# Chungking Express

Chungking Express is a 1994 Hong Kong romantic mystery comedy-drama film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film consists of two stories told in sequence, each about a lovesick Hong Kong policeman mulling over his relationship with a woman. The first story stars Takeshi Kaneshiro as a cop who is obsessed with the break-up of his relationship with a woman named May and his platonic encounter with a mysterious drug smuggler (Brigitte Lin). The second stars Tony Leung as a police officer who is roused from his gloom over the loss of his flight attendant girlfriend (Valerie Chow) by the attentions of a quirky snack bar worker (Faye Wong). The film depicts a paradox in that even though the characters live in densely-packed Hong Kong, they are mostly lonely and live in their own inner worlds.

## Cop 223

* We're all unlucky in love sometimes. When I am, I go jogging. The body loses water when you jog, so you have none left for tears.
* We split up on April Fool's Day. So I decided to let the joke run for a month. Every day I buy a can of pineapple with a sell-by date of May 1. May loves pineapple, and May 1 is my birthday. If May hasn't changed her mind by the time I've bought thirty cans, then our love will also expire.
* Somehow everything comes with an expiry date. Swordfish expires. Meat sauce expires. Even cling-film expires. Is there anything in the world which doesn't?
* If memories could be canned, would they also have expiry dates? If so, I hope they last for centuries.
* In May's eyes, I'm no different from a can of pineapple.
* At the high point of our intimacy, we were just 0.01 cm from each other. I knew nothing about her. Six hours later, she fell in love with another man.
* [calling potential dates] Lulu? This is Qiwu. Want to come out for a drink? You're in bed already? This early? You were asleep? Never mind. Bye. Chieko-san? Guess who? This is Qiwu. That's right. Want to come out for a drink? Your husband? When did you get married? Five years! Has it been that long? You have two kids! You're happy, that's great! Okay, never mind. Is Kong Siu-wai there? This is He Qiwu. We were classmates in grade four. You don't remember? Nothing, goodbye.
* Do you... like pineapple?

## Cop 663

* Since she left, everything in the flat is sad. Everything needed lulling to sleep. [to soap bar] You've lost a lot of weight, you know. You used to be so chubby. Have more confidence in yourself. [to washcloth] You have to stop crying, you know. Where's your strength and absorbency? You're so shabby these days.
* I thought we'd stay together for the long haul, flying like a jumbo jet on a full tank. But we changed course.
* [after he finds out his apartment was flooded] Did I leave the tap running, or is the apartment getting more tearful? I always thought it would cope okay. Didn't expect it to cry so much. When people cry, they can dry their eyes with tissues. But when an apartment cries, it takes a lot to mop it up.
* [to new soap's bar] You mustn't let yourself go. You've gained weight so fast. She may have gone but life goes on. You must stop indulging yourself. [to new towel] You're a real disappointment to me. You've changed so much. You can't just switch personality like this. Her walking out is no excuse. [as it drips] It was such a relief when I saw it crying. It may look different, but it's still true to itself. It's still an emotionally charged towel.
* [after his date failed to meet him in "California" restaurant] Actually she did go to California that evening. But it was the other one.
* [to Faye about previous restaurant's owner] He has great business sense. First he sold me fish and chips, then the whole thing.

## Woman in blonde wig

* Somehow I've become very cautious. When I put on a raincoat, I put on sunglasses too. Who knows when it will rain, or when it will turn out sunny?
* Actually, really knowing someone doesn't mean anything. People change. A person may like pineapple today and something else tomorrow.

## Stewardess

* [in a letter to Cop 663] Change of flight. Your place cancelled. Here's your key. Bye.

## Dialogues

    Cop 223: Any canned pineapple that expires on May 1?
    Cashier: You know what day it is today?
    Cop 223: April 30?
    Cashier: Right. You think we sell outdated stock?
    Cop 223: There's still two hours to go.
    Cashier: Nobody would buy it. Get a fresh one.
    Cop 223: People like you are hung up on freshness. You realize what goes into a can of pineapple? The fruit must be grown, harvested, sliced, and you just throw it away! How do you think the can feels about that?
    Cashier: Buddy, I only work here. Who cares about how the cans feel? What about how I feel? Loading, more loading, unloading... How I wish cans wouldn't expire! It'd save me loads of work. You like expired cans? Help yourself! As many as you like! On the house!
    Cop 663: You like noisy music?
    Faye: Yes. The louder the better. Stops me from thinking.
    Cop 663: You don't like to think? What do you like?
    Faye: Never thought about it.
    Faye: I'm not daydreaming.
    Manager of "Midnight Express": Right. You're not daydreaming. You're sleepwalking.
    Cop 663: What are you doing in my apartment?
    Faye: You asked me to visit.
    Manager of "Midnight Express": I told you 633 is a ladies man.
    His co-worker: It's 663!
    Manager of "Midnight Express": Oh, whatever it is.
    Cop 663: Would you let a person on board with a boarding pass like this? It's dated today, but it got blurred in the rain. I don't know where it's taking me. Do you?
    Faye: No idea, but I'll give you another.
    Cop 663: Great.
    Faye: Where do you want to go?
    Cop 663: Wherever you want to take me.

## Taglines

* If my memory of her has an expiration date, let it be 10,000 years..

## Cast

* Brigitte Lin – Woman in blonde wig
* Tony Leung Chiu-Wai – Cop 663
* Faye Wong – Faye
* Takeshi Kaneshiro – He Qiwu, nicknamed Ah Wu, Cop 223
* Valerie Chow – Flight attendant who breaks up with Cop 663
* Thom Baker – Double-crossing drug dealer
* Chan Kam-Chuen – Manager of the takeaway restaurant 'Midnight Express'
* Kwan Lee-na – Richard
* Wong Chi-Ming – Man
* Leung Sun – The 2nd May, who works at the 'Midnight Express'
* Choh Chung-Sing – Man

## External links

* Chungking Express quotes at the Internet Movie Database
* Chungking Express at Rotten Tomatoes