung
Carina Lau
Jacky Cheung
Cinematography Christopher Doyle
Edited by Kit-Wai Kai
Patrick Tam
Distributed by Rim
Release dates
  • 15 December 1990
Running time
 94 minutes
Country Hong Kong
Language Cantonese
Shanghainese
Mandarin
Filipino
English
Box office $146,310 (Worldwide)[1]

Days of Being Wild (Chinese: 阿飛正傳) is a 1990 Hong Kong film directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film stars some of the best-known actors and actresses in Hong Kong, including Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau, Jacky Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. Days of Being Wild also marks the first collaboration between Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle, with whom he has since made six more films.[2][3]

The movie forms the first part of an informal trilogy, together with In the Mood for Love (released in 2000) and 2046 (released in 2004).[3]

Plot details

The movie is set in Hong Kong and the Philippines in 1960. Yuddy, or 'York' in English (Leslie Cheung), is a playboy in Hong Kong and is well known for stealing girls' hearts and breaking them. His first lover in the film is Li Zhen (Maggie Cheung) who suffers emotional and mental depression as a result of Yuddy's wayward attitude. Li Zhen eventually seeks much-needed solace from a sympathetic policeman named Tide (Andy Lau). Their near-romance is often hinted at but never materializes.

York's next romance is with a vivacious cabaret dancer whose stage name is Mimi (Carina Lau). Mimi is also loved by York's best friend, Zeb (Jacky Cheung). Unsurprisingly, York dumps her too and she begins a period of self-destruction. York initiates romantic relationships but refuses to commit to the relationship and is unwilling to make compromises. He is conflicted about his feelings about his adoptive mother, a former prostitute played by Rebecca Pan, and is obsessed about his biological mother, who he eventually discovers is a Filipino aristocrat.

Analysis

Almost entirely ignored on its original release, the film has gathered strong critical interest over time, and has a Metacritic score of 96%.[4] Critics praise the film for its beauty and eroticism, though some do not discern a narrative arc that brings the pieces together.

Cast and roles

Music

Box office

Days of Being Wild grossed HK $9,751,942 in its Hong Kong run,[5] a number that would become typical for a Wong Kar Wai film. With the starry cast, this figure was considered a disappointment. Still, the film was successful enough to warrant a parody (The Days of Being Dumb, which also featured Tony Leung), and now routinely tops Hong Kong critics' lists of the best local productions.

Awards and nominations

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Days Of Being Wild". BoxOfficeMojo.com. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  2. ↑ Kevin Crust (7 January 2005). "'Days of Being Wild'". Los Angeles Times.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "What cinema's movers and shakers say about Wong Kar-Wai I may never come back from Shanghai?". The Daily Telegraph (UK). 31 Dec 2004.
  4. ↑ http://www.metacritic.com/movie/days-of-being-wild-re-release
  5. ↑ "Days of being wild". Hong Kong Film Archive. Retrieved 11 March 2013.

External links

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