4K RESTORED VERSION
Alternative Title: 墮落天使
Directed by: Wong Kar Wai
Runtime: 99 minutes
Country: Hong Kong
Language: Cantonese with English subtitles
Rating: TBC

Awards

BEST FILM EDITING
BEST ART DIRECTION
32nd Golden Horse Awards (1995)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS (Karen Mok)
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
BEST ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK
15th Hong Kong Film Awards (1996)

— 

Full Synopsis

Lost souls reach out for human connection amidst Hong Kong’s glimmering night world in Wong Kar Wai’s hallucinatory, neon-soaked nocturne. Originally conceived as a segment of Chungking Express only to spin off on its own woozy axis, this hyper-cool head rush plays like the dark, moody flip side to Wong’s breakout feature as it charts the subtly interlacing fates of a handful of urban loners, including a coolly detached hitman (Leon Lai) looking to go straight, his business partner (Michelle Reis) who secretly yearns for him, and a mute delinquent (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who wreaks mischief by night. Swinging between hardboiled noir and slapstick lunacy with giddy abandon, Fallen Angels is both a dizzying, dazzling city symphony and a poignant meditation on love, loss, and longing in a metropolis that never sleeps.

This 4K digital restoration was undertaken from the 35 mm original camera negative by the Criterion Collection in collaboration with L’Immagine Ritrovata and Jet Tone. It was supervised and approved by Wong Kar Wai.

Fallen Angels is newly presented in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio, a format that Wong had originally envisioned for the film. “The restoration provides the opportunity to realize our artistic intention that we couldn’t have achieved technically twenty-five years ago,” says the director.

Director’s statement on the restoration 

“With Fallen Angels, I have changed the format to CinemaScope, because it was originally what I had intended to release the film in. When we were cutting the film, we accidentally turned the Steenbeck on anamorphic instead of standard. I felt that the film looked much more interesting because the setting enhanced the distance of the characters on top of the extreme wide angle that we shot with. Back then, it was impossible to shoot a film in standard and release it in anamorphic. With this restoration, we have successfully fulfilled this wish.”

Text courtesy of Jet Tone Films and Janus Films

— 

To see the full Retrospective: Wong Kar Wai programme, please refer here. The programme will run from 5 March to 4 April 2021 at Oldham Theatre.

Friends of AFA members need to login to purchase their tickets so their membership discounts can be applied.

If you have any trouble purchasing your tickets, please contact us at ticketing@asianfilmarchive.org

— 

Important Notice:

Do note that Oldham Theatre does not play ads and screenings will start promptly. Arrive early so as not to disrupt the screenings. All patrons are encouraged to purchase your tickets online to be able to secure a seat. Seats are limited due to social distancing regulations. If you choose to purchase tickets or merchandise at Oldham Theatre’s box office, cashless payment is preferred.

Measures will be taken to ensure the health and safety of all patrons at Oldham Theatre. This includes wearing a mask at all times for both staff and patrons, temperature taking, SafeEntry logging and observance of social distancing around the theatre. Doors will open 20 minutes before showtime, so  arrive early to register, take your temperature and find a seat.