Happy Together (film)
Encyclopedia
Happy Together is a 1997 Hong Kong film directed by Wong Kar-wai
, starring Leslie Cheung
and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, that depicts a turbulent romance between two men. The English title is inspired by The Turtles
' 1967 song
, which is covered by Danny Chung on the film's soundtrack; the Chinese title (previously used for Michelangelo Antonioni
's Blowup
) is an idiomatic expression
suggesting "the exposure of something indecent."
The film received positive reviews from several film festival
s, including a win for Best Director
at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival
.
) and Lai Yiu-fai (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), a couple from pre-handover Hong Kong
, visit Argentina
hoping to renew their ailing relationship. The two have a pattern of abuse, followed by break-ups and reconciliations. One of their goals in Argentina is to visit the Iguazu waterfalls
, which serves as a leitmotif
in the movie.
The movie unfolds in the following sections:
Part 1
As the two arrive into Argentina, they pick a car. During the ride, however, they get into an argument and break up. Lai (played by Tony Leung) is the more stable and committed of the two, and desires nothing more than a fairly normal life. He tries to deal with the breakup rationally and gets a job at a local nightclub. Ho (played by Leslie Cheung) has an extremely destructive personality and is not able to commit to a monogamous relationship. Ho seems to be motivated by a both a need for attention as well as a need to simply hurt Lai. Ho picks up numerous other men, and even goes so far to bring them to the club that Lai works at. Lai tries very hard to lead a normal life at this point, but is nearly driven to the edge of insanity by Ho.
Part 2
One day Ho Po-Wing turns up severely beaten at Lai Yiu-fai's apartment, who takes him in and begins to take care of him. Ho's hands are injured so at this point, he relies on Lai for nearly everything. Initially, Lai works hard to keep Ho at bay physically and emotionally. However, in the end, they get back together. Their actions indicate a continual pattern of abuse, break-up, finally followed by reconciliation. As in the previous times, in the beginning Ho does try to make the relationship work,and the two seem genuinely happy. However, as Ho recovers, he begins again to pick up other men and ignore Lai. We see gradually the destructive side of Ho's personality taking over and the familiar cycle of mutual abuse and dependence starting again.
Part 3
As Lai and Ho's relationships starts falling apart again, Lai befriends Chang, a fellow Chinese from Taiwan
at work. In some sense, Chang is Ho's opposite. Whereas Ho is manipulative and volatile, Chang is straightforward and stable. After Ho fully recovers, he resumes his playboy lifestyle and leaves Lai. Lai copes with the loss by spending more and more time with Chang. It is hinted that Chang is also gay and attracted to Lai; Chang states in a voiceover that he likes 'deep, low voices' and is seen rejecting advances from an attractive female coworker. Chang's unassuming self-awareness and sincerity help Lai out of his depression, contributing to his eventual realization that his relationship with Ho Po-Wing is based on an ideal which no longer has any basis in reality. During one of their many conversations, Chang tells Lai that his goal is to reach a the lowest point in South America. There, is a lighthouse where supposedly all sorrows can be dropped. Eventually, Chang departs Buenos Aires and continues on this journey.
Part 4
After Chang leaves, Lai sinks deeper into depression. He takes some changes jobs in order make more money and eventually resorts to sexual encounters with other men in public restrooms and movie theaters as a means to cope with the loneliness. He remarks in voiceovers at this point that in some sense he better understands Ho's promiscuity at this point, as these encounters seem to be a way to numb the emotional pain.
On Christmas Day, he sits down and begins to write a card to his father back in Hong Kong. The card turns into a long letter. We learn that earlier Lai had stolen a large amount of money from his father's associate's business in order to finance the trip for himself and Ho to South America. Lai apologizes to his father, and resolves to return to Hong Kong and deal with his past actions.
Part 5
After a few months, Ho again contacts Lai to restart the cycle of abuse and destruction. But this time, Lai has the strength to avoid starting this cycle once again. He refuses to see Ho. While on the surface, Ho is angry about Lai's rejection, privately he also mourns this loss. Eventually, Lai finds the strength to visit the waterfalls and return to Hong Kong. On the way home to Hong Kong, Lai visits Taipei
and seeks out Chang's family's noodle shop in the night market. He steals a picture of Chang as a remembrance.
