View source for Wong Kar-wai

{{Short description|Hong Kong film director (born 1958)}}
{{Family name hatnote|[[Wang (surname)|Wong]]|lang=Chinese}}
{{Distinguish|Wong Ka Wai (disambiguation){{!}}Wong Ka-wai}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use Hong Kong English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Wong Kar-wai
| honorific_suffix   = {{Post-nominals|post-noms=[[Bronze Bauhinia Star|BBS]]}}
| image              = Wong Kar-wai Berlin cropped.jpg
| alt                =
| caption            = Wong at the [[2013 Berlin Film Festival]]
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1958|7|17}}
| birth_place        = Shanghai, China
| occupation         = {{hlist|Director|screenwriter|producer}}
| years_active       = 1982–present
| spouse             = {{marriage|Esther Chen|1985}}
| children           = 1
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Wong Kar-wai|Full list]]
| module             = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes
| t = {{linktext|王|家|衛}}
| s = {{linktext|王|家|卫}}
| p = Wáng Jiāwèi
| j = Wong<sup>4</sup> Gaa<sup>1</sup>wai<sup>6</sup>
| lmz = Waon<sup>3</sup> Ka<sup>1</sup>we<sup>3</sup>
| ci = {{IPAc-yue|w|ong|4|-|g|aa|1|.|w|ai|6}}
}}
| signature          = Wong Kar Wai's autograph.png
}}
'''Wong Kar-wai''' {{Post-nominals|post-noms=[[Bronze Bauhinia Star|BBS]]}} (born 17 July 1958) is a Hong Kong film director, screenwriter, and producer. His films are characterised by [[nonlinear narrative]]s, atmospheric music, and vivid [[cinematography]] with bold, saturated colours. A pivotal figure of [[Cinema of Hong Kong|Hong Kong cinema]], Wong is considered a contemporary ''[[auteur]]'' and ranked third on ''[[Sight and Sound]]''{{'}}s 2002 poll of the greatest filmmakers of the previous 25 years. His films frequently appear on best-of lists domestically and internationally.

Born in Shanghai, Wong emigrated to Hong Kong as a child with his family. He began a career as a screenwriter for soap operas before transitioning to directing with his debut, the crime drama ''[[As Tears Go By (film)|As Tears Go By]]'' (1988). ''As Tears Go By'' was fairly successful in Hong Kong, but Wong moved away from the contemporary trend of [[Crime film|crime]] and [[Action film|action movies]] to embark on more personal filmmaking. ''[[Days of Being Wild]]'' (1990), his first venture in such a direction, did not perform well at the box office, but received critical acclaim and won [[Hong Kong Film Award for Best Film|Best Film]] and [[Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director|Best Director]] at the [[10th Hong Kong Film Awards|1991 Hong Kong Film Awards]]. His next film, ''[[Ashes of Time]]'' (1994), met with a mixed reception because of its vague plot and atypical take on the {{Transliteration|zh|[[wuxia]]}} genre.

Exhausted by the time-consuming filming and post-production of ''Ashes of Time'', Wong directed ''[[Chungking Express]]'' (1994), a smaller film that he hoped would rekindle his love of cinema during a two-month sabbatical while waiting for post-production equipment to arrive for ''Ashes of Time''.{{Refn|While Wong made ''Chungking Express'' after ''Ashes of Time'', ''Chungking'' was released before ''Ashes''.|group=note}} The film, with its more lighthearted atmosphere, catapulted Wong to international prominence, and won Best Film and Best Director at the [[14th Hong Kong Film Awards|1995 Hong Kong Film Awards]]. Wong followed up with the crime thriller [[Fallen Angels (1995 film)|''Fallen Angels'']] in 1995. Although it was initially tepidly received by critics, ''Fallen Angels'' has since come to be considered a cult classic of the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema and especially representative of Wong's style. Wong consolidated his worldwide reputation with the 1997 drama ''[[Happy Together (1997 film)|Happy Together]]'', for which he won [[Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival)|Best Director]] at the [[1997 Cannes Film Festival|Cannes Film Festival]].

The 2000 drama ''[[In the Mood for Love]]'', revered for its lush visuals and subtle storytelling, concretely established Wong's trademark filmmaking style. Among his other works are ''[[2046 (film)|2046]]'' (2004) and ''[[The Grandmaster (film)|The Grandmaster]]'' (2013), both of which received awards and nominations worldwide.

==Early life==
[[File:Hongkong-018 hg.jpg|thumb|left|upright=1.2|Hong Kong in 1965, shortly after Wong's family emigrated from Shanghai]]
Wong Kar-wai was born on 17 July 1958 in Shanghai, the youngest of three siblings.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|title=Wong Kar-wai – Biography|url=https://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/194627/Wong-Kar-Wai/biography|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131025085430/http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/194627/Wong-Kar-Wai/biography|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 October 2013|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|last=Ankeny|first=Jason|date=2013|access-date=24 January 2015}}</ref>{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=2}} His father was a sailor and his mother a housewife.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=10}} By the time Wong was five years old, the seeds of the [[Cultural Revolution]] were beginning to take effect in China, and his parents moved to Hong Kong.{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=2}} The two older children were meant to join them later, but the borders closed before they could and Wong did not see them again for ten years.<ref name="indie">{{cite news|last1=Mottram|first1=James|title=Wong Kar-Wai interview: the revered film director on returning to his first love – kung fu|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/wong-karwai-interview-the-revered-film-director-on-returning-to-his-first-love--kung-fu-9905855.html|date=6 December 2014|access-date=27 January 2015|work=The Independent|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925165125/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/wong-karwai-interview-the-revered-film-director-on-returning-to-his-first-love--kung-fu-9905855.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="film4">{{cite web |title=Wong Kar-Wai |url=http://www.film4.com/special-features/5-min-guides/wong-kar-wai |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112205249/http://www.film4.com/special-features/5-min-guides/wong-kar-wai |archive-date=12 January 2015 |access-date=27 January 2015 |publisher=Film4}}</ref> In Hong Kong, the family settled in [[Tsim Sha Tsui]], and his father got work managing a nightclub.{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=2}} As an only child in an unfamiliar city, Wong has said he felt isolated; he struggled to learn [[Cantonese]] and English, becoming fluent in these languages only as a teenager.{{sfnm|1a1=Bettinson 2014|1p=2|2a1=Teo 2005|2p=13}}

As a youth, Wong was frequently taken to the cinema by his mother and exposed to a variety of films.{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=2}} He has said, "The only hobby I had as a child was watching movies".<ref name="bomb">{{cite journal |last1=Ong |first1=Han |date=Winter 1998 |title=Interview with Wong Kar-wai |url=http://bombmagazine.org/article/2113/wong-kar-wai |url-status= |journal=Bomb Magazine |volume=62 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141229125859/http://bombmagazine.org/article/2113/wong-kar-wai |archive-date=29 December 2014 |access-date=25 January 2015}}</ref> Wong studied [[graphic design]] at the [[Hong Kong Polytechnic University|Hong Kong Polytechnic]] in 1980, but dropped out of college after being accepted to a training course with the [[TVB]] television network, where he learned the processes of media production.{{sfnm|1a1=Bettinson 2014|1p=2|2a1=Teo 2005|2p=13}}

==Career==
===Beginnings (1980–1989)===
Wong soon began a screenwriting career, first on Hong Kong TV series and soap operas, such as ''Don't Look Now'' (1981), before progressing to film scripts.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=xvi}} He worked as part of a team, contributing to various genres, including romance, comedy, thriller, and crime.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=13}} Wong had little enthusiasm for these early projects, described by the film scholar Gary Bettinson as "occasionally diverting and mostly disposable", but continued to write throughout the 1980s on films including ''Just for Fun'' (1983), ''[[Rosa (1986 film)|Rosa]]'' (1986), and ''[[The Haunted Cop Shop]]'' (1987).{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=2}} He is credited with ten screenplays between 1982 and 1987, but claims to have worked on about 50 more without official credit.{{sfn|Stokes & Hoover 1999|p=26}} Wong spent two years writing the screenplay for [[Patrick Tam (film director)|Patrick Tam]]'s action film ''[[Final Victory]]'' (1987),{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=3}} for which he was nominated at the 7th [[Hong Kong Film Awards]].<ref name=":1">{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104130112/http://www.hkfaa.com/winnerlist07.html|url=http://www.hkfaa.com/winnerlist07.html|title=List of Nominees and Awardees of The 7th Hong Kong Film Awards|language=zh-yue|publisher=[[Hong Kong Film Awards Association]]|archive-date=4 November 2020|access-date=4 November 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Andy Lau (cropped).jpg|thumb|[[Andy Lau]] starred in Wong's debut, the crime film ''[[As Tears Go By (film)|As Tears Go By]]'' (1988)]]

By 1987 the Hong Kong film industry was at a peak, enjoying a considerable level of prosperity and productivity.<ref name="bomb"/> New directors were needed to maintain this success, and through his links in the industry Wong was invited to become a partner on a new independent company, [[In-Gear Film Production Co., Ltd.|In-Gear]], and given the opportunity to direct his own picture. Gangster films were popular at the time, in the wake of [[John Woo]]'s highly successful ''[[A Better Tomorrow]]'' (1986), and Wong decided to follow suit.<ref name="bomb"/>{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=3}} Specifically, unlike Hong Kong's other crime films, he chose to focus on young gangsters.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=3}} The film, ''[[As Tears Go By (film)|As Tears Go By]]'', tells the story of a conflicted youth who has to watch over his hot-headed friend.{{refn|The plot has been compared to [[Martin Scorsese]]'s ''[[Mean Streets]]'' (1971). Wong later admitted that he borrowed [[Robert De Niro]]'s character from Scorsese's film, but claimed that he was mainly inspired by the experiences he had as a young man when he was friends with a low-level gangster.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=3}}|group=note}}

Because he was well acquainted with the producer, [[Alan Tang]], Wong was given considerable freedom in making ''As Tears Go By''.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=3}} His cast included what he considered some of "the hottest young idols in Hong Kong": singer [[Andy Lau]], [[Maggie Cheung]], and [[Jacky Cheung]].<ref name="bomb"/> ''As Tears Go By'' was released in June 1988 and was popular with audiences. Several journalists named Wong among the "[[Hong Kong New Wave]]".{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=3}} While it was a conventional crime film,{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=15}} critic [[David Bordwell]] wrote that Wong "stands out from his peers by abandoning the kinetics of comedies and action movies in favour of more liquid atmospherics."{{sfn|Brunette 2005|pp=5–6}} ''As Tears Go By'' received no attention from Western critics upon its release,{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=3}} but was selected to be screened during the [[Directors' Fortnight]] of the [[1989 Cannes Film Festival]].{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=xvi}}

===Developing style (1990–1994)===
{{Quote box
|bgcolor=#E0E6F8
 |quote = "I could have continued making films like ''[[As Tears Go By (film)|As Tears Go By]]'' for the rest of eternity but I wanted to do something more personal after that. I wanted to break the structure of the average Hong Kong film." |source = —Wong on the transition from his first film to ''[[Days of Being Wild]]'' (1990){{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=3}}
 |width= 25%
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In his next film, Wong moved away from the crime trend in Hong Kong cinema, to which he felt indifferent. He was eager to make something unique, and the financial success of ''As Tears Go By'' made this possible.{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=3}} Developing a more personal project than his previous film,{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=xvii}} Wong picked the 1960s as its setting, evoking an era he remembered well and had a "special feeling" for.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=34}} ''[[Days of Being Wild]]'' focuses on a disillusioned young adult named Yuddy and those around him. There is no straightforward plot or obvious genre,{{sfnm|1a1=Teo 2005|1p=44|2a1=Brunette 2005|2p=18}} but Stephen Teo sees it as a film about the "longing for love".{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=34}} Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, and Jacky Cheung rejoined Wong for the film, while [[Leslie Cheung]] was cast in the central role.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=16}} Hired as [[cinematographer]] was [[Christopher Doyle]], who became one of Wong's most important collaborators, photographing his next six films.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=44}}

With its popular stars, ''Days of Being Wild'' was expected to be a mainstream picture; instead it was a character piece, more concerned with mood and atmosphere than narrative.<ref name="bomb"/>{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=35}} Released in December 1990, the film earned little at the box office and divided critics.{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=3}} It won five Hong Kong Film Awards, and received some attention internationally.{{sfnm|1a1=Brunette 2005|1p=30|2a1=Bettinson 2014|2p=4}} With its experimental narrative, expressive camerawork, and themes of lost time and love, ''Days of Being Wild'' is described by film critic [[Peter Brunette]] as the first typical "Wong Kar-wai film".{{sfn|Brunette 2005|pp=17–19, 24}} It has since gained a reputation as one of Hong Kong's finest releases.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=30}} Its initial failure was disheartening for Wong, and he could not gain funding for his next project, a planned sequel.<ref name="bomb"/>{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=31}}

