2046 — Second session questions and scene summaries

Questions for the second session:

Underlined areas are the likely focus of in-class discussion.

I. Select ONE of the below to include on your written submission. (Always include question number and question content.)

TWENTY(2)-1. In Scene 9 Chow takes Bai Ling out to dinner, then a drink, after her boyfriend failed to show. After this dinner-drink date, we have a "layering" twice: first in a short view of a woman dressed in black, walking slowly (hips only) then cut to Chow and Bai Ling walking together and talking then, second, with the taxi cab scene (shot in black & white) which reproduced the taxi cab scene in In the Mood for Love. What is the message of these two "layerings", when put together?

II. Select ONE of the below to include on your written submission. (Always include question number and question content.)

TWENTY(2)-2. What context are the camera angles and peering through holes creating for the romance? Why do we keep returning to the shot of someone on the roof, near the sign of the hotel?

TWENTY(2)-3. In Scene 8, Chow tires to give Bai Ling a present, as an apology for the behavior of his friend who wanted to be introduced to her. In Scene 11, Chow and Bai Ling make love for the first time. Before morning, Chow says he will return to his room and tries to give her $200. She refuses then takes $10. This amount, $10, becomes a standard price between them, money she places under her bed and once as a price she wants to pay to him. What do these various "transactions" mean, romantically speaking?

Scene summaries — DVD menu scenes 8-14 (0:34:00-1:03:34, elapsed time 0:30)

Note: All scene summaries for all movies were made by me, usually fairly quickly while viewing the film in real time and typing as it happens. There are bound to be errors. I remind students of the extra credit offer described at the scene summary section of the page "House of Flying Daggers-Module 01".

Scene 8 (Hong Kong — Bai Ling story continues)

In Bai Ling's apartment, Chow is determined that she accept his gift of apology for Ah Ping's behavior. She is angry at, or acts to be angry at, Chow for this trickery. She slaps him but he continues to insist and eventually she accepts his gift. After he is gone we see her happily opening the present of silk stockings which she likes very much.

We see Bai Ling arguing with a man over the phone, then arguing with a man at the doorway of her apartment. She seems to see many men, and these men are jealous.

The scene ends with her on the roof top smoking an evening cigarette and Chow in his apartment, clearly with her on his mind. (The Latin theme music plays.) ... Notice the "hole" in the hotel sign: Oriental Hotel.

Scene 9 (Hong Kong Christmas Eve, 1967 — Bai Ling story continues)

Chow is getting ready for the evening. (Music: "Chestnuts roasting on a open fire ...")

Chow notices that Bai Ling is without a boyfriend for the night. He invites her to eat with him. At dinner, she tells how she had plans with a man, who was to take her to Singapore. Chow says that he worked in Singapore for several years as a newspaper man. While he tells her of Singapore, she quietly cries.

Scene cuts to a close-up of a black-dressed woman's hips, walking in slow motion. This is a clip from Chow's time in Singapore but when the camera pans up, it is Chow and Bai Ling walking together. They talk a little bit about his attitude towards women. They decide to be "just drinking pals" and instead of calling it a night go out to drink some more.

This cuts to a scene (back and white) in a taxi, with the theme music playing. Chow is touching Bai Ling's leg while pretending to be asleep. She gently removes it. Looking out the window, perhaps she smiles politely. After a little bit of time, he again reaches for her, holds her hand, she doesn't refuse. Mostly in this shot we see Bai Ling thinking.

Scene 10 (Hong Kong sometime shortly later: timing not clear but since he says "winter is coming" at one point ... — Bai Ling story continues)

Chow has invited his friends to his regular restaurant to celebrate having a new girlfriend. (They are paying.) He orders expensive food for everyone. But she does not show up.

She is back at the hotel, flirting over the phone with a man. She has intentionally stayed away, at Ping's secret request. Chow seems not to be angry but rather takes this as an opportunity to push their relationship a step forward. He chases her through her apartment. They make love.

Scene 11 (Hong Kong, later the same night — Bai Ling story continues)

Chow dresses to leave, while it is still night. He then offers Bai Ling $200. This really upsets her. He says that he didn't mean it "like that" but rather to pay for her torn dress. She holds backs tears and says that she will take $10 as a "discount rate" from him, this time and every time. She says that he is worried she will cling to him. After he leaves, she cries in a controlled way (still fighting the tears).

Scene 12 (Hong Kong, some considerable time later: she is collecting $10 for every night and her tin under the bed has 10 or 20 bills in it — Bai Ling story continues)

This scene, which opens with him peaking through his room wall, presumably into her room, is a montage of short, wordless scenes with the theme music playing, that shows their relationship is now established, with parties and nighttime sex, and with him returning to his room after they make love. Then one night he refuses to come to her room and even though she offers not to "charge" him, he still refuses. We then see her peaking through her wall, presumably into his room.

Scene 13 (Hong Kong, some time later — Bai Ling story continues)

Chow arranges another birthday banquet for him, collecting money from his friends this way. With that money he and Ping travel to Macao, and gamble. Chow has bought Bai Ling a present, a watch, which he sends back with Ping (Chow is apparently still in Macao). She asks Ping about Chow and Ping warns her that Chow is not serious. She puts down the watch on the table.

Scene 14 (Hong Kong, soon after Scene 13 — Bai Ling story continues)

When Chow returns to his apartment, Bai Ling is inside and surprises him. They make wild love. Afterwards there is a discussion. He wants her to leave, she does not want to. She has seen him with another women. He says that is just "a friend". She says she doesn't mind if he has other women, but she wants to be treated special. She says she had not brought other men to her place and had hoped he would do the same with his women and his place. He does not promise this. So, she says that they are finished. She pays $10 and leaves. He says she can come over anytime she is in the mood ...