, gave the film an ecstatic review, lavishing praise on Wong for his innovative cinematography
and directorial approach; whilst naming Jack Kerouac
and William Burroughs amongst those who would have been impressed by his film. Stephen Holden, of the New York Times, said it was a more coherent, heartfelt movie than Wong's previous films, without losing the stylism and brashness of his earlier efforts.
However, Jonathan Rosenbaum
gave the film a mixed review in the Chicago Reader. Rosenbaum, in a summary of the film, criticized it for having a vague plotline and chastised Wong's "lurching around". In Box Office Magazine, Wade Major gave the film one of its most negative reviews, saying that it offered "little in the way of stylistic or narrative progress, although it should please his core fans." He deprecated Wong's cinematography, labelling it "random experimentation" and went on to say this was "unbearably tedious" due to the lack of narrative.
Wong, in regards to the interpretation of the film said:
rating. It was also typical of a Wong Kar Wai film.
Happy Together also had a limited theatrical run in North America through Kino International, where it grossed US $320,319.
Wong Kar-wai
Wong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...
, starring Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, that depicts a turbulent romance between two men. The English title is inspired by The Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
' 1967 song
Happy Together (song)
"Happy Together" is a 1967 song from The Turtles' album of the same name. Released in February 1967, the song knocked The Beatles' "Penny Lane" out of the #1 slot for three weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. It was the group's only chart-topper. "Happy Together" reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart in...
, which is covered by Danny Chung on the film's soundtrack; the Chinese title (previously used for Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :...
's Blowup
Blowup
Blowup is a 1966 film directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, his first English-language film.It tells of a British photographer's accidental involvement with a murder, inspired by Julio Cortázar's short story, "Las babas del diablo" or "The Devil's Drool" , translated also as Blow-Up, and by the life...
) is an idiomatic expression
Four-character idiom
Chengyu are a type of traditional Chinese idiomatic expressions, most of which consist of four characters. Chengyu were widely used in Classical Chinese and are still common in vernacular Chinese writing and in the spoken language today...
suggesting "the exposure of something indecent."
The film received positive reviews from several film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
s, including a win for Best Director
Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival)
The Best Director Award is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It was first awarded in 1946....
at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival
1997 Cannes Film Festival
-Jury:*Isabelle Adjani *Gong Li *Mira Sorvino *Paul Auster *Tim Burton *Luc Bondy *Patrick Dupond *Mike Leigh *Nanni Moretti *Michael Ondaatje -Feature film competition:...
.
Plot outline
Ho Po-Wing (Leslie CheungLeslie Cheung
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
) and Lai Yiu-fai (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai), a couple from pre-handover Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, visit Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
hoping to renew their ailing relationship. The two have a pattern of abuse, followed by break-ups and reconciliations. One of their goals in Argentina is to visit the Iguazu waterfalls
Iguazu Falls
Iguazu Falls, Iguassu Falls, or Iguaçu Falls are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian State of Paraná and the Argentine Province of Misiones. The falls divide the river into the upper and lower Iguazu. The Iguazu River originates near the city of Curitiba. It flows...
, which serves as a leitmotif
Leitmotif
A leitmotif , sometimes written leit-motif, is a musical term , referring to a recurring theme, associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical idea of idée fixe...
in the movie.
The movie unfolds in the following sections:
Part 1
As the two arrive into Argentina, they pick a car. During the ride, however, they get into an argument and break up. Lai (played by Tony Leung) is the more stable and committed of the two, and desires nothing more than a fairly normal life. He tries to deal with the breakup rationally and gets a job at a local nightclub. Ho (played by Leslie Cheung) has an extremely destructive personality and is not able to commit to a monogamous relationship. Ho seems to be motivated by a both a need for attention as well as a need to simply hurt Lai. Ho picks up numerous other men, and even goes so far to bring them to the club that Lai works at. Lai tries very hard to lead a normal life at this point, but is nearly driven to the edge of insanity by Ho.