Struggling to get support for his work, Wong formed his own production company, Jet Tone Films, with [[Jeff Lau]] in 1992.{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|pp=4–5}} In need of further backing, Wong accepted a studio's offer that he make a [[Wuxia|{{transliteration|zh|wuxia}}]] (ancient martial arts) film based on the popular novel ''[[The Legend of the Condor Heroes]]'' by [[Jin Yong]].<ref name="bomb"/>{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=65}} Wong was enthusiastic about the idea, claiming he had long wanted to make a [[costume drama]].<ref name="bomb"/> He eventually took little from the book other than three characters,{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=69}} and in 1992 began experimenting with several different narrative structures to weave what he called "a very complex tapestry".{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=32}} Filming began with another all-star cast: Leslie, Maggie, and Jacky Cheung returned alongside [[Brigitte Lin]], [[Carina Lau]], [[Charlie Young (actress)|Charlie Young]], and [[Tony Leung Chiu-wai]] − the latter of whom became one of Wong's key collaborators.{{sfn|Dissanayake 2003|p=1}}

Set during the [[Song dynasty]], ''[[Ashes of Time]]'' concerns a desert-exiled assassin who is called upon by several different characters while nursing a broken heart.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|pp=33–34}} It was a difficult production and the project was not completed for two years, at a cost of [[Hong Kong dollars|HK$]]47 million.{{sfnm|1a1=Brunette 2005|1p=40|2a1=Dissanayake 2003|2p=1}} Upon release in September 1994,{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=65}} audiences were confused by the film's vague plotting and atypical take on {{transliteration|zh|wuxia}}.{{sfnm|1a1=Brunette 2005|1p=31|2a1=Dissanayake 2003|2p=1}} The film scholar Martha P. Nochimson called it "the most unusual martial arts film ever made", as fast-paced action scenes are replaced by character ruminations, and story becomes secondary to the use of colour, landscape, and imagery.{{sfn|Nochimson 2010|p=341}} ''Ashes of Time'' was a commercial failure,{{sfn|Dissanayake 2003|p=1}} but critics were generally appreciative of Wong's "refusal to be loyal to [the {{transliteration|zh|wuxia}}] genre".{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=32}} The film won several local awards, and competed at the [[Venice Film Festival]], where Doyle won Best Cinematography.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=xvii}}<ref name=":3">Awards and nominations for ''Ashes of Time'':
*{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenhorse.org.tw/awards/nw/?serach_type=award&sc=8&search_regist_year=1994&ins=26|title=The 31st Golden Horse Awards|language=zh|publisher=[[Golden Horse Awards]]|access-date=5 January 2022|archive-date=20 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420172607/https://www.goldenhorse.org.tw/awards/nw/?serach_type=award&sc=8&search_regist_year=1994&ins=26|url-status=live}}
*{{cite web|url=http://www.hkfaa.com/winnerlist14.html|title=List of Nominees and Awardees of The 14th Hong Kong Film Awards|language=zh-yue|publisher=[[Hong Kong Film Awards Association]]|access-date=5 January 2022|archive-date=28 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628041429/http://www.hkfaa.com/winnerlist14.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, Wong reworked the film and rereleased it as ''Ashes of Time Redux''.<ref name=":4">{{cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ashes-of-time-redux-2008|title=Ashes 1, Time 0. Repeat|first=Roger|last=Ebert|author-link=Roger Ebert|website=rogerebert.com|access-date=4 January 2022|date=11 November 2008|archive-date=4 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104131131/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ashes-of-time-redux-2008|url-status=live}}</ref>{{refn|In an interview, Wong explained the reasoning and difficulties behind the restoration: "The laboratory where we stored all our negatives went bankrupt overnight following the [[Asian economic crisis]] in 1997. So on short notice we had to retrieve all the materials ... we noticed that some of the original negatives and sound tapes had deteriorated into pieces. We decided to rescue the film ... We spent the first few years searching for missing materials ... [Eventually] we realized that a 100-percent restoration of the original version was out of the question, so we trimmed out the parts that were beyond repair and replaced them with other options. From there we embarked on another five-year journey from restoration to redux".<ref name=redux>{{cite web|title=Christopher Doyle and Wong Kar-wai|url=http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/christopher-doyle-and-wong-kar-wai/#_|website=Interview|date=25 November 2008|access-date=23 September 2015|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925130326/http://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/christopher-doyle-and-wong-kar-wai/#_|url-status=live}}</ref>|group=note}}

===Breakthrough (1994–1995)===
[[File:Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Berlin Film Festival 2013) 2 (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Tony Leung Chiu-wai]], Wong's frequent leading man]]
During the production of ''Ashes of Time'', Wong had a two-month break as he waited for equipment to re-record sound for some scenes.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=46}} He was in a bad mood, feeling heavy pressure from his backers and worrying about another failure,{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=48}} and so he decided to start a new project: "I thought I should do something to make myself feel comfortable about making films again. So I made ''[[Chungking Express]]'', which I made like a student film."<ref name="bomb"/> Conceived and completed in six weeks, the new project was released two months before ''Ashes of Time''.<ref name=indie/>{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=49}}

''Chungking Express'' is split into two parts, both set in contemporary Hong Kong and focusing on lonely policemen ([[Takeshi Kaneshiro]] and Tony Leung Chiu-wai) who each fall for a woman ([[Brigitte Lin]] and [[Faye Wong]]).{{sfn|Nochimson 2010|p=337}} Wong was keen to experiment with "two crisscrossing stories in one movie"{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=49}} and worked spontaneously, filming at night what he had written that day.<ref name="bomb"/> Peter Brunette notes that ''Chungking'' is considerably more fun and lighthearted than Wong's earlier work but deals with the same themes.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=46}} At the 1995 Hong Kong Film Awards it was named Best Picture, and Wong received Best Director.<ref name=":5">{{cite web|url=http://www.hkfaa.com/winnerlist14.html|title=List of Nominees and Awardees of The 14th Hong Kong Film Awards|language=zh-yue|publisher=[[Hong Kong Film Awards Association]]|access-date=5 January 2022|archive-date=28 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628041429/http://www.hkfaa.com/winnerlist14.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Miramax]] acquired the film for American distribution, which, according to Brunette, "catapulted Wong to international attention".{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=xvii}} Stephen Schneider includes it in his book ''[[1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die]]'' with the summary: "While other films by Wong may pack more emotional resonance, ''Chungking Express'' gets off on sheer innocence, exuberance, and cinematic freedom, a striking triumph of style over substance".{{sfn|Schneider 2009|p=835}}
{{Quote box
|bgcolor=#E0E6F8
 |quote = "Whereas ''[[Chungking Express|Chungking]]'' was sunshiny and suffused with bright, lovely daytime colors, ''[[Fallen Angels (1995 film)|Fallen Angels]]'' is more about neon, and night time, and grunge."

"''Chungking Express'' and ''Fallen Angels'' together are the bright and dark of Hong Kong."|source = —Journalist Han Ong conversing with Wong<ref name="bomb"/>
 |width= 25%
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Wong continued to work without break, expanding his ideas from ''Chungking Express'' into another film about alienated young adults in contemporary Hong Kong. ''Chungking Express'' had originally been conceived as three stories; one of them was later included in his later film, ''[[Fallen Angels (1995 film)|Fallen Angels]]'', but with new characters.{{sfn|Wai-ming Lee, 2017|p=xiii|Micky Lee, 2017}} Wong conceived both films as complementary studies of Hong Kong: "To me ''Chungking Express'' and ''Fallen Angels'' are one film that should be three hours long."<ref name="bomb"/>

''Fallen Angels'' is broadly considered a crime thriller, and contains scenes of extreme violence, but is atypical of the genre and heavily infused with Wong's fragmented, experimental style.{{sfnm|1a1=Brunette 2005|1p=61|2a1=Nochimson 2010|2p=342|3a1=Biancorosso 2010|3p=230}} The loose plot again involves two distinct, subtly overlapping narratives, and is dominated by frantic visuals.{{sfnm|1a1=Brunette 2005|1pp=58, 61|2a1=Nochimson 2010|2p=342}} The film mostly occurs at night and explores Hong Kong's dark side, which Wong planned to balance the sweetness of ''Chungking'': "It's fair to show both sides of a coin".<ref name="bomb"/> Kaneshiro and Young were cast again, but new to Wong's films were [[Leon Lai]], [[Michelle Reis]], and [[Karen Mok]]. Upon its release in September 1995, several critics felt that the film was too similar to ''Chungking Express'' and some complained that Wong had become self-indulgent.{{sfnm|1a1=Teo 2005|1p=83|2a1=Brunette 2005|2pp=57, 60, 70}} But as time went on, critics reappraised the film, and it has amassed a large cult following, becoming one of Wong's most popular films. ''Fallen Angels'' has often been said to be one of Wong's most stylish films, and been praised for its unconventional, fragmented plot. Film historians Zhang Yingjin and Xiao Zhiwei wrote: "While not as groundbreaking as its predecessors, the film is still different and innovative enough to confirm [Wong's] presence on the international scene."{{sfn|Zhang & Xiao 1999|p=368}}

===Widespread recognition (1996–2000)===

While his reputation grew steadily throughout the early 1990s, Wong's international standing was "thoroughly consolidated" with the 1997 romantic drama ''[[Happy Together (1997 film)|Happy Together]]'' (1997).{{sfn|Stringer 2002|p=400}} Its development was influenced by the [[Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong|handover of Hong Kong]] from Britain to China that year. Wong was widely expected to address the event in his next film; instead, he avoided the pressure by shooting in Argentina.{{sfnm|1a1=Stokes & Hoover 1999|1pp=269–270|2a1=Brunette 2005|2p=76}} The handover was nevertheless important: knowing that homosexuals in Hong Kong faced uncertainty after 1997, Wong focused on a relationship between two men.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=99}}{{refn|Lisa Stokes and Michael Hoover believe ''Happy Together'' is even more strongly linked to the Handover, as they argue that the relationship of the main characters represents that of China and Hong Kong.{{sfn|Stokes & Hoover 1999|pp=268, 278}} Jeffrey Tambling agrees this is a viable interpretation.{{sfn|Tambling 2003|p=13}} Wong has denied this, but admits that the title is a reference to his hope that "we could all be happy together after 1997".{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=100}}|group=note}} He was keen to present the relationship as ordinary and universal, as he felt Hong Kong's previous [[LGBT]] films had not.<ref name=":6">{{cite web|last1=Khoi |first1=Lebinh; Eng, David |title=Wong Kar-wai Exclusive Interview |url=http://www.asiastudios.com/interviews/members/wongkarwai.html |publisher=Asia Studios |access-date=9 September 2015 |date=1997 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071229154411/http://www.asiastudios.com/interviews/members/wongkarwai.html |archive-date=29 December 2007 }}</ref>

''Happy Together'' tells the story of a couple (Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Leslie Cheung) who travel to [[Buenos Aires]] in an effort to save their relationship. Its structure and style differ from Wong's previous films, as he felt he had become predictable.<ref name="bomb"/> Teo, Brunette, and Jeremy Tambling all see ''Happy Together'' as a marked change from his earlier work: the story is more linear and understandable, there are only three characters (all men), and while it still has Doyle's "exuberant" photography, it is more stylistically restrained.{{sfnm|1a1=Teo 2005|1p=98|2a1=Brunette 2005|2pp=70–71|3a1=Tambling 2003|3p=4}} After a difficult production period where a six-week shoot was dragged out to four months, the film was released in May 1997 to critical acclaim.{{sfnm|1a1=Stokes & Hoover 1999|1pp=268, 270|2a1=Stringer 2002|2p=399–400}} It competed for the [[Palme d'Or]] at the [[Cannes Film Festival]], where Wong became Hong Kong's first winner of the [[Best Director Award (Cannes Film Festival)|Best Director Award]]{{sfn|Tambling 2003|p=5}} (an achievement he downplayed: "it makes no difference, it's just something you can put on an ad.")<ref name="bomb"/>

