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Contemplative Cinema. My definition of this style of filmmaking is when films focus their narratives and their characters on pondering the answers to life's questions. These films tend to focus more on the internal conflicts of characters instead of the external ones. There might be external forces that push characters to meet or connect, but at the end of the day, it is the internal battle that they fight.
I wrote once about this topic in my previous blog post which you can read here: https://mohrajakumaran.wixsite.com/blogspace/post/what-i-call-contemplative-cinema
I personally believe that Contemplative cinema isn't restricted by genre, although there has been a larger concentration of contemplative films in the drama genre due to the way drama allows characters to be their most normal self in reflecting the basic human experience.
Wong Kar Wai's Chungking Express (1994). While all of Wong's work can be argued to be introspective in nature or intention, I believe that Chungking Express is the most introspective of all his works.
The film delves into the inner thoughts and emotions of its characters, particularly the two main protagonists, as they go through life. Through voiceovers and intimate moments, the audience gets a glimpse into their minds, understanding their desires, fears, and struggles. Voiceovers have gotten a bad rep as lazy storytelling or as a cop-out for something that can be done visually. Every film technique has been abused one way or another, but when used right, there are few things in the cinematic cannon as sexy, as stylish as sublime as a great voiceover.
The film's fragmented narrative and non-linear structure reflect the disjointed nature of the lives these characters lead. Time and space are fluid concepts, and the characters' experiences often blur the boundaries between past, present, and future. This reflection on the passage of time and the transience of human connections encourages introspection and contemplation in a narrative that feels romantic, sombre yet euphoric all in the same scenes.
The characters' inner worlds aren't just shown through these voiceovers but also through the cinematography in Chungking Express. Wong Kar-wai employs visually stunning cinematography and a nostalgic soundtrack to create a dreamlike atmosphere that enhances the introspective parts of the film. The use of colours, neon and camera movements, contributes to the film's dreamlike feel and the introspective atmosphere of the narrative.
Contemplative cinema is about more than characters running around aimlessly or standing in a single spot thinking. It's about pursuing the question, "Why are they standing there thinking?" or " What's the significance of that line or thought?". It's an exploration of our inner self in the most surreal and even uncomfortable moments of our character's lives. There is a sense of familiarity when we watch Chungking Express but it's attached to this stage but alienating feeling which tells us that this is someone's world and we're just a visitor.
Chunking Express was a film that greatly influenced me both as a filmmaker and as a writer. The way Wong Kar-wai showcases introspection and his style's tendency to lean towards voiceovers really helps to bring us, the audience further into the character's worlds and it adds to the film's score. A rhythm for the soul.