Chungking Express Memorable Scenes

This has turned out to be a transcript of the film, thanks to the fact that all the elements and dialogue present contribute significantly to the film as a complete whole. The editing was so good there were few things I could omit. However, the truly memorable parts have been quoted and stills accompany some scenes. All scenes have been numbered for internal referencing as well as for use in the Analysis section.

Opening Scene
Opening scene. Orchestra kicks in. The camera trails a mysterious woman in a blonde wig, shades and raincoat as she walks into Chungking Mansion, brushing pass all the Indians.

Scene 1
Dawn breaks. Cop 223, who is dressed in plainclothes, begins voiceover.
"We rub shoulders with each other everyday. We may not know each other. But we could become good friends some day. I am a cop. My name is He Zhiwu. Serial number 223." - 223
¡§¨C¤Ñ§A³£¦³¾÷·|¸ò§O¤HÀ¿¨­¦Ó¹L¡C§A¤]³\¹ï¥L¤@µL©Òª¾¡C¤£¹L¤]³\¦³¤@¤Ñ¡M¥L·|Åܦ¨§AªºªB¤Í©ÎªÌ¬Oª¾¤v¡C§Ú¬O¤@­Óĵ¹î¡C§Úªº¦W¦r¥s°µ¦ó§ÓªZ¡C½s¸¹223¡C¡¨ - ¦ó§ÓªZ
Jerky handcam sequence follows 223 as he pushes his way down a crowded street brushing pass someone carrying a mannequin with a blonde wig. Two men with paper bags over their heads appear. Two shots are heard and 223 starts chasing after one of the men. Surreal chase sequence begins. Sequence cuts when 223 collides with the woman in the blonde wig. Freeze scene.

Fri 28 Apr 8:59

Scene 2
Scene cuts to a flip-display calendar showing Friday 28th April as the time switches from 8.59am to 9.00am. Cuts back to previous collision freeze scene as 223 voiceovers again.

223 and Woman


"At our closest point, we're just 0.01cm apart from each other. 57 hours later, I fell in love with this woman." - 223
¡§§Ú­Ì³Ì±µªñªº®É­Ô¡M§Ú¸ò¦oªº¶ZÂ÷¥u¦³0.01¤½¤À¡C57­Ó¤p®É¤§«á¡M§Ú·R¤W¤F³o­Ó¤k¤H¡C¡¨ - ¦ó§ÓªZ

Midnight Express

Scene 3
223 speaks to his girlfriend, May's mother over the phone at Midnight Express takeout. The lovers are having a cold war and 223 misses May. However he wants his pride and insists to her family that he is not calling to look for her, and asks them not to say that he called. He voiceovers again after hanging up.
"We all have habits. Mine is waiting her for May after her work. May likes it here, as the boss says that she looks like Yamaguchi the superstar. We separated lately. May thinks I am getting unbearably unlike Momoe's husband, Miura Tomokazu..." - 223
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Scene 4
His pager beeps. 223 calls the paging centre for his message. When he is told by the operator that the caller is Ming and not May, he refuses to believe her. He thinks that she has heard the name wrongly and even asks her to spell out the name. Unconvinced he berates the operator to learn English and hangs up in fustration.

Scene 5
223 then calls Ming and goes on to suggest that May has asked him to call to apologise. He confidently asks Ming to tell May that if she really misses him that much, she can call personally instead of relying on him as a messager. However, Ming drops the bomb by revealing that he only called to ask him out for a jog to train for a competition. 223 calls him nuts and says that jogging is a very personal thing that shouldn't be done in public.

Scene 6
After hanging up, 223 voiceovers his habit of jogging when out of love. He claims that jogging will help to evaporate the water inside the body, so that there is no more left for tears. He says that he cannot shed tears as in the eyes of May, he is a very cool man.

Scene 7
Owner tries to cheer up the depressed 223 by suggesting he go after another May, his store assistant, revealing that she carries a torch for him. But 223 turns down the offer with an excuse.

Scene 8
Later below May's flat, 223 voiceovers how he used to stay over at May's house. To prevent her parent's from knowing, he would climb down from the balcony when leaving. He laments whether he will have the chance to do that again.

Scene 9
Scene cuts to a pub. A coin is inserted into the jukebox and song comes on. A Caucasian man slips a large manila envelope to the woman in a blonde wig over the bar. Unknown to her, he watches her with great interest as she leaves. Later at Chungking Mansion, while cooling down beside a fridge, she collects passports from some Indians after they agree to take part in the plan. Orchestra kicks in again as short sequences begin, showing clothing and shoes being resown with secret compartments to hide drugs, interspersed with sequences showing the woman counting and handing out stacks of US bills to the Indians.

Scene 10
A few days later, the woman and the Indians are at the airport ready to smuggle the drugs. A cut scene from outside the airport shows momentarily 663's air stewardess girlfriend waiting for a cab. Back inside, the woman proceeds to settle the checking in, but is shocked to find that the Indians carrying the drugs have vanished when she returned.

Scene 11
She goes to the pub to look for the Caucasian man, but he has been replaced by a female bartender. The new bartender throws the woman a sardine can with an expiry date 1st May 1994.

Sardine Can


The woman voiceovers that the expiry date tells her she doesn't have much time left. If she still can't find those Indians, she is going to be in trouble. As she leaves, the bartender asks...
"Why the raincoat?" - Bartender
"Because I think it's going to rain." - Woman in blonde wig
After she leaves, camera shows a glimpse of the Caucasian man talking to an Indian behind a screen behind the bar. Outside the pub, the woman starts to voiceover again.
"I do not know when I became such a cautious person. Now whenever I wear my raincoat, I will also put on my shades. You will never know when it will rain or shine." - Woman in blonde wig
¡§¤£ª¾¹D¤°»ò®É­Ô¶}©l¡M§ÚÅܦ¨¤@­Ó«Ü¤p¤ßªº¤H¡C¨C¤@¦¸¬ï«B¦ç¡M§Ú³£·|À¹¤Ó¶§²´Ãè¡C§A¥Ã»·³£¤£·|ª¾¹D¤°»ò®É­Ô·|¤U«B¡M¤°»ò®É­Ô¥X¤Ó¶§¡C¡¨ - ¤k­¦

Scene 12
223 is at a convienence store buying canned pineapples. He notes the expiry dates on them and buys one dated 1st May 1994.

Pineapple Can


The store clerk informs him that the can will expire tomorrow and asks him to pick another one, but 223 says it is alright. Outside the store