[[File:Maggie Cheung cropped.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.85|[[Maggie Cheung]], star of ''[[In the Mood for Love]]'' and three other Wong films]]
In his 2005 monograph, Brunette wrote that ''Happy Together'' marked "a new stage in [Wong's] artistic development", and along with its successor, ''[[In the Mood for Love]]'' (2000), showcases Wong at "the zenith of his cinematic art."{{sfn|Brunette 2005|pp=xvii, 70}} The latter film emerged from a complicated two-year production history. Several different titles and projects were planned by Wong before they evolved into the final result: a romantic melodrama{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=128}} set in 1960s Hong Kong that is seen as an unofficial sequel to ''Days of Being Wild''.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=115}}{{refn|''In the Mood for Love'' is set two years after ''Days of Being Wild'', and in both films Maggie Cheung's character is named Su Li-zhen.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=117}}|group=note}} Wong returned to the era that fascinated him, and reflected his own background by focusing on Shanghainese émigrés.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=86}}<ref name=":7">{{cite web|last1=Kaufman|first1=Anthony|title=Interview: The "Mood" of Wong Kar-wai; the Asian Master Does it Again|url=https://www.indiewire.com/article/interview_the_mood_of_wong_kar-wai_the_asian_master_does_it_again|website=Indiewire|access-date=24 September 2015|date=2 February 2001|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924052132/http://www.indiewire.com/article/interview_the_mood_of_wong_kar-wai_the_asian_master_does_it_again|url-status=live}}</ref>

Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai play the lead characters, who move into an apartment building on the same day in 1962 and discover that their spouses are having an affair; over the next four years they develop a strong attraction. Teo writes that the film is a study of "typical Chinese reserve and repressed desire",{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=118–119}} while Schneider writes that the "strange relationship" is choreographed with "the grace and rhythm of a waltz" and depicted in "a dreamlike haze by an eavesdropping camera".{{sfn|Schneider 2009|p=893}}

The shoot lasted 15 months, with both Cheung and Leung reportedly driven to their breaking points.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=87}} Wong shot more than 30 times the footage he eventually used, and finished editing the film the morning before its Cannes premiere.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|pp=xvii, 93}} At the festival, ''In the Mood for Love'' received the Technical Grand Prize and [[Best Actor Award (Cannes Film Festival)|Best Actor]] for Leung.<ref name=":8">{{cite web|title=In the Mood for Love|work=Festival de Cannes |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/0224a1df-f33f-49e7-b0fa-e796f097a401/year/2000.html|access-date=24 September 2015|archive-date=19 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019225204/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/0224A1DF-F33F-49E7-B0FA-E796F097A401/year/2000.html|url-status=live}}</ref> It was named [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language Film|Best Foreign Film]] by the [[National Society of Film Critics]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Film-critics-society-honors-Mulholland-Drive-2884896.php|title=Film critics' society honors 'Mulholland Drive' / 'Gosford Park' also wins awards|date=7 January 2002|access-date=5 January 2022|website=[[San Francisco Chronicle]]|archive-date=5 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105115325/https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/Film-critics-society-honors-Mulholland-Drive-2884896.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Wong said after its release: "''In the Mood for Love'' is the most difficult film in my career so far, and one of the most important. I am very proud of it."{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=101}} It has been included on lists of the [[List of films considered the best|greatest films of all time]].<ref>{{cite web | title=The Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time | date=1 August 2012 | author=Christie, Ian | publisher=British Film Institute | url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/news/50-greatest-films-all-time | work=Sight and Sound | access-date=24 September 2015 | archive-date=1 March 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301135739/http://www.bfi.org.uk/news/50-greatest-films-all-time | url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Frater|first1=Patrick|title=Busan Festival Proposes Ranking of Best-Ever Asian Films|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/asia/busan-festival-proposes-ranking-of-best-ever-asian-films-1201568400/|website=Variety|access-date=24 September 2015|date=12 August 2015|archive-date=25 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925105803/http://variety.com/2015/film/asia/busan-festival-proposes-ranking-of-best-ever-asian-films-1201568400/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===International work (2001–2007)===
While ''In the Mood for Love'' took two years to complete, its sequel – ''[[2046 (film)|2046]]'' – took double that time.<ref name="salisbury"/> ''2046'' was actually conceived first,{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=114}} when Wong picked the title as a reference to the final year of China's "[[One country, two systems]]" promise to Hong Kong.{{refn|The Chinese government stated in 1997 that for 50 years Hong Kong was guaranteed to stay the same and keep its [[capitalist]] economy. Wong said: "2046 is the last year of this promise and I thought it would be interesting to use these numbers to make a film about promises."<ref name="salisbury">{{cite news|last1=Salisbury|first1=Mark|title=2046|url=http://www.londonnet.co.uk/ln/out/ent/cinema_wongkarwai.html|access-date=28 October 2015|publisher=London Net|archive-date=11 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150911175040/http://www.londonnet.co.uk/ln/out/ent/cinema_wongkarwai.html|url-status=live}}</ref>|group=note}} Although his plans changed and a new film developed, he simultaneously shot material for ''2046'', with the first footage dating to December 1999. Wong immediately continued with the project once ''In the Mood for Love'' was complete, reportedly becoming obsessed with it.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=114}} In Bettinson's account, it "became a behemoth, impossible to finish".{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=1}}

''2046'' continues the story of Chow Mo-wan, Leung's character from ''In the Mood for Love'', though he is considered much colder and very different.<ref name="salisbury"/>{{sfn|Nochimson 2010|p=348}} Wong found he did not want to leave the character, and commenced where he left off in 1966; nevertheless, he said: "It's another story, about how a man faces his future due to a certain past".{{sfnm|1a1=Brunette 2005|1p=102, 105|2a1=Teo 2005|2p=135}} His plans were vague and, according to Teo, he set "a new record in his own method of free-thinking, time-extensive and improvisatory filmmaking" with the production.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=134}} Scenes were shot in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macau, and Bangkok.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=115}} [[Zhang Ziyi]] and [[Gong Li]] play the women who consume Mo-wan, as he plans a science fiction novel titled ''2046''. The film premiered at the [[2004 Cannes Film Festival]], but Wong delivered the print 24 hours late and still was not happy: he continued editing until the film's October release.{{sfnm|1a1=Bettinson 2014|1p=1|2a1=Teo 2005|2p=135}} It was Wong's most expensive and longest-running project to date.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=136}} ''2046'' was a commercial failure in Hong Kong,{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=153}} but most Western critics gave it positive reviews.<ref name=":9">{{cite web|title=2046|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/2046/|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=28 October 2015|archive-date=2 December 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202062819/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/2046/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Ty Burr]] of ''[[The Boston Globe]]'' called it an "enigmatic, rapturously beautiful meditation on romance and remembrance",<ref name="burr">{{cite news |last1=Burr |first1=Ty |date=19 August 2005 |title=Wong's '2046' is a mind-altering cocktail, perfectly blended |url=https://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2005/08/19/wongs_2046_is_a_mind_altering_cocktail_perfectly_blended/ |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151216075153/http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2005/08/19/wongs_2046_is_a_mind_altering_cocktail_perfectly_blended/ |archive-date=16 December 2015 |access-date=28 October 2015 |newspaper=The Boston Globe}}</ref> while Steve Erikson of ''[[Los Angeles Magazine]]'' called it Wong's masterpiece.<ref name="erik">{{cite web|author=Erikson, Steve|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-134733364.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160222060453/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-134733364.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 February 2016|title=Love and desire: with 2046, Wong Kar-wai completes his masterpiece|work=Los Angeles Magazine| via=HighBeam Research |date=1 August 2005|access-date=28 October 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Norah Jones Cannes 2.jpg|thumb|upright|Singer [[Norah Jones]] starred in Wong's English-language film, ''[[My Blueberry Nights]]'' (2007)]]

Before starting his next feature, Wong worked on the [[anthology film]] ''[[Eros (film)|Eros]]'' (2004), providing one of three short films (the others are by [[Michelangelo Antonioni]] and [[Steven Soderbergh]]) that centre on the theme of lust. Wong's segment, ''The Hand'', stars Gong Li as a 1960s [[call girl]] and [[Chang Chen]] as her potential client. Although ''Eros'' was not well received, Wong's segment was often called the most successful.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eros (2004)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eros_2005/|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=29 October 2015|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924230208/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/eros_2005/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Following the difficult production of ''2046'', Wong wanted his next feature to be a simple, invigorating experience.{{sfn|Nochimson 2010|p=349}} He decided to make an English-language film in America,<ref name="kung">{{cite web|author=Kung, Michelle|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-16251508.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506004409/https://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-16251508.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 May 2016|title=Road movie sends director down new path; Wong Kar Wai makes his first English-language film|work=The Boston Globe| via=HighBeam Research|date=13 April 2008|access-date=28 October 2015}}</ref> later saying: "It's a new landscape. It's a new background, so it's refreshing."<ref name=guer>{{cite news|last1=Guerrasio|first1=Jason|title=Cannes '07: Wong Kar-wai on ''My Blueberry Nights''|url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/4859-cannes-07-wong-kar-wai-on-my-blueberry-nights-by-howard-feinstein/#.VjINhWsYx_k|access-date=6 November 2015|work=Filmmaker|date=15 May 2007|archive-date=30 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150930053329/http://filmmakermagazine.com/4859-cannes-07-wong-kar-wai-on-my-blueberry-nights-by-howard-feinstein/#.VjINhWsYx_k|url-status=live}}</ref> After hearing a radio interview with the singer [[Norah Jones]] he immediately decided to contact her, and she signed on as the lead.{{refn|Jones had never acted before, but Wong had a history of casting singers in his films and said it felt "very natural".<ref name=diva>{{cite web|title=Wong Kar-wai exclusive My Blueberry Nights interview|url=http://www.thedivareview.com/My_Blueberry_Nights_Wong_Kar-Wai_Interview.html|website=The Diva Review|access-date=6 November 2015|date=1 April 2008|archive-date=4 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304024457/http://www.thedivareview.com/My_Blueberry_Nights_Wong_Kar-Wai_Interview.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He also liked "the idea of this being her first movie and my first movie in English, which made us equals."<ref name=kung/> Wong insisted that she not take acting lessons.<ref name=norah>{{cite web|last1=Toy|first1=Sam|title=Norah Jones on ''My Blueberry Nights'': The RT Interview|url=http://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/norah-jones-on-my-blueberry-nights-the-rt-interview/|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=6 November 2015|date=21 February 2008|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303144817/http://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/norah-jones-on-my-blueberry-nights-the-rt-interview/|url-status=live}}</ref>|group=note}} Wong's understanding of America was based only on short visits and what he had seen in films, but he was keen to depict the country accurately,{{sfn|Nochimson 2010|p=349}}<ref name=diva/> so he co-wrote the film (one of the rare times a screenplay was pre-prepared) with [[Lawrence Block]].<ref name=kung/> Titled ''[[My Blueberry Nights]]'', it focuses on a young New Yorker who takes a road trip when she learns that her boyfriend has been unfaithful. Cast as the figures she meets are [[Jude Law]], [[Natalie Portman]], [[Rachel Weisz]], and [[David Strathairn]].<ref name=kung/>

Filming on ''My Blueberry Nights'' took place over seven weeks in 2006, on location in Manhattan, Memphis, Las Vegas, and [[Ely, Nevada]].<ref name=kung/> Wong produced it in the same manner as he would in Hong Kong,{{sfn|Biancorosso 2010|p=349}} and the themes and visual style–despite Doyle being replaced by cinematographer [[Darius Khondji]]–remain the same.{{sfnm|1a1=Nochimson 2010|1p=349|2a1=Khoo & Metzger 2009|2p=23}} Premiering in May 2007, ''My Blueberry Nights'' was Wong's fourth consecutive film to compete for the Palme d'Or at Cannes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wong Kar-wai|work=Festival de Cannes |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/artist/id/317346.html|access-date=6 November 2015|archive-date=5 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151005170607/http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/artist/id/317346.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Although he considered it a "special experience",<ref name=kung/> the film did not get good reviews.<ref name=film4/> With complaints that its material was thin and the product uneven, ''My Blueberry Nights'' was Wong's first critical failure.<ref>{{cite web|title=My Blueberry Nights (2007)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/my_blueberry_nights/|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=6 November 2015|archive-date=29 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151029205459/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/my_blueberry_nights/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Kar-wai Wong|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/karwai_wong?sort_column=rating#moviesFilmography|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=6 November 2015|archive-date=8 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160308093429/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/karwai_wong?sort_column=rating#moviesFilmography|url-status=live}}</ref>