Part 2
One day Ho Po-Wing turns up severely beaten at Lai Yiu-fai's apartment, who takes him in and begins to take care of him. Ho's hands are injured so at this point, he relies on Lai for nearly everything. Initially, Lai works hard to keep Ho at bay physically and emotionally. However, in the end, they get back together. Their actions indicate a continual pattern of abuse, break-up, finally followed by reconciliation. As in the previous times, in the beginning Ho does try to make the relationship work,and the two seem genuinely happy. However, as Ho recovers, he begins again to pick up other men and ignore Lai. We see gradually the destructive side of Ho's personality taking over and the familiar cycle of mutual abuse and dependence starting again.
Part 3
As Lai and Ho's relationships starts falling apart again, Lai befriends Chang, a fellow Chinese from Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
at work. In some sense, Chang is Ho's opposite. Whereas Ho is manipulative and volatile, Chang is straightforward and stable. After Ho fully recovers, he resumes his playboy lifestyle and leaves Lai. Lai copes with the loss by spending more and more time with Chang. It is hinted that Chang is also gay and attracted to Lai; Chang states in a voiceover that he likes 'deep, low voices' and is seen rejecting advances from an attractive female coworker. Chang's unassuming self-awareness and sincerity help Lai out of his depression, contributing to his eventual realization that his relationship with Ho Po-Wing is based on an ideal which no longer has any basis in reality. During one of their many conversations, Chang tells Lai that his goal is to reach a the lowest point in South America. There, is a lighthouse where supposedly all sorrows can be dropped. Eventually, Chang departs Buenos Aires and continues on this journey.
Part 4
After Chang leaves, Lai sinks deeper into depression. He takes some changes jobs in order make more money and eventually resorts to sexual encounters with other men in public restrooms and movie theaters as a means to cope with the loneliness. He remarks in voiceovers at this point that in some sense he better understands Ho's promiscuity at this point, as these encounters seem to be a way to numb the emotional pain.
On Christmas Day, he sits down and begins to write a card to his father back in Hong Kong. The card turns into a long letter. We learn that earlier Lai had stolen a large amount of money from his father's associate's business in order to finance the trip for himself and Ho to South America. Lai apologizes to his father, and resolves to return to Hong Kong and deal with his past actions.
Part 5
After a few months, Ho again contacts Lai to restart the cycle of abuse and destruction. But this time, Lai has the strength to avoid starting this cycle once again. He refuses to see Ho. While on the surface, Ho is angry about Lai's rejection, privately he also mourns this loss. Eventually, Lai finds the strength to visit the waterfalls and return to Hong Kong. On the way home to Hong Kong, Lai visits Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
and seeks out Chang's family's noodle shop in the night market. He steals a picture of Chang as a remembrance.
Critical reception
Due to the international recognition that the film received, it was reviewed in several major U.S. publications. Edward Guthmann, of the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, gave the film an ecstatic review, lavishing praise on Wong for his innovative cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
and directorial approach; whilst naming Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
Jean-Louis "Jack" Lebris de Kerouac was an American novelist and poet. He is considered a literary iconoclast and, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Kerouac is recognized for his spontaneous method of writing, covering topics such as Catholic...
and William Burroughs amongst those who would have been impressed by his film. Stephen Holden, of the New York Times, said it was a more coherent, heartfelt movie than Wong's previous films, without losing the stylism and brashness of his earlier efforts.
However, Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum is an American film critic. Rosenbaum was the head film critic for the Chicago Reader from 1987 until 2008, when he retired at the age of 65...
gave the film a mixed review in the Chicago Reader. Rosenbaum, in a summary of the film, criticized it for having a vague plotline and chastised Wong's "lurching around". In Box Office Magazine, Wade Major gave the film one of its most negative reviews, saying that it offered "little in the way of stylistic or narrative progress, although it should please his core fans." He deprecated Wong's cinematography, labelling it "random experimentation" and went on to say this was "unbearably tedious" due to the lack of narrative.
Wong, in regards to the interpretation of the film said:
- "In this film, some audiences will say that the title seems to be very cynical, because it is about two persons living together, and at the end, they are just separate. But to me, happy together can apply to two persons or apply to a person and his past, and I think sometimes when a person is at peace with himself and his past, I think it is the beginning of a relationship which can be happy, and also he can be more open to more possibilities in the future with other people."
