Cover Tony Leung in ‘In the Mood for Love’ (Image: courtesy of Block 2 Pictures Inc and Jet Tone Content Inc)
Tony Leung in ‘In the Mood for Love’ (Image: courtesy of Block 2 Pictures Inc and Jet Tone Content Inc)
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This extended cut of ‘In the Mood for Love’ is ‘a version closer to my original idea’, says director Wong Kar-wai
A special extended cut of the classic Hong Kong movie In the Mood for Love by Wong Kar-wai will run in 4K in Emperor Cinema starting from April 10, 2025. This version, which celebrates the film’s 25th anniversary, features nine minutes of never-before-seen footage and is the longest of all previous director’s cut versions.
The original movie, celebrated for its aesthetic cinematography by Christopher Doyle and abstract storytelling laden with symbolism, presents the chance encounters between two strangers, played by Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, that never progress into a romantic relationship.
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Above A still from ‘In the Mood for Love’ (Image: courtesy of Block 2 Pictures Inc and Jet Tone Content Inc)
Above A still from ‘In the Mood for Love’ (Image: courtesy of Block 2 Pictures Inc and Jet Tone Content Inc)
A still from ‘In the Mood for Love’ (Image: courtesy of Block 2 Pictures Inc and Jet Tone Content Inc)
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In this edition, the timeline of the story is extended, and the individual lives of the characters are presented in a more nuanced manner. The extended clip will also see Cheung change her classic cheongsam look for a more modern style.
“It gives the audience a chance to see a version closer to my original idea. It’s a different kind of reunion [between me and the fans],” Wong says in a press statement. “Movies are love letters to time. Each generation read the same movie in a different light. I’m keen to see how the new generation of audience will interpret this version.”
He also hopes that this new edition will bring people back to the cinema.
Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