===2008–present===
Wong's next film was not released for five years, as he underwent another long and difficult production on ''[[The Grandmaster (film)|The Grandmaster]]'' (2013), a biographical film of the martial arts teacher [[Ip Man]]. The idea had occurred to him in 1999, but he did not commit to it until completing ''My Blueberry Nights''.<ref name=indie/> Ip is a legendary figure in Hong Kong,{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=127}} known for training actor [[Bruce Lee]] in the art of [[Wing Chun]], but Wong focuses on an earlier period of Ip's life (1936–1956) that included the turmoil of the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] and [[World War II]].<ref name=indie/><ref name=iw>{{cite news|last1=Taylor|first1=Drew|title=Interview: Wong Kar-Wai Talks Kung Fu, The Different 'The Grandmaster' Cuts & His Favorite Directors|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-grandmaster-director-wong-kar-wai-talks-kung-fu-the-different-cuts-and-who-his-favorite-directors-are-20130821|work=IndieWire|access-date=28 November 2015|date=14 December 2013|archive-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721013950/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-grandmaster-director-wong-kar-wai-talks-kung-fu-the-different-cuts-and-who-his-favorite-directors-are-20130821|url-status=dead}}</ref>{{refn|Wong began the project when there had not been any other Ip Man biopics, but in the time it took him to make ''The Grandmaster'' three others were released first: ''[[Ip Man (film)|Ip Man]]'' (2008), ''[[Ip Man 2]]'' (2010), and ''[[The Legend Is Born: Ip Man]]'' (2010).<ref name=indie/>|group=note}} He set out to make "a commercial and colourful film".<ref name=dl>{{cite magazine|last1=Patten|first1=Dominic|title=Wong Kar Wai On China's Growth, Kung Fu, Oscar Contenders & Bruce Lee|url=https://deadline.com/2013/12/wong-kar-wai-interview-grandmaster-oscars-kung-fu-652212/|magazine=Deadline|access-date=28 November 2015|date=22 August 2013|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208121405/http://deadline.com/2013/12/wong-kar-wai-interview-grandmaster-oscars-kung-fu-652212/|url-status=live}}</ref> After considerable research and preparation, filming began in 2009.<ref name=dl/> Tony Leung Chui-wai rejoined Wong for their seventh film together, having spent 18 months being trained in Wing Chun.<ref name=indie/><ref name=thr>{{cite magazine|last1=Feinberg|first1=Scott|title=Wong Kar-wai, Master of Hong Kong Cinema, on His Journey to 'The Grandmaster'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/wong-kar-wai-master-hong-609026|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=28 November 2015|date=24 August 2013|archive-date=11 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151211205217/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/race/wong-kar-wai-master-hong-609026|url-status=live}}</ref> The "gruelling" production lasted intermittently for three years, twice interrupted by Leung fracturing his arm, and is Wong's most expensive to date.<ref name=indie/>

''The Grandmaster'' is described by Bettinson as a mixture of popular and [[Art film|arthouse]] traditions, with form, visuals, and themes consistent with Wong's previous work.{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|pp=128, 130}} Three different versions of the film exist, as Wong shorted it from its domestic release for the [[2013 Berlin Film Festival]], and again for its US distribution by the [[Weinstein Company]].<ref name=dl/>{{refn|Wong has said that he was obliged to keep the film under two hours for the US release, but "I didn't want to do it just by cutting the film shorter ... I just wanted to tell the story in a different way." He restructured the material, making it more linear and focussing more on the character of Ip Man, and included new scenes not seen in the Chinese version.<ref name=iw/> Some critics have argued that the US version is inferior.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Apello|first1=Tim|title=Wong Kar Wai Says His 108-Minute 'The Grandmaster' Is Not 'A Watered-Down Version'|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wong-kar-wai-says-his-668633|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=28 November 2015|date=6 January 2014|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208101022/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/wong-kar-wai-says-his-668633|url-status=live}}</ref>|group=note}} Described in ''[[Slant Magazine]]'' as Wong's most accessible film since his debut,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mulligan|first1=Jake|title=Interview: Wong Kar-wai|url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/interview-wong-kar-wai|access-date=28 November 2015|work=Slant Magazine|date=15 August 2013|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208090616/http://www.slantmagazine.com/features/article/interview-wong-kar-wai|url-status=live}}</ref> ''The Grandmaster'' won 12 Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Film and Best Director,<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Chu|first1=Karen|title=Hong Kong Film Awards: 'The Grandmaster' Nabs 12 Wins|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hong-kong-film-awards-grandmaster-695707|magazine=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=28 November 2015|date=13 April 2014|archive-date=11 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111213451/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hong-kong-film-awards-grandmaster-695707|url-status=live}}</ref> and received two [[Academy Award]] nominations ([[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Cinematography]] and [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Production Design]]).<ref>{{cite web|title=86th Academy Awards 2014|date=7 October 2014 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2014|publisher=Academy Awards|access-date=29 November 2015|archive-date=17 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180417095711/https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Critics approved of the film,<ref>{{cite web|title=The Grandmaster (2013)|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_grandmaster/|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=28 November 2015|archive-date=28 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151128124006/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_grandmaster/|url-status=live}}</ref> and with a worldwide gross of US$64 million it is Wong's most lucrative film to date.<ref name=dl/><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=grandmasters.htm|title= The Grandmaster|access-date= 28 November 2015|work= Box Office Mojo|archive-date= 10 January 2016|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160110150307/http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=grandmasters.htm|url-status= live}}</ref>

[[File:Wong Kar-wai at 2008 TIFF.jpg|thumb|Wong at the 2008 [[Toronto International Film Festival]]]]
When asked about his career in 2014, Wong told ''[[The Independent]]'', "To be honest with you, I feel I'm only halfway done."<ref name="indie" /> In 2016, he was announced as taking over an upcoming film about [[House of Gucci|the murder of Maurizio Gucci]] from [[Ridley Scott]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Shoard|first=Catherine|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/17/wong-kar-wai-return-maurizio-gucci-fashion-murder-movie|title=Wong Kar-Wai to return with Gucci murder movie|date=17 November 2016|website=The Guardian|access-date=6 May 2019|archive-date=1 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301094314/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/nov/17/wong-kar-wai-return-maurizio-gucci-fashion-murder-movie|url-status=live}}</ref> but in October 2017 he said he was no longer involved in the project.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theplaylist.net/wong-kar-wai-tong-wars-amazon-20171021/|title=Wong Kar-Wai Talks Amazon Series 'Tong Wars,' Drops 'Gucci' Movie|website=theplaylist.net|date=21 October 2017 |access-date=7 May 2019|archive-date=7 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507104204/https://theplaylist.net/wong-kar-wai-tong-wars-amazon-20171021/|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2017, [[Amazon Video]] issued a straight-to-series order for ''Tong Wars'', a television drama to be directed by Wong and focusing on the [[Tong wars|gang wars]] of 19th-century San Francisco.<ref>{{cite web|title=Amazon Orders Fred Armisen-Maya Rudolph Comedy, Wong Kar-wai Drama, 3 Other Projects (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/amazon-armisen-rudolph-wong-1202552683/|website=Variety|date=8 September 2017|access-date=10 December 2017|archive-date=29 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171229160502/http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/amazon-armisen-rudolph-wong-1202552683/|url-status=live}}</ref> Amazon later dropped the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/filmart-huanxi-releases-details-on-wong-kar-wai-web-series-paradise-guesthouse/5137774.article|title=Huanxi releases details on Wong Kar Wai web series 'Paradise Guesthouse'|last=Shackleton|first=Liz|date=19 March 2019|website=ScreenDaily|access-date=17 November 2019|archive-date=16 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200316041009/https://www.screendaily.com/news/filmart-huanxi-releases-details-on-wong-kar-wai-web-series-paradise-guesthouse/5137774.article|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2019, Wong announced the [[4K resolution|4K]] restoration of his entire filmography, which was released in 2021 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of ''In the Mood for Love''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/hollywood/wong-kar-wai-films-4k-restoration-in-the-mood-for-love-20-years-anniversary-5714934/|title=Wong Kar-wai films to get 4K restoration ahead of ''In the Mood for Love''{{'}}s 20th anniversary|website=[[The Indian Express]]|date=7 May 2019|access-date=4 January 2022|archive-date=5 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105054118/https://indianexpress.com/article/entertainment/hollywood/wong-kar-wai-films-4k-restoration-in-the-mood-for-love-20-years-anniversary-5714934/|url-status=live}}</ref> The restoration was carried out by the [[Cineteca di Bologna]]'s film restoration laboratory L'Immagine Ritrovata.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Arts/Wong-Kar-wai-masterpiece-restores-Hong-Kong-s-mood-for-love|title=Wong Kar-wai masterpiece restores Hong Kong's mood for love|first=Matthew|last=Scott|website=[[The Nikkei]]|date=16 November 2021|access-date=4 January 2022|archive-date=20 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211220031538/https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Arts/Wong-Kar-wai-masterpiece-restores-Hong-Kong-s-mood-for-love|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Criterion Collection]] released Wong's restored filmography as a [[box set]] in the United States in March 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2021/03/wong-kar-wai-interview-restorations-1234625897/|title=Wong Kar Wai Explains the Controversial New Restorations of His Films|first=David|last=Ehrlich|website=[[IndieWire]]|date=25 March 2021|access-date=5 January 2022|archive-date=5 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105054125/https://www.indiewire.com/2021/03/wong-kar-wai-interview-restorations-1234625897/|url-status=live}}</ref> On December 27, 2023, Wong's first TV series, ''[[Blossoms Shanghai]],'' based on [[Jin Yucheng]]'s book of the same name, aired on [[CCTV-8]] and [[Tencent Video]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Pilot of Wong Kar-wai's TV directorial debut to air on Wednesday|url=https://www.shine.cn/feature/entertainment/2312277084/|website=[[Shanghai Daily|SHINE]]|date=2023-12-27|language=en|access-date=2 January 2024|archive-date=28 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231228204514/https://www.shine.cn/feature/entertainment/2312277084/|url-status=live}}</ref> The series follows a businessman, A Bao ([[Hu Ge]]), through changing times in Shanghai.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202401/02/WS6593b8efa3105f21a507a254.html|title=TV series dives into the bustles of Shanghai in 1990s|first=Fan|last=Xu|website=[[China Daily]]|date=2 January 2024|access-date=15 Apr 2024|archive-date=12 February 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240212000000/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202401/02/WS6593b8efa3105f21a507a254.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Personal life==

In 1981, Wong met [[TVB]] program producer Esther Chen at a bar. At her suggestion, he applied for TVB's director training program. Wong's first film script, ''Once Upon a Rainbow'', was purchased by director Agnes Ng through Chen's introduction. Chen also sold his subsequent scripts, ''Final Victory'' and ''Haunted Cop Shop''. In 1985, Wong married Chen in Hong Kong, after which she became his producer and production partner. In 1997, Chen gave birth to their son in Hong Kong. In October 2017, while accepting the [[Lumière Award (film festival award)|Lumière Award]] for lifetime achievement at the [[Lumière Festival]] in Lyon, France, Wong called his wife his muse, saying: "Of all the great female characters I have created in my films, there are always glimpses of her there. That is the reason why her name is always the first to appear onscreen in all of my films."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Richford |first=Rhonda |date=2017-10-20 |title=Wong Kar Wai Feted at Thierry Fremaux's Lyon Lumiere Festival |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/wong-kar-wai-feted-at-thierry-fremauxs-lyon-lumiere-festival-1050925/ |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2009, Wong signed a petition in support of director [[Roman Polanski]] after his arrest in relation to his 1977 [[Roman Polanski sexual abuse case|sexual abuse charges]] while traveling to a film festival, which the petition argued would undermine the tradition of film festivals as a place for works to be shown "freely and safely" and could open the door "for actions of which no-one can know the effects."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Shoard|first1=Catherine|author2=agencies|date=29 September 2009|title=Release Polanski, demands petition by film industry luminaries|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/sep/29/roman-polanski-petition|url-status=live|work=The Guardian|archive-url=https://archive.today/20180108124633/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2009/sep/29/roman-polanski-petition|archive-date=8 January 2018|access-date=29 August 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=4 June 2012 |title=Le cinéma soutient Roman Polanski / Petition for Roman Polanski – SACD |url=http://www.sacd.fr/Le-cinema-soutient-Roman-Polanski-Petition-for-Roman-Polanski.1340.0.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120604100742/http://www.sacd.fr/Le-cinema-soutient-Roman-Polanski-Petition-for-Roman-Polanski.1340.0.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 June 2012 |access-date=20 April 2022 |website=archive.ph}}</ref>