Box office
During its Hong Kong theatrical release, Happy Together made HK $8,600,141 at the box office. The tally is unspectacular, but respectable given the subject matter and restrictive Category IIIHong Kong motion picture rating system
The Hong Kong motion picture rating system is a legal system of movie screening and rating. An official government agency issues ratings for any movie that will be shown in Hong Kong movie theatres.-History:...
rating. It was also typical of a Wong Kar Wai film.
Happy Together also had a limited theatrical run in North America through Kino International, where it grossed US $320,319.
Awards and nominations
- 1997 Cannes Film Festival1997 Cannes Film Festival-Jury:*Isabelle Adjani *Gong Li *Mira Sorvino *Paul Auster *Tim Burton *Luc Bondy *Patrick Dupond *Mike Leigh *Nanni Moretti *Michael Ondaatje -Feature film competition:...
- Won: Best Director (Wong Kar-waiWong Kar-waiWong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...
) - Nominated: Palme d'Or
- Won: Best Director (Wong Kar-wai
- 1998 Arizona International Film FestivalArizona International Film FestivalThe Arizona International Film Festival is the oldest and longest running independent film festival in Arizona. Taking place yearly, film programmes include a mix of shorts, children's films, feature length films, documentaries and animation films. The festival is also a Film Festival Grant...
- Won: Audience Award - Most Popular Foreign Film
- 1997 Golden Horse Awards
- Won: Best Cinematography (Christopher DoyleChristopher DoyleChristopher Doyle is a cinematographer. He has won the AFI Award for cinematography, the Cannes Technical Grand Prize, Golden Osella, the Golden Horse awards , and Hong Kong Film Award . Doyle is an affiliate of the Hong Kong Society of Cinematographers.-Biography:Doyle was born in Sydney,...
) - Nominated: Best Director (Wong Kar-waiWong Kar-waiWong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...
) - Nominated: Best Actor (Leslie CheungLeslie CheungLeslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
)
- Won: Best Cinematography (Christopher Doyle
- 1997 Hong Kong Film AwardsHong Kong Film AwardsThe Hong Kong Film Awards , founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing,...
- Won: Best Actor (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai)
- Nominated: Best Picture
- Nominated: Best Director (Wong Kar-waiWong Kar-waiWong Kar-wai BBS is a Hong Kong Second Wave filmmaker, internationally renowned as an auteur for his visually unique, highly stylized, emotionally resonant work, including Days of Being Wild , Ashes of Time , Chungking Express , Fallen Angels , Happy Together and 2046...
) - Nominated: Best Actor (Leslie CheungLeslie CheungLeslie Cheung Kwok-Wing , nicknamed elder brother , was a film actor and musician from Hong Kong. Cheung was considered as "one of the founding fathers of Cantopop", and "combining a hugely successful film and music career".In 2000, Cheung was named Asian Biggest Superstar by China Central...
) - Nominated: Best Supporting Actor (Chang ChenChang ChenChang Chen is a Taiwanese actor, born in Taipei, Taiwan. His name is sometimes seen in the Western order . He is the son of a Taiwanese actor Chang Kuo Chu and brother of a Taiwanese actor, Chang Han .-Career:...
) - Nominated: Best Art Direction (William Chang)
- Nominated: Best Cinematography (Christopher DoyleChristopher DoyleChristopher Doyle is a cinematographer. He has won the AFI Award for cinematography, the Cannes Technical Grand Prize, Golden Osella, the Golden Horse awards , and Hong Kong Film Award . Doyle is an affiliate of the Hong Kong Society of Cinematographers.-Biography:Doyle was born in Sydney,...
) - Nominated: Best Costume and Make-up Design (William Chang)
- Nominated: Best Film Editing (William Chang, Wong Ming-lam)
- 1998 Hong Kong Film Critics Society AwardsHong Kong Film Critics Society AwardsThe Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards are the annual awards given by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society in Hong Kong, China since 1995. The awards are determined by votes cast in three rounds after a substantial discussion session between the members of the society...
- Film of Merit
- 1998 Independent Spirit Awards
- Nominated: Best Foreign Film