Online Film Review: 2046 (2004)

        2046 (2004) is one of the world famous films directed by Wong Kar-Wai. It won many local and international awards and was ranked among the top ten best films in 2005 by The New York Times.

The story has been regarded as the third installment in the Chow Mo-Wan trilogy, after Days of Being Wild (1991) and In the Mood for Love (2000). The protagonist, Chow Mo-Wan (acted by Tong Leung Chiu-Wai) is a pornographer. He writes a love story with a science-fiction subtext set in 2046, imagining himself as Japanese who lives in the future year of 2046 to recapture lost memories. In reality, Chow wants to rent the hotel room 2046 to recall memories of his relations with several women. However, the landlord informs Chow that the room is unavailable due to renovation and Chow then moves into the adjacent room 2047. Later, Chow has gotten used to room 2047 and decides to stay there by the time that the renovation of room 2046 is complete. Through a common hallway connected room 2046 and 2047, Chow only regularly watches and gets involved with people that move into room 2046.

“Every passenger going to 2046 has the same intention: to recapture lost memories. Because in 2046 nothing ever changes.” is a classic quote from 2046. The number “2046” is a signifier representing the year 2046; the year has its own significance for Hong Kong. It is 49 years after the handover of Hong Kong by Britain on 1 July 1997. There is the promise of “fifty years unchanged” made to Hong Kong by the People’s Republic of China. Hong Kong can enjoy fifty years of self-regulation and the year of 2046 refers the moment before the end of Hong Kong special, self-regulated status. Room 2046 and 2047 in 2046 represented “unchanged” and “changed”. This shows that the year 2046 is the end of “fifty years unchanged” while the year 2047 is regarded as the start of the ruling of PRC government in Hong Kong. “If someone wants to leave 2046, how long will it take? Some people get away fairly easily. Others find that it takes them much longer. I forget how long I’ve been on this train. I’m starting to feel very lonely… Whenever someone asked why I left 2046, I always gave them some vague answer. It was easier.” This reveals the imagination for the future after 2046. Can people in Hong Kong leave the year 2046 (the days enjoying special, self-regulation) and accept the ruling of PRC government? Should people in Hong Kong regard themselves as Hongkongers or Chinese? It is uneasy to answer these questions. The answers are also supposed to be vague. People in Hong Kong are having or facing questions on their own identities.

Although people in Hong Kong are vague about the future after 2046, returning to China will be a fact, also the fate of Hong Kong. Chow in 2046 chooses to stay in 2047 in the end and only regularly watches and gets involved with people that move into room 2046. When it comes to the year 2047, people in Hong Kong also cannot go back to the year 2046 (the days enjoying special, self-regulation) but only recall that memory.

(539 words)

LIM Mellisa (21238631/10546453)