==Filmmaking==

===Influences===
 {{Quote box
|bgcolor=#E0E6F8
 |quote = "[Wong has] a heady mix of influences, ranging from modernist novels to narrative, visual and aural motifs drawn from local films and popular culture. High and low, new and old, and local and global are all thrown onto a blank canvas, one that assumes shape ... [only during the] editing process."
 |width= 25%
|source=—Giorgio Biancorosso, in ''Hong Kong Culture: Word and Image''{{sfn|Biancorosso 2010|p=229}}
 |align=left}}
Wong is wary of sharing his favourite directors,<ref name=bomb/> but has said he watched a range of films growing up, from Hong Kong [[Film genre|genre film]]s to European art films. They were never labelled as such, and so he approached them equally and was broadly influenced.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=3}} The energy of the Hong Kong films had a "tremendous" impact, according to Brunette.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=xiii}} Art professor Giorgio Biancorosso writes that Wong's international influences include [[Martin Scorsese]], [[Michelangelo Antonioni]], [[Alfred Hitchcock]], and [[Bernardo Bertolucci]].{{sfn|Biancorosso 2010|p=229}} Some of his favorite contemporary filmmakers include Scorsese, [[Christopher Nolan]], and [[Quentin Tarantino]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-grandmaster-director-wong-kar-wai-talks-kung-fu-the-different-cuts-and-who-his-favorite-directors-are-20130821?page=2#blogPostHeaderPanel|title=Interview: Wong Kar-Wai Talks Kung Fu, The Different 'The Grandmaster' Cuts & His Favorite Directors|date=22 August 2013|publisher=The Playlist|access-date=16 March 2016|archive-date=26 August 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826112937/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/the-grandmaster-director-wong-kar-wai-talks-kung-fu-the-different-cuts-and-who-his-favorite-directors-are-20130821?page=2#blogPostHeaderPanel|url-status=dead}}</ref> He is often compared with [[French New Wave]] director [[Jean-Luc Godard]].{{sfnm|1a1=Brunette 2005|1p=xvi|2a1=Teo 2005|2p=88}} Wong's most direct influence was his colleague [[Patrick Tam (film director)|Patrick Tam]], who was an important mentor and likely inspired his use of colour.<ref name=film4/>{{sfnm|1a1=Teo 2005|1p=13|2a1=Brunette 2005|2p=6}}

Wong is also heavily influenced by literature. He has a particular affinity for Latin American writers, and the fragmentary nature of his films came primarily from the "scrapbook structures" of novels by [[Manuel Puig]], [[Gabriel García Márquez]], and [[Julio Cortázar]], which he attempted to emulate.<ref name=film4/>{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=115}} [[Haruki Murakami]], particularly his novel ''[[Norwegian Wood (novel)|Norwegian Wood]]'', also provided inspiration, as did the writing of [[Liu Yichang]].{{sfnm|1a1=Teo 2005|1p=41, 51|2a1=Biancorosso 2010|2p=229}} The television channel [[MTV]] was a further influence on Wong. He said in a 1998 interview: "In the late eighties, when [MTV] was first shown in Hong Kong, we were all really impressed with the energy and the fragmented structure. It seemed like we should go in this direction."<ref name=bomb/>

===Method and collaborators===
Wong has an unusual approach to filmmaking, starting production without a script and generally relying on instinct and improvisation rather than prepared ideas.<ref name="bomb"/>{{sfnm|1a1=Bettinson 2014|1p=1|2a1=Teo 2005|2p=160}} He has said he dislikes writing and finds filming from a finished script "boring".{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=xvii}} According to Stokes & Hoover, he writes as he shoots, "drawing inspiration from the music, the setting, working conditions, and actors".{{sfn|Stokes & Hoover 1999|p=270}} In advance, the cast are given a minimal plot outline and expected to develop their characters as they film.<ref name="kung"/> To capture naturalness and spontaneity, Wong does not allow rehearsals,<ref name=thr/> but improvisation and collaboration are encouraged.{{sfn|Stokes & Hoover 1999|p=270}} He does not use [[storyboard]]s or plan camera placement, preferring to experiment as he goes.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=44}} His [[shooting ratio]] is therefore very high, sometimes 40 takes per scene, and production typically goes well over schedule and over budget.{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=1}} Tony Leung has called this approach "taxing on the actors", but Stokes & Hoover speculate that Wong's collaborators endure it because the "results are always unexpected, invigorating, and interesting."{{sfn|Stokes & Hoover 1999|p=270}}

[[File:Christopher Doyle.jpg|thumb|left|Cinematographer [[Christopher Doyle]], Wong's "defining collaborator"<ref name=film4/> ]]

Wong admits to being controlling,<ref name="thr"/> and oversees every aspect of the filmmaking process,{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=159}} but he has formed several long-lasting partnerships and close collaborators. In 2013, he said: "It is always good to work with a very regular group of people because we know how high we can fly and what are the parameters, and it becomes very enjoyable."<ref name="thr"/> Two men have been instrumental in developing and achieving his aesthetic: production designer [[William Chang]] and cinematographer [[Christopher Doyle]].<ref name=film4/>{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=4}} Chang has worked on every Wong film and is a trusted confidant, responsible for set design and costumes.{{sfn|Dissanayake 2003|p=1}}<ref name=norah/> Doyle photographed seven of his projects, from ''Days of Being Wild'' to ''2046''. Stephen Schneider writes that he deserves "much credit" for Wong's success, as his "masterful use of light and colour renders every frame a work of art".{{sfn|Schneider 2009|p=865}} Wong's other regular colleagues include writer-producer [[Jeffrey Lau]], producer Jacky Pang, and assistant director Johnnie Kong.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=48}}

Wong often casts the same actors. He is strongly associated with Tony Leung Chiu-wai, who has appeared in seven of Wong's feature films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gq.com/story/tony-leung-tries-his-hand-at-hollywood|title=Hong Kong Legend Tony Leung Tries His Hand at Hollywood|first=Alexander|last=Chee|website=[[GQ]]|date=31 August 2021|access-date=5 January 2022|archive-date=27 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211227194438/https://www.gq.com/story/tony-leung-tries-his-hand-at-hollywood|url-status=live}}</ref> Wong has called him a partner, saying, "I feel like there is a lot of things between me and Tony that is beyond words. We don't need meetings, talks, whatever, because a lot of things are understood."<ref name=diva/> Other actors who have appeared in at least three of his films are Maggie Cheung, Chang Chen, Leslie Cheung, Jacky Cheung, and Carina Lau.

===Style===
Wong is known for producing art films focused on mood and atmosphere, rather than following convention.{{sfnm|1a1=Stokes & Hoover 1999|1p=x|2a1=Khoo & Metzger 2009|2p=16|3a1=Brunette 2005|3p=xvi}} His general style is described by Teo as "a cornucopia overflowing with multiple stories, strands of expression, meanings and identities: a kaleidoscope of colours and identities".{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=160}} Structurally, Wong's films are typically fragmented and disjointed,{{sfnm|1a1=Nochimson 2010|1p=340|2a1=Teo 2005|2p=78|3a1=Dissanayake 2003|3p=42|4a1=Cui 2007|4p=9}} with little concern for linear narrative,{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=xv}} and often with interconnected stories.{{sfnm|1a1=Brunette 2005|1p=29|2a1=Teo 2005|2p=115}} Critics have commented on his films' lack of plot.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=72}} Burr writes: "The director doesn't build linear story lines so much as concentric rings of narrative and poetic meaning that continually revolve around each other".<ref name=burr/> Similarly, Brunette says that Wong "often privileges audio/visual expressivity over narrative structure".{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=54}} Wong has said, "in my logic there is a storyline."<ref name="bomb"/>

[[File:In the mood for love screenshot.jpg|thumb|250px|Screenshot from ''[[In the Mood for Love]]'' (2000), showing Wong's use of vivid colour and step-printing]]

Key to Wong's films is the visual style, which is often described as beautiful and unique.<ref name=film4/><ref name="thr"/> The colours are bold and saturated, the camerawork swooning, resulting in what Brunette calls his "signature visual pyrotechnics".<ref name="bomb"/>{{sfnm|1a1=Brunette 2005|1p=xiii|2a1=Khoo & Metzger 2009|2p=23}} One of his trademarks is the use of step-printing,<ref name="bomb"/> which alters film rates to liquefy "hard blocks of primary colour into iridescent streaks of light."{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=3}} Other features of Wong's aesthetic include slow motion,{{sfnm|1a1=Nochimson 2010|1p=349|2a1=Khoo & Metzger 2009|2p=23}} off-centre framing,{{sfnm|1a1=Teo 2005|1p=125|2a1=Brunette 2005|2p=62}} obscured faces,{{sfnm|1a1=Nochimson 2010|1p=349|2a1=Bettinson 2014|2p=70}} [[Racking focus|rack focus]],{{sfn|Khoo & Metzger 2009|p=23}} filming in the dark or rain,{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=26}} and elliptical editing.{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=125}} Schneider writes of Wong's fondness for "playing with film stock, exposure, and speed the way others might fiddle with a script."{{sfn|Schneider 2009|p=835}}

Another trademark of Wong's cinema is his use of music and pop songs.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=26}} He places great importance on this,{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=27}} and Biancorosso calls it the "essence" of his films, a key part of the "narrative machinery" that can guide the rhythm of the editing.{{sfn|Biancorosso 2010|pp=230, 241}} He selects international songs, rarely [[cantopop]], and uses them to enhance the sense of history or place.{{sfnm|1a1=Stringer 2002|1p=397–398|2a1=Brunette 2005|2p=27}} According to film scholar Julian Stringer, music is "crucial to the emotional and cognitive appeal" of Wong's films.{{sfn|Stringer 2002|p=398}}

Wong's dependence on music and heavily visual and disjointed style have been compared to music videos,{{sfnm|1a1=Bettinson 2014|1p=29|2a1=Kemp 2011|2p=499}} but detractors say they are "all surface and no depth".{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=xvi}} Academic Curtis K. Tsui argues that style ''is'' the substance in Wong's film, while Brunette believes that his "form remains resolutely in the service of character, theme, and emotion rather than indulged in for its own sake".{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=xv (for quote from Tsui), 87}}

==Legacy==
Wong is an important figure in contemporary cinema, regarded as one of the best filmmakers of his generation.{{sfnm|1a1=Bettinson 2014|1p=1|2a1=Martin 2014|2p=22}}<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dargis|first1=Manohla|title=Style and Kinetics Triumph in a Turbulent China|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/23/movies/the-grandmaster-wong-kar-wais-new-film.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|access-date=29 November 2015|work=The New York Times|date=22 August 2013|archive-date=15 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215180514/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/23/movies/the-grandmaster-wong-kar-wais-new-film.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref> His reputation as a maverick began early in his career: in the 1996 ''Encyclopedia of Chinese Film'', Wong was described as having "already established a secure reputation as one of the most daring avant-garde filmmakers" of Chinese cinema.{{sfn|Zhang & Xiao 1999|p=367}} Authors Zhang and Xiao concluded that he "occupies a special place in contemporary film history", and had already "exerted a sizeable impact".{{sfn|Zhang & Xiao 1999|p=367–368}} With the subsequent release of ''Happy Together'' and ''In the Mood for Love'', Wong's international standing grew,{{sfnm|1a1=Stringer 2002|1p=400|2a1=Brunette 2005|2p=xvii}} and in 2002 voters for the [[British Film Institute]] named him the third-greatest director of the previous quarter-century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/63 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120704051044/http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/63 |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 July 2012 |title=Modern Times|publisher=British Film Institute|access-date=29 November 2015}}</ref> In 2015, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' named him an icon of arthouse cinema.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Frater|first1=Patrick|title=Wong Kar-wai to Produce First Movie for Alibaba Pictures|url=https://variety.com/2015/film/asia/wong-kar-wai-to-produce-first-movie-for-alibaba-pictures-1201400009/|access-date=29 November 2015|work=Variety|date=11 January 2015|archive-date=3 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003181231/http://variety.com/2015/film/asia/wong-kar-wai-to-produce-first-movie-for-alibaba-pictures-1201400009/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The East Asian scholar Daniel Martin describes Wong's output as "among the most internationally accessible and critically acclaimed Hong Kong films of all time".{{sfn|Martin 2014|p=23}} Because of this status abroad, Wong is seen as a pivotal figure in his local industry; Julian Stringer says he is "central to the contemporary Chinese cinema renaissance",{{sfn|Stringer 2002|p=395}} Gary Bettinson describes him as "a beacon of Hong Kong cinema" who "has kept that industry in the public spotlight",{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=1}} and [[Film4]] designate him the filmmaker from China with the greatest impact.<ref name=film4/> Together with [[Zhang Yimou]], Wong is seen by the historian Philip Kemp as representing the "internationalisation" of East Asian cinema.{{sfn|Kemp 2011|p=499}} Domestically, his films were generally not financial successes, but he has been consistently well-awarded by local bodies.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=xvii}} From early on, he was regarded as Hong Kong's ''enfant terrible'' and one of its most iconoclastic filmmakers.{{sfnm|1a1=Teo 2005|1p=82|2a1=Schneider 2009|2p=835}} Despite this, he has been recognised in both cult and mainstream circles, producing art films that receive commercial exposure.{{sfnm|1a1=Stringer 2002|1p=395|2a1=Cui 2007|2p=6}} He is known for confounding audiences, as he adopts established genres and subverts them with experimental techniques.{{sfn|Stringer 2002|pp=399–400}}

