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Days of Being Wild

Poster for the movie "Days of Being Wild"

Days of Being Wild (1990)

NR 91 min - Crime, Drama, Romance - 15 December 1990
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The movie is set in Hong Kong and the Philippines in 1960. Yuddy, or 'York' in English, is a playboy in Hong Kong and is well-known for stealing girls' hearts and breaking them. His first victim is Li Zhen who suffered emotional and mental depression as a result of Yuddy's wayward attitude. Li Zhen eventually seeks much-needed solace from a sympathetic policeman named Tide.

Director:  Wong Kar-wai
Writers:  Wong Kar-wai

Storyline

The movie is set in Hong Kong and the Philippines in 1960. Yuddy, or 'York' in English, is a playboy in Hong Kong and is well-known for stealing girls' hearts and breaking them. His first victim is Li Zhen who suffered emotional and mental depression as a result of Yuddy's wayward attitude. Li Zhen eventually seeks much-needed solace from a sympathetic policeman named Tide.


Collections: Wong Kar-wai

Genres: Crime, Drama, Romance

Details

Country:   Hong Kong
Language:  Cantonese, English, 普通话,
Release Date:  15 December 1990

Box Office

Revenue:  $141,864

Company Credits

Production Companies:  Media Asia Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:  1 h 31 min

The movie is set in Hong Kong and the Philippines in 1960. Yuddy, or ‘York’ in English, is a playboy in Hong Kong and is well-known for stealing girls’ hearts and breaking them.

His first victim is Li Zhen who suffered emotional and mental depression as a result of Yuddy’s wayward attitude. Li Zhen eventually seeks much-needed solace from a sympathetic policeman named Tide.

Days of Being Wild Movie

Days of Being Wild is a 1990 Hong Kong drama film directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film stars some of the best-known actors and actresses in Hong Kong, including Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau, Jacky Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai.

Days of Being Wild also marks the first collaboration between Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle, with whom he has since made six more films.

The movie forms the first part of an informal trilogy, together with In the Mood for Love (released in 2000) and 2046 (released in 2004).

Plot

The movie is set in Hong Kong and the Philippines in 1960–61. Yuddy or ‘York’ in English (Leslie Cheung), is a playboy in Hong Kong and is well known for stealing girls’ hearts and breaking them. His first lover in the film is Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung), who suffers emotional and mental depression as a result of Yuddy’s wayward attitude. Li-zhen eventually seeks much-needed solace from a sympathetic policeman named Tide (Andy Lau). Their near-romance is often hinted at but never materializes.

York’s next romance is with a vivacious cabaret dancer whose stage name is Mimi (Carina Lau). Mimi is also loved by York’s best friend, Zeb (Jacky Cheung). Unsurprisingly, York dumps her too and she begins a period of self-destruction. York initiates romantic relationships but refuses to commit to the relationship and is unwilling to make compromises. He is conflicted about his feelings about his adoptive mother, a former prostitute played by Rebecca Pan, and is obsessed about his biological mother, who he eventually discovers is a Filipino aristocrat.

Analysis

Almost entirely ignored on its original release, the film has gathered strong critical interest over time, and has a Metacritic score of 96%. Critics praise the film for its beauty and eroticism, though some do not discern a narrative arc that brings the pieces together.

Source: Wikipedia