Happy Together (movie)
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Happy Together (春光乍泄) is a 1997 Hong Kong movie directed by Wong Kar-wai, starring Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu Wai.
Wong Kar-wai interview excerpt:
- "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." [1] (http://www.asiastudios.com/interviews/members/wongkarwai.html)
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Plot outline
A gay couple from pre-handover Hong Kong visits Argentina to renew their lagging relationship. Among other sites, they want to visit the Iguacu waterfalls which serve as a leitmotiv in the movie and represents their desire to revive the intensity of attraction they felt at the outset of their relationship.
The couple runs out of money and are forced to work in order to return to Hong Kong. Separating, Ho-Po Wing (Leslie Cheung) becomes a hustler, while Lai Yiu-fai (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) works odd jobs at a tango bar, Chinese restaurant, and meat factory.
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. The familiar cycle of mutual abuse and dependence is rekindled, although on a superficial level Lai works hard to keep Ho-Po at bay physically and emotionally.
At work, Lai meets Chang, a fellow Chinese from Taiwan. 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.
Eventually, Lai finds the strength to visit the waterfalls and return to Hong Kong.
Awards
- Best Director, 1997 Cannes Film Festival