 {{Quote box
|bgcolor=#E0E6F8
 |quote = "Wong stands as the leading heir to the great directors of post-WWII Europe: His work combines the playfulness and disenchantment of [[Jean-Luc Godard|Godard]], the visual fantasias of [[Federico Fellini|Fellini]], the chic existentialism of [[Michelangelo Antonioni|Antonioni]], and [[Ingmar Bergman|Bergman]]'s brooding uncertainties."
 |width= 25%
|source=—[[Ty Burr]] of ''[[The Boston Globe]]''<ref name="burr"/>
 |align=right}}

Both Stringer and Nochimson claim that Wong has one of the most distinctive filmmaking styles in the industry.{{sfnm|1a1=Stringer 2002|1p=397|2a1=Nochimson 2010|2p=349}} From his first film ''As Tears Go By'', he made an impact with his "liquid" aesthetic, which Ungerböck claims was completely new and quickly copied in Asian film and television.{{sfn|Brunette 2005|p=6}} Brunette calls ''Days of Being Wild'' "a landmark in Hong Kong cinema" for its unconventional approach.{{sfn|Bettinson 2014|p=1}} Nochimson writes that Wong's films are entirely personal, making him an [[auteur]], adding, "Wong has developed his own cinematic vocabulary, with an array of shot patterns connected with him".{{sfn|Nochimson 2010|p=349}} Stringer argues that Wong's success demonstrates the importance of being "different".{{sfn|Stringer 2002|p=397}}

Wong's films frequently appeared on best-of lists domestically and internationally. On the Hong Kong Film Awards Association's 2005 list of The Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures, all but one of his films up to that time made the list. ''Days of Being Wild'' (1990) placed third, the highest position for a post-1980s film; other films ranked were ''Chungking Express'' (22), ''Ashes of Time'' (35), ''As Tears Go By'' (88), ''Happy Together'' (89), and ''In the Mood for Love'' (90).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hkfaa.com/news/100films.html|title=The Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures|publisher=Hong Kong Film Awards Association|language=zh|access-date=21 November 2019|archive-date=22 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022211054/http://www.hkfaa.com/news/100films.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In the 2012 ''[[Sight and Sound]]'' poll, whereby industry professionals submit ballots to determine the greatest films of all time, ''In the Mood for Love'' ranked 24th, the highest-ranked film since 1980 and the sixth-greatest film by a living director.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Critics' Top 250 Films|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/sightandsoundpolls/2012/critics|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819015920/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/sightandsoundpolls/2012/critics|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 August 2012|magazine=Sight and Sound|access-date=29 November 2015}}</ref> ''Chungking Express'' and ''Days of Being Wild'' both ranked in the top 250; ''Happy Together'' and ''2046'' in the top 500; and ''Ashes of Time'' and ''As Tears Go By'' also featured (all but two of Wong's films at the time).<ref>{{cite web|title=The Greatest Films Poll: All Films|work=Sight and Sound|url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/sightandsoundpolls/2012/film|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120819015930/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/sightandsoundpolls/2012/film|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 August 2012|publisher=British Film Institute|access-date=29 November 2015}}</ref>

Wong's influence has impacted contemporary directors including [[Quentin Tarantino]], [[Sofia Coppola]], [[Lee Myung-se]], [[Alejandro González Iñárritu]], [[Tom Tykwer]], [[The Daniels]], [[Zhang Yuan (director)|Zhang Yuan]], [[Tsui Hark]],{{sfn|Teo 2005|p=163}} and [[Barry Jenkins]].<ref>{{cite web|title=What Wong Kar-wai Taught Barry Jenkins About Longing|work=[[Criterion Collection]]|date=29 November 2016|url=https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/4328-under-the-influence-barry-jenkins-on-wong-kar-wai|access-date=2 March 2017|archive-date=3 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170303050302/https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/4328-under-the-influence-barry-jenkins-on-wong-kar-wai|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2018, he was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Arts degree by [[Harvard University]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/05/harvard-awards-seven-honorary-degrees/|title=Harvard awards seven honorary degrees|work=The Harvard Gazette|date=24 May 2018|access-date=24 May 2018|archive-date=17 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817223945/https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/05/harvard-awards-seven-honorary-degrees/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Controversy ==
Wong has developed a reputation for an unstructured and unscripted approach to filmmaking, due to accounts of his demanding and arbitrary direction of actors; budget and schedule overruns; and alleged underpayment and on-set bullying of cast and crew. According to some sources, his working methods and professional ethics have strained his relationships with actors, producers, and other collaborators.<ref>{{Cite web |last=聯合新聞網 |date=2025-11-02 |title=王家衛遭批浪費天王天后！宋慧喬「軟禁3年」零台詞：想逃跑 |url=https://stars.udn.com/star/story/10090/9111895 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=噓！星聞 |language=zh-Hant-TW}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=世界新聞網 |title=向太狠批王家衛：沒張叔平是個屁 諷刺唐嫣風波未平息 |url=https://www.worldjournal.com/wj/story/121478/9123098 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=世界新聞網 |language=zh-TW}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=娛樂星聞 |date=2024-01-08 |title=王家衛受害者聯盟吐苦水！唯有「她」能治大導 說合作像放假 {{!}} 娛樂星聞 |url=https://star.setn.com/news/1410463 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=star.setn.com |language=zh-Hant}}</ref> Many professionals, including Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Zhang Ziyi, and Clive Owen, have spoken publicly of positive experiences working with Wong.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |date=2013-08-23 |title=Interview: Wong Kar-Wai, Tony Leung And Zhang Ziyi Talk THE GRANDMASTER |url=https://screenanarchy.com/2013/08/interview-wong-kar-wai-tony-leung-and-zhang-ziyi-talk-about-the-grandmaster-the-effect-of-multiple-i.html |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=ScreenAnarchy}}</ref><ref name=":13">{{Cite web |last= |date=2013-08-22 |title=Q&A with Director Kar Wai Wong, Tony Leung, and Ziyi Zhang |url=https://nationalboardofreview.org/2013/08/qa-with-director-kar-wai-wong-tony-leung-and-ziyi-zhang/ |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=National Board of Review |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":14">{{Cite web |last=Weil |first=Jennifer |date=2007-01-10 |title=Beauty Beat: Lancome's Latest Fan: Clive Owen |url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/feature/beauty-beat-lancome-s-latest-fan-clive-owen-511104-2019430/ |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=WWD |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":15">{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Nicole |date=2023-12-11 |title=Tony Leung on his illustrious career and what's next for him |url=https://vogue.sg/tony-leung-vogue-interview/ |access-date=2025-11-09 |website=Vogue Singapore |language=en-US}}</ref> About filming ''The Grandmaster'', Zhang said, "First of all, there's no script. That's a Wong Kar-Wai specialty, but I still love him,"<ref name=":12" /> and that "working with director Wong is a very special experience."<ref name=":13" /> Owen commented on working with Wong for a [[Lancôme|Lancome]] advertisement: "Wong Kar Wai made the ad like he makes his movies — incredibly precise...I don’t think there is a living director I would rather work with on a campaign like this."<ref name=":14" /> Leung described his working relationship with Wong as, "I intuitively understood what he expects from me as an actor. This inherent connection between us is also why we were able to collaborate for such a long time."<ref name=":15" />

Wong, in his own words, has developed a notoriety for his treatment of actors since ''Days of Being Wild''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=王家卫自曝折磨大牌:整哭过梁朝伟 弄晕过梁家辉——中新网 |url=https://www.chinanews.com.cn/yl/yrfc/news/2009/03-18/1606339.shtml |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=www.chinanews.com.cn}}</ref> He often gives abstract, confusing, or changeable instructions, and require his actors to repeat the same scene endlessly until emotional breakdown.<ref>{{Cite web |last=娛樂星聞 |date=2025-02-16 |title=梁朝偉拍完戲回家拖地擦玻璃還掉淚 劉嘉玲嚇呆真相曝光 {{!}} 娛樂星聞 |url=https://star.setn.com/news/1610105 |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=star.setn.com |language=zh-Hant}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=专访木村拓哉：不想再合作王家卫，除非有梁朝伟在_手机凤凰网 |url=https://ient.ifeng.com/42936821/news.shtml?&back |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=ient.ifeng.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=张震谈《2046》：拍王家卫的戏是被虐待的感觉_影音娱乐_新浪网 |url=https://ent.sina.com.cn/m/2004-09-25/1537516194.html |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=ent.sina.com.cn}}</ref> Among those who spoke publicly about their difficult experiences, popularly referred to on the Chinese internet as the "Wong Kar-wai Victims League", are Carina Lau, Tony Leung, Chang Chen, and Takuya Kimura.<ref>{{Cite web |title=王家衛「受害者聯盟名單」，又變長了 |url=https://www.dotdotnews.com/a/202401/11/AP659ff218e4b07371379d8f50.html |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=點新聞-dotdotnews |language=zh-Hans-HK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=自由時報電子報 |date=2024-01-08 |title=《繁花》熱播  王家衛受害者聯盟紛紛跳出吐苦水 - 自由娛樂 |url=https://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/4545899 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240215105609/https://ent.ltn.com.tw/news/breakingnews/4545899 |archive-date=2024-02-15 |access-date=2025-11-07 |work=自由時報電子報 |language=zh-TW}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttyUfHkbD7Y |title=嘉人自友约 刘嘉玲也是王家卫受害者，一场戏NG27次，拍到怀疑人生？，  20240321 |date=2024-03-21 |last=江苏卫视官方频道China JiangsuTV Official Channel |access-date=2025-11-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref> Andy Lau stopped working with Wong after spending a year filming ''Days of Being Wild'' only to see a single scene retained, citing his disagreement with Wong's unplanned, unscripted filming style.<ref>{{Cite web |last=李國樑 |date=2024-01-03 |title=金手指｜劉德華透露今年演唱會後再執導演筒 有望尋呢位影壇大哥主演? |url=https://hk.ulifestyle.com.hk/topic/detail/20023485/%E9%87%91%E6%89%8B%E6%8C%87-%E5%8A%89%E5%BE%B7%E8%8F%AF%E9%80%8F%E9%9C%B2%E4%BB%8A%E5%B9%B4%E6%BC%94%E5%94%B1%E6%9C%83%E5%BE%8C%E5%86%8D%E5%9F%B7%E5%B0%8E%E6%BC%94%E7%AD%92-%E6%9C%89%E6%9C%9B%E5%B0%8B%E5%91%A2%E4%BD%8D%E5%BD%B1%E5%A3%87%E5%A4%A7%E5%93%A5%E4%B8%BB%E6%BC%94 |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=UHK 港生活 |language=zh-hk}}</ref> Jacky Cheung, who first became friends with Wong when the latter worked as a screenwriter on ''The Haunted Cop Shop'', was alienated by Wong's arbitrary direction on ''Days of Being Wild,'' and stopped working with him after ''Ashes of Time<ref>{{Cite web |title=《偷心》蹭热《繁花》网：说明张学友王家卫放下恩怨了 |url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20240125-1464250 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=www.zaobao.com.sg |language=zh-Hans}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=张学友自曝与王家卫有心结：很多时候不知他想怎样-中国新闻网 |url=https://www.chinanews.com.cn/m/yl/2016/03-30/7816667.shtml |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=www.chinanews.com.cn}}</ref>''. Tony Leung Ka-fai lambasted ''Ashes of Time'' for exploiting the whole cast, stranded in [[Yulin, Shaanxi|Yulin]], for over three years,<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=陳穎思 |date=2023-05-17 |title=梁家輝受訪回憶拍《東邪西毒》「喺一個絕境入面畀人壓榨咗三年」 |url=https://www.hk01.com/%E9%9B%BB%E5%BD%B1/899092/%E6%A2%81%E5%AE%B6%E8%BC%9D%E5%8F%97%E8%A8%AA%E5%9B%9E%E6%86%B6%E6%8B%8D-%E6%9D%B1%E9%82%AA%E8%A5%BF%E6%AF%92-%E5%96%BA%E4%B8%80%E5%80%8B%E7%B5%95%E5%A2%83%E5%85%A5%E9%9D%A2%E7%95%80%E4%BA%BA%E5%A3%93%E6%A6%A8%E5%92%97%E4%B8%89%E5%B9%B4 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=香港01 |language=zh-HK}}</ref> during which 16 crew members were arrested by the local police for soliciting prostitutes in 1993''.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=网友曝《东邪西毒》剧组曾集体嫖娼 被载入市志——中新网 |url=https://www.chinanews.com.cn/yl/2011/06-11/3104554.shtml |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=www.chinanews.com.cn}}</ref> Gong Li, in a 2007 interview, said that Wong was the most incompatible director she had ever worked with and criticized his excessive, unannounced cuts in ''2046'' as a waste of actors' work.<ref name=":10">{{Cite web |last=sina_mobile |date=2006-12-08 |title=巩俐批王家卫浪费演员 与周杰伦有如母子(组图) |url=https://ent.sina.cn/film/chinese/2006-12-08/detail-iavxeafr8929298.d.html |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=ent.sina.cn}}</ref> In 2024, Hu Ge announced that he would take a five-year hiatus from acting, citing fatigue after working with Wong on ''Blossoms Shanghai''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=放话不想再拍戏 胡歌：王家卫"害的" |url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20240106-1460418 |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=www.zaobao.com.sg |language=zh-Hans}}</ref>

