A Ballad of Proximity: A Neoformalist Analysis of Chungking Express

Abstract

This theoretical work explores Wong Kar-wai’s film “Chungking Express” (1994) through a neoformalist analysis. The first part covers the theoretical basis, and the specificities of the film, which argue for its selection as a case study. In the main chapter, the basic analytical tools examined in Kristin Thompson´s book “Breaking The Glass Armor”, are employed into a neoformalist analysis. The goal of the analysis is to confirm the hypothesis that the main dominant of the film, which organizes its formal elements, is the principle of ‘proximity without reciprocity’. This principle is explored on the stylistic, narrative and thematic level. The findings are summarized into a conclusion in the final chapter.