Chungking Express Opening Scene Breakdown

Chungking Express
Scene cue timing	Narrative / plot	Visuals	Sound-track	Notes (e.g. meanings, mood, emotions etc.)
00:00-00:34  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 00:35- 00:38 - - 00:39-01:07 - - - - - - - - - - 01:08-01:15 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 01:46 - 01:49 - - - - - - - - 01:49 - 02:00	A well-dressed woman walks through a crowd of people and passes shops quickly whilst looking back behind her several times. She is wearing a big and expensive looking coat with large black sunglasses, covering her face. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Title Screen 'Chungking Express'. - - Establishing shot of houses and factories. - - - - - - - - - - See the main character (He Qiwu's) face, rushing through the crowd hurriedly looking down the narrow paths. Chase scene, introduces character with bag on his head and hands tied behind back, He Qiwu starts to chase the man.    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Shows a clock tick over to 9 o clock. - - - - - - - Shows the flustered woman turn to look towards the camera in centre frame.	Follows woman through a busy social district filled with shops and bright lights. The woman is in centre frame close behind her, shaky camera movement. Camera position often switches to her POV. The setting is dimly lit in tighter areas, with bright light found in more open spaces. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - White screen with title and Chinese title. - Wide shots of settings and surroundings of Hong Kong. The setting appears very bleak and industrial with a very limited colour palette and smoke filling the sky. - Close up of the character, always in middle of frame, cut to POV of He Qiwu and back to close up and mid shot of He. Focus switches between He and bagged man, long tracking shots of He chasing, cuts between shots quickly and longer shots use rapid reframing. Shots of He last a lot longer than those of the bagged man. Makes use of shaky camera movements from a low perspective. Shaky camera continues. Focus centered entirely on the clock face. - - - - - - Camera movement slows down. Freezes on frame showing the woman after she has turned towards the camera. Fade to black.	Dramatic and harsh music. Features elements of classical music timbres with synthesizer. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dramatic and harsh music. - - Dramatic and harsh music plus voiceovers of main character. - - - - - - - - Dramatic and harsh music, He Qiwu's voice over continues, providing information about himself (name, occupation) along with crowd noises which engulf the atmosphere. 'Freeze', dramatic stabby music, crowd noise, shutter noise, quiet footsteps. - - - - - - - - - - Music continues as before. - - - - - - - He explains that he is about to fall in love with the woman.	Straight away the woman appears important and striking against a poverty stricken background. Camera movements seem more rushed and tense which perhaps communicate the way she is feeling. Character movement and actions suggest she's paranoid, perhaps running from someone. Her clothing suggests she's hiding her identity and is perhaps more wealthy and vain than the surrounding people. She is clearly meant to stand out from everyone else. The setting, particularly the lighting used develops a sense of claustrophobia. - - - - Shows the audience the title. - - Provides a setting for the audience and a quick insight into the new character. Suggests a bleak and overall dreary setting. Sets the film's tone early on. - - Gives insight into character and what he does, shot movements are rushed to create chaos and portrays his job as a cop, perhaps it is common for him to be in such a stressful situation. Increases the chaos of the setting and creates juxtaposition between the two characters. It becomes unclear why He Qiwu is chasing the bagged man and what for but this seems intentional. - - - Gives insight into time passing. - - - - - - - - Focus is entirely on woman. The chaos subsides as the focus is switched towards the woman, which, as she is seen through He Qiwu's perspective perhaps foreshadows his love for her. He narrates in the future tense, revealing that the opening events have already happened.