Leslie Cheung refused to work with Wong again after enduring a difficult shoot for ''Happy Together'' in Argentina, during which Wong's serious delays jeopardized Cheung's Crossing '97 concert in Hong Kong.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |title=最好的王家卫，对于你来说是什么？_手机凤凰网 |url=https://inews.ifeng.com/50533214/news.shtml |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=inews.ifeng.com}}</ref> Cinematographer Christopher Doyle recalled that Cheung, frustrated by Wong's disregard for others' time, lost his temper and left the set despite Wong's ban, returning only after his concert to complete reshoots.<ref name=":11" /> Tony Leung Ka-fai criticized Wong for using Cheung to pressure his blindsided friend Tony Leung Chiu-wai, who was stranded in Argentina after being misled by Wong's initial fake script but was reserved about the gay storyline, into taking the part''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=林燕妮访梁家辉　一切从追女孩子开始_影音娱乐_新浪网 |url=http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/h/2006-06-16/09501124637.html?from=wap |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=ent.sina.com.cn}}</ref>'' [[Shu Kei]] described ''Happy Together'' as exploitation toward Cheung.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leslie Cheung Cyberworld |url=http://www.lesliecheung.cc/library_inside.asp?type=detail&content_id=1707 |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=www.lesliecheung.cc}}</ref>

Maggie Cheung, who divorced French director [[Olivier Assayas]] in 2002, attributed the breakdown of their marriage to the 15-month filming of ''In the Mood for Love'', which caused prolonged separation.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web |title=张曼玉拒绝与王家卫合作 |url=http://ent.sina.com.cn/2004-09-09/1204499441.html |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=ent.sina.com.cn}}</ref> After the five-year production of its sequel ''[[2046 (film)|2046]]'', Cheung ended up with only one shot in the film, sparking rumors of a falling-out over the director's decision.<ref>{{Cite web |title=张曼玉质疑梁朝伟滥拍 批评王家卫迷失(组图) |url=http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2004-06-01/1038405232.html |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=ent.sina.com.cn}}</ref> She was conspicuously absent from ''2046''’s all-star premiere, despite attending the earlier premiere of ''[[Clean (2004 film)|Clean]],'' both held at the [[2004 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2046惹争议王家卫大玩太极 大事件有大智慧 |url=http://ent.sina.com.cn/2004-05-22/1042396856.html |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=ent.sina.com.cn}}</ref> Later that year, she announced that she would no longer work with Wong, citing his drawn-out and self-indulgent working style, which had seriously disrupted her personal life.<ref name=":22" /> South Korean actress [[Song Hye-kyo]] also described her experience on ''The Grandmaster'' as unexpectedly protracted. Originally cast in a minor role, she remained tied to the production in China for three years, returning to Korea only briefly. After Wong noticed her desire to withdraw from the project, he attempted to confiscate her passport to prevent her from leaving,<ref>{{Cite web |last=林迅景 |date=2025-01-14 |title=宋慧喬自爆被人綁架3年冇得走 曾嘗試離開險被收走護照 |url=https://www.hk01.com/%E5%8D%B3%E6%99%82%E5%A8%9B%E6%A8%82/1093487/%E5%AE%8B%E6%85%A7%E5%96%AC%E8%87%AA%E7%88%86%E8%A2%AB%E4%BA%BA%E7%B6%81%E6%9E%B63%E5%B9%B4%E5%86%87%E5%BE%97%E8%B5%B0-%E6%9B%BE%E5%98%97%E8%A9%A6%E9%9B%A2%E9%96%8B%E9%9A%AA%E8%A2%AB%E6%94%B6%E8%B5%B0%E8%AD%B7%E7%85%A7 |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=香港01 |language=zh-HK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=拍王家卫电影被“困”三年 宋慧乔护照险被没收 |url=https://www.zaobao.com.sg/entertainment/story20250113-5725448 |access-date=2025-11-06 |website=www.zaobao.com.sg |language=zh-Hans}}</ref> a practice corroborated by photographer Julian Lee, who said that Wong had done the same with members of the ''Happy Together'' crew in Argentina.<ref name="《春光乍泄》摄影师 李志超的四篇文章">{{Cite web |title=《春光乍泄》摄影师 李志超的四篇文章 |url=https://www.sohu.com/a/www.sohu.com/a/227708982_100140399 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=www.sohu.com}}</ref>

Wong's revisions to his films have often drawn criticism from collaborators for being obsessive or arbitrary.<ref name=":10" /><ref name=":2" /> In addition to actors whose roles were significantly reduced without notice, those who completed filming but were entirely removed from his final cuts include [[Joey Wong]] from ''Ashes of Time,'' [[Shirley Kwan]] from ''Happy Together'', [[Paulyn Sun]] from ''In the Mood for Love,'' [[Dong Jie]] from ''2046,'' and Jin Jing from ''Blossoms Shanghai.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=那些被王家卫「剪掉」的明星-搜狐 |url=https://fashion.sohu.com/20161124/n474031797.shtml |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=fashion.sohu.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=新浪财经 |title=金靖参演繁花镜头全删，曾发王家卫风格宣传视频 |url=https://cj.sina.com.cn/articles/view/1653603955/http%3A%2F%2Fcj.sina.com.cn%2Farticles%2Fview%2F1653603955%2F628ffe7304001ti4y%3Ffroms%3Dggmp |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=cj.sina.com.cn}}</ref> Among the films abandoned, sometimes due to funding breakdown or cast withdrawals caused by his delays, are ''Wong Gok For Chak Chi Yan'' (旺角火宅之人), starring Brigitte Lin, Faye Wong, and [[Sean Lau]];<ref>{{Cite news |title=我想回到《重慶森林》的那一個香港 |url=https://www.am730.com.hk/column/%E5%A8%9B%E6%A8%82/%E6%88%91%E6%83%B3%E5%9B%9E%E5%88%B0-%E9%87%8D%E6%85%B6%E6%A3%AE%E6%9E%97-%E7%9A%84%E9%82%A3%E4%B8%80%E5%80%8B%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF/219064 |work=am730}}</ref> ''The Buenos Aires Affair,'' adapted from the novel by [[Manuel Puig]]; ''Summer in Beijing,'' starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai;<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2004-09-29 |title=王家卫独家深度专访 |url=https://news.sina.cn/sa/2004-09-29/detail-ikkntiam1222305.d.html |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=news.sina.cn}}</ref> and ''The Lady from Shanghai,'' starring [[Nicole Kidman]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2014-03-07 |title=T'he Greatest Movies You'll Never See,' edited by Simon Braund |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/the-greatest-movies-youll-never-see-edited-by-simon-braund/2014/03/06/9bd4a602-989b-11e3-afce-3e7c922ef31e_story.html |access-date=2025-11-07 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=参考消息 |date=2018-06-15 |title=《来自上海的女人》：王家卫的完美主义和拖延症使她夭折 |url=http://news.sina.com.cn/o/2018-06-15/doc-ihcyszrz3963837.shtml |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=news.sina.com.cn}}</ref> Wong also abandoned the first cut of ''Ashes of Time'' edited by his mentor [[Patrick Tam (film director)|Patrick Tam]], turning instead to [[William Chang]] for a new version, leaving Tam frustrated by the wasted effort and vowing never to work with him again.<ref>{{Cite web |title=我的王家卫电影印象 {{!}} 综艺世界 {{!}} 访问 The Interview |url=https://theinterview.asia/info/%e7%bb%bc%e8%89%ba%e4%b8%96%e7%95%8c/45175/ |access-date=2025-11-07 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Since 2022, ahead of the premiere of ''Blossoms Shanghai'', Cheng Jun-nian, under the pen name "Gu Er", has published a series of articles on his [[WeChat]] official account alleging labor exploitation and credit infringement by Wong and the production team. Cheng claimed that he had originally joined the project as a co-director and screenwriter but was dismissed before being reassigned as Wong's personal assistant and cook, with a monthly salary of {{CNY|3000}} (≈ US${{formatnum:{{To USD|3000|CHN|year=2024|round=yes}}}}). He stated that he spent three years drafting scripts for ''Blossoms Shanghai'' without a contract, payment, or formal credit, and accused Wong and the production of employee mistreatment and workplace bullying, during which he was diagnosed with [[Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy|Kennedy's disease]]. Cheng's allegations did not gain attention until late August 2025, when he released corroborative recordings of his discussions with credited screenwriter Qin Wen and Wong.<ref name=":022">{{Cite web |last=世界新闻网 |title=王家卫「繁花」隐形编剧罹渐冻症 控血汗压榨 剧组回应了 |url=https://www.worldjournal.com/wj/story/121478/9018710 |access-date=2025-09-23 |website=世界新闻网 |language=zh-TW}}</ref><ref name=":122">{{Cite web |last= |title="爆剧"争夺战，好戏究竟出自谁手？ |url=https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/-8gvILVm28_g5t_hw3yN5g |access-date=2025-09-23 |website=新浪娱乐 |via=微信公众号}}</ref> On September 23, the ''Blossoms Shanghai'' production team issued a statement denying Cheng's allegations, describing him as a former member of the preliminary research group who had left the team in December 2020 without notice and asserting that he had never served as a screenwriter. On the same day, Cheng's WeChat official account was suspended by [[Tencent]], one of the production companies behind ''Blossoms Shanghai''. On October 31, Cheng released additional recordings on [[Xiaohongshu]], in which, among others, Wong could be heard making flippant or disparaging remarks about actors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-11-06 |title=王家衛翻車？《繁花》助理爆「毀滅性錄音」…私下嘲諷「唐嫣很裝」 疑開黃腔：一定要搞到她 |url=https://tw.news.yahoo.com/%E7%8E%8B%E5%AE%B6%E8%A1%9B%E7%BF%BB%E8%BB%8A-%E7%B9%81%E8%8A%B1-%E5%8A%A9%E7%90%86%E7%88%86-%E6%AF%80%E6%BB%85%E6%80%A7%E9%8C%84%E9%9F%B3-%E7%A7%81%E4%B8%8B%E5%98%B2%E8%AB%B7-105300412.html |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=Yahoo News |language=zh-Hant-TW}}</ref> The subsequent online gossip frenzy also revived the experience of Taiwanese voice actress Rosa Wang, who said that while dubbing a sex scene for ''Eros'', Wong physically “guided” her performance by touching her and eventually placing his whole hand into her mouth, though Wang herself did not characterize the experience as sexually inappropriate.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebvQzjwzLvc |title=2009.10.09康熙來了完整版　鬼斧神工!他們的職業真的假不了! |date=2021-10-29 |last=我愛貓大 |access-date=2025-11-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref> On November 8, Cheng released the third batch of recordings, where Wong criticized the [[Chinese Communist Party]] over its draconian [[COVID-19]] policy and authoritarianism, along with a producer and a director of ''Blossoms Shanghai''. The politically sensitive recordings were swiftly censored on [[Weibo]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=民間全民電視公司 |date=2025-11-08 |title=王家衛談武漢疫情全錄了！疑批「中共」微博急下架 |url=https://www.ftvnews.com.tw/news/detail/2025B08W0517 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=民視新聞網 |language=zh-Hant}}</ref>

