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Days of Being Wild
阿飛正傳
1990 94 min Hong Kong 16+
★7.9
Crime, Drama, Romance
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Trailers
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EN
Description
Yuddy, a Hong Kong playboy known for breaking girls' hearts, tries to find solace and truth after discovering the woman who raised him isn't his mother.
US Gross:
$146,310
Worldwide:
$3.26M
Starring
Leslie Cheung
Actor
Maggie Cheung
Actor
Andy Lau
Actor
Awards
17 wins & 9 nominations total
Key opinion
Days of Being Wild is widely regarded as a foundational, mood-driven work that established Wong Kar-wai’s signature style. While some viewers find its minimalist, melancholic exploration of alienation and existential emptiness profoundly moving and sensory, others criticize its lack of narrative substance and perceive the characters as flat or unsympathetic.
| Production | The film effectively uses atmosphere—specifically rain, neon, and clock motifs—to establish a lingering sense of melancholy and sensory immersion. | |
| Acting | Leslie Cheung’s performance is a definitive, charismatic anchor, capturing the character’s self-destructive nature and aristocratic decadence. | |
| Pacing | The film’s deliberate, meditative pacing rewards viewers seeking a contemplative experience, though it strikes others as monotonous or lacking in narrative tension. | |
| Screenplay | Opinions on the screenplay are divided: supporters find the sparse dialogue and elliptical narrative style deeply philosophical, while detractors view it as underdeveloped and lacking in thematic substance. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography is a point of contention; some praise the distinct color palette and poetic framing, while others find the visuals drab and lacking the stylistic vigor of the director’s later work. |