Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together (New Hong Kong Cinema) [Paperback]

Jeremy Tambling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003 | Series: New Hong Kong Cinema

This book shows two Chinese gay men in Buenos Aires and reflects on Hong Kong's past and future by probing masculinity, aggression, identity, and homosexuality. It also gives a reading of Latin America, perhaps as an allegory of Hong Kong as another post-colonial society.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jeremy Tambling is Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Hong Kong. He has written widely on European and American literature, and on opera on film. His latest books is Becoming Posthumous: Life and Death in Literary and Cultural Studies (Edinbugrgh University Press, 2002). --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Hong Kong University Press; First Edition edition (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9622095895
• ISBN-13: 978-9622095892
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,972,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Must-read of Hong Kong Cinema, August 23, 2003

By 

N. Wong (HONG KONG, HONG KONG Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together (New Hong Kong Cinema) (Paperback)

Finally, there is a book - not a chapter or paragraph - solely one of the Wong Kar Wai's movie. This time, HKU Press has done a fascinating job in publishing an in-depth study on Wong's Ashes of Time and Happy Together. Jeremy Tambling is an expert in gender studies. In the book, he analyzes the film by using theories of allgeory. Besides, he also reads the film in relation to homosexuality (as expected), Hong Kong's postcolonial situation, melancholy, the American road movie genre, the meaning and tradition of tango and he also suggests the impact of choosing Buenos Aires as the setting of the movie. Tambling has included interesting and impressive perspectives of reading a movie, which brought Wong Kar Wai a best director award in Berlin Film Festival.

You may not buy Tambling's arguments on reading the movie as you may say the author has over-interpreted it. However, what he has done in the book definitely enriches the genre of Hong Kong Cinema criticism.

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of wonderful insights on a fine HK movie, August 20, 2003

By 

Stuart Jordan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together (The New Hong Kong Cinema Series) (Hardcover)

Wong Kar-wai's "Happy Together", which won some international films awards, is one of the best Hong Kong movies of recent years.

Jeremy Tambling here probes the film in depth an provides lots of interesting insights on the film, as well as the many possible interpretations of the plot as well as the relationship between the protagonists. In fact, Tambling goes deeper to explore the political and social undertones that the movie represents. It is therefore essential reader both for film buffs as well as those who're interested in social sciences. I enjoyed reading it very much!

4.0 out of 5 stars A detailed, original and impressive reading of Wong's movie., August 15, 2003

By 

N. Wong (HONG KONG, HONG KONG Hong Kong) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together (New Hong Kong Cinema) (Paperback)

Finally, there is a book - not a chapter or paragraph - solely one of the Wong Kar Wai's movie. This time, HKU Press has done a fascinating job in publishing an in-depth studies on Wong's Ashes of Time and Happy Together. Jeremy Tambling is an expert in gender studies. In the book, he analyzes the film by the theories of allgeory (in chapter 1). Besides, he also reads the film in relation to homosexuality (as expected), Hong Kong's postcolonial situation, melancholy, the American road movie genre, the meaning and tradition of tango and he also suggests the impact of choosing Buenos Aires as the setting of the movie. Tambling has included funny, impressive and amazing perspectives of reading a movie, which brought Wong Kar Wai a best director award in Berlin Film Festival.

You may not buy Tambling theories in reading the movie as you may say a too complicated way. However, what he has done in the book definitely enriches the genre of Hong Kong Cinema criticism.