In addition, a column published in ''[[Ming Pao]]'' in 2024 claimed that the columnist's friend, who had developed depression after working on ''Blossoms Shanghai'' as a screenwriter, experienced treatment similar to Cheng's, including workplace bullying and uncredited use of her work product.<ref>{{Cite web |title=《繁花》二三事 - 20240128 - CULTURE & LEISURE - 明報 Our Lifestyle |url=https://ol.mingpao.com/ldy/cultureleisure/culture/20240128/1706376876764/%e3%80%8a%e7%b9%81%e8%8a%b1%e3%80%8b%e4%ba%8c%e4%b8%89%e4%ba%8b |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250920173456/https://ol.mingpao.com/ldy/cultureleisure/culture/20240128/1706376876764/%e3%80%8a%e7%b9%81%e8%8a%b1%e3%80%8b%e4%ba%8c%e4%b8%89%e4%ba%8b |archive-date=2025-09-20 |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=明報 Our Lifestyle |language=zh-hant}}</ref> Julian Lee, the still photographer for ''Happy Together'', which was inspired by his own novella, claimed that Wong had freely used his ideas for the screenplay but had denied him both photographic and writing credit.<ref name="《春光乍泄》摄影师 李志超的四篇文章"/>

Nearly all of Wong's films have lost money, causing difficulties for investors and producers. Wong's friend [[Alan Tang]], who financed ''Days of Being Wild'', was driven to the brink of bankruptcy,<ref name=":102">{{Cite web |last=苏国豪 |date=2025-11-05 |title=向太闹爆王家卫不受控绝不录用 拍电影烧钱：没有张叔平他是个屁 |url=https://global.hk01.com/sns/article/60291658 |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=香港01 |language=zh-Hans}}</ref> while Song Dai, head of [[Sil-Metropole Organisation]], suffered a heart attack on the set of ''The Grandmaster'' due to the director's uncontrolled overruns.<ref>{{Cite web |title=宗師背後的推手\楊勁松 - 大公報 |url=https://www.tkww.hk/epaper/view/newsDetail/1353893890637303808.html |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=大公文匯 www.tkww.hk}}</ref> ''The Grandmaster'', which spent ten years in development and five years in production, continually expanded its roster of investors as it faced repeated budget crises and required new backers to sustain funding. In April 2012, Sil-Metropole unilaterally announced that ''The Grandmaster'' would be released on December 18 in an attempt to pressure Wong to complete the film, but the deadline was missed once again before it finally premiered on January 6, 2013.<ref>{{Cite web |title=《一代宗师》导演王家卫：严重拖延症患者_经济_央视网 |url=http://jingji.cntv.cn/2013/01/09/ARTI1357700217408427.shtml |access-date=2025-11-07 |website=jingji.cntv.cn}}</ref> In 2025, [[Tiffany Chen]], co-head of [[China Star Entertainment Group|China Star Entertainment]], stated that it is the company's policy never to collaborate with Wong, citing his poor business record, and credited Wong's longtime collaborator [[William Chang]] as the real force behind his productions.<ref name=":102" /> According to one of Cheng Jun-nian's recordings, Zhang Yisong, co-producer of ''Blossoms Shanghai'', likewise refused to work with Wong again after the difficult collaboration.<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygUrNszH7Cg |title=Shanghai Blossoms｜电视剧【繁花】剧本真相｜繁花制片人与古二对谈 |date=2025-08-13 |last=東海十三郎 |access-date=2025-11-07 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

==Filmography and awards==
{{main|Wong Kar-wai filmography|List of awards and nominations received by Wong Kar-wai}}

Wong's oeuvre consists of ten directed features, 16 films where is he credited only as screenwriter, one television series and seven films by other directors that he produced. He has also directed commercials, short films, and music videos, and contributed to two anthology films. He has received awards and nominations from organisations in Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. In 2006, Wong accepted the [[Legion of Honour|National Order of the Legion of Honour: Knight (Lowest Degree)]] from the French government. In 2013, he was bestowed with the title of a Commander of the [[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]], the highest order, by French Foreign Minister [[Laurent Fabius]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Wong Kar-wai Awarded France's Biggest Cultural Honor|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SJB-11213|newspaper=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|url-access=subscription|date=6 May 2013|first=Dean|last=Napolitano|access-date=11 May 2013|archive-date=5 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105113948/https://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SJB-11213|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[International Film Festival of India]] gave Wong a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Ramachandran|first1=Naman|title=Wong Kar-wai To Get Lifetime Accolade At Goa Festival|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/asia/wong-kar-wai-to-get-lifetime-accolade-at-goa-festival-1201354381/|access-date=29 November 2015|work=Variety|date=12 November 2014|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208141634/http://variety.com/2014/film/asia/wong-kar-wai-to-get-lifetime-accolade-at-goa-festival-1201354381/|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Directed features
|- "
! Year !! Title !! Chinese title
|-
| 1988
!scope="row"| ''[[As Tears Go By (film)|As Tears Go By]]''
| {{lang|zh|旺角卡門}} ''Wong gok ka moon''
|-
| 1990
!scope="row"| ''[[Days of Being Wild]]''
| {{lang|zh|阿飛正傳}} ''Ah fei zing zyun''
|-
|rowspan="2" | 1994
!scope="row"| ''[[Chungking Express]]''
| {{lang|zh|重慶森林}} ''Chung Hing sam lam''
|-
!scope="row"| ''[[Ashes of Time]]''
| {{lang|zh|東邪西毒}} ''Dung che sai duk''
|-
| 1995
!scope="row"| ''[[Fallen Angels (1995 film)|Fallen Angels]]''
| {{lang|zh|墮落天使}} ''Do lok tin si''
|-
| 1997
!scope="row"| ''[[Happy Together (1997 film)|Happy Together]]''
| {{lang|zh|春光乍洩}} ''Chun gwong cha sit''
|-
| 2000
!scope="row"| ''[[In the Mood for Love]]''
| {{lang|zh|花樣年華}} ''Fa yeung nin wa''
|-
| 2004
!scope="row"| ''[[2046 (film)|2046]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| 2007
!scope="row"| ''[[My Blueberry Nights]]''
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
| 2013
!scope="row"| ''[[The Grandmaster (film)|The Grandmaster]]''
| {{lang|zh|一代宗師}} ''Yi dai zong shi''
|-
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Directed television series
|- "
! Year !! Title !! Chinese title
|-
|2023–2024
|''[[Blossoms Shanghai]]''<ref>{{cite web |last=Davis |first=Rebecca |date=October 30, 2019 |title=Tencent Nabs Rights to 'Blossoms' Series Produced by Wong Kar-wai |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/news/wong-kar-wai-blossoms-tencent-1203389124/ |accessdate=November 17, 2019 |website=Variety}}</ref>
|{{lang|zh|繁花}} 
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Acted features
|- "
! Year !! Title !! Chinese title
|-
|rowspan="2" |1984
!scope="row"| ''[[The Other Side of Gentleman]]''
| {{lang|zh|君子好逑}}
|-
!scope="row"| ''Silent Romance''
| {{lang|zh|伊人再見}} 
|-
|rowspan="2" |1988
!scope="row"| ''[[The Haunted Cop Shop II]]''
| {{lang|zh|猛鬼學堂}} 
|-
!scope="row"| ''Chaos By Design''
| {{lang|zh|愛情謎語}}
|-
| 2016
!scope="row"| ''[[The First Monday in May]]''<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ide |first=Wendy |date=October 2, 2016 |title=The First Monday in May review – a sharp look inside the Met Gala |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/02/the-first-monday-in-may-review-andrew-rossi-met-gala-documentary |access-date=May 12, 2025 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| —
|-
|}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book|last1=Bettinson|first1=Gary|title=The Sensuous Cinema of Wong Kar-wai: Film Poetics and the Aesthetic of Disturbance|date=2014|publisher=Hong Kong University Press|location=Hong Kong|isbn=978-9888139293|ref={{sfnRef|Bettinson 2014}}}}
* {{cite book|last=Biancorosso|first=Giorgio|editor-last=Kam|editor-first=Louie|title=Hong Kong Culture: Word and Image|date=2010|chapter=Global Music/Local Cinema: Two Wong Kar-wai Pop Compilations|publisher=Hong Kong University Press|location=Hong Kong|isbn=978-9888028412|pages=229–245|ref={{sfnRef|Biancorosso 2010}}}}
* {{cite book|last1=Brunette|first1=Peter|title=Wong Kar-wai|date=2005|publisher=University of Illinois Press|location=Champaign, IL|isbn=0252095472|ref={{sfnRef|Brunette 2005}}}}
* {{Cite book|last=Cui|first=Mengyang|title=The Cinema of Wong Kar Wai: Chinese and Western Culture Differences in Narrative Cinemas|year=2007|publisher=Universal Publishers|location=Boca Raton|isbn=9781581123807|ref={{sfnRef|Cui 2007}}}}
* {{Cite book|last=Dissanayake|first=Wimal|title=Wong Kar-wai's Ashes of Time|year=2003|publisher=Hong Kong University Press|location=Hong Kong|isbn=978-9622095847|ref={{sfnRef|Dissanayake 2003}}}}
* {{Cite book|editor-last=Kemp|editor-first=Philip |title=Cinema: The Whole Story|year=2011|publisher=Thames & Hudson|location=London|isbn=978-0-500-28947-1|ref={{sfnRef|Kemp 2011}}}}
* {{cite book |last1=Khoo|first1=Olivia|last2=Metzger|first2=Sean|title=Futures of Chinese Cinema: Technologies and Temporalities in Chinese Screen Cultures|year=2009|publisher=Intellect Books|location=Chicago|isbn=9781841502748|ref={{sfnRef|Khoo & Metzger 2009}}}}
* {{cite book|last=Martin|first=Daniel|editor=Leung, Wing-fai |editor2=Willis, Andy|title=East Asian Film Stars|date=2014|chapter=Body of Action, Face of Authenticity: Symbolic Stars in the Transnational Marketing and Reception of East Asian Cinema|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan|location=New York|isbn=978-1137029188|pages=19–34|ref={{sfnRef|Martin 2014}}}}
* {{Cite book|last=Nochimson|first=Martha P.|title=World on Film|year=2010|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|location=Chichester|isbn= 978-1405139786|ref={{sfnRef|Nochimson 2010}}}}
* {{cite book|editor-last=Schneider|editor-first=Steven Jay |title=[[1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die]]|year=2009|publisher=Quintessence|location=London|isbn=978-1-84403-680-6|ref={{sfnRef|Schneider 2009}}}}
* {{cite book|last1=Stokes|first1=Lisa Odham|last2=Hoover|first2=Michael|title=City on Fire: Hong Kong Cinema|year=1999|publisher=Verso|location=London|isbn=1-85984-203-8|ref={{sfnRef|Stokes & Hoover 1999}}|url=https://archive.org/details/cityonfirehongko00stok}}
* {{cite book|last=Stringer|first=Julian|editor1-link=Yvonne Tasker|editor=Tasker, Yvonne|title=Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers|url=https://archive.org/details/fiftycontemporar00task|url-access=limited|date=2002|chapter=Wong Kar-wai|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=041518973X|pages=[https://archive.org/details/fiftycontemporar00task/page/n419 395]–402|ref={{sfnRef|Stringer 2002}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Tambling|first=Jeremy|title=Wong Kar-wai's Happy Together|year=2003|publisher=Hong Kong University Press|location=Hong Kong|isbn=9789622095885|ref={{sfnRef|Tambling 2003}}}}
* {{cite book|last1=Teo|first1=Stephen|title=Wong Kar-wai|date=2005|publisher=British Film Institute|location=London|isbn=1844570290|ref={{sfnRef|Teo 2005}}}}
* {{cite book|last1=Zhang|first1=Yingjin|last2=Xiao|first2=Zhiwei|title=Encyclopedia of Chinese Film|year=1999|orig-year=1996|publisher=Routledge|location=London|isbn=0415151686|ref={{sfnRef|Zhang & Xiao 1999}}|url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofch0000zhan}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Sister project links|wikt=no|commonscat=Wong Kar-Wai|n=no|q=Wong Kar-wai|s=no|b=no|v=no|d=Q55431}}
* {{IMDb name|id=0939182}}
* [https://variety.com/exec/wong-kar-wai/pg/2/exec/1200641423 Wong Kar-wai] at ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''

{{Wong Kar-wai}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Wong Kar Wai
|list =
{{Asian Film Award for Best Director}}
{{Cannes Film Festival Best Director Award}}
{{Golden Horse Award for Best Director}}
{{Best Director HKFA}}
{{IFFI - Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award}}
}}
{{Berlin International Film Festival jury presidents}}
{{Cannes Film Festival jury presidents}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wong, Kar-wai}}
[[Category:1958 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
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[[Category:César Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Director Asian Film Award winners]]
[[Category:European Film Awards winners (people)]]
[[Category:Knights of the Legion of Honour]]
[[Category:Commandeurs of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]
[[Category:English-language film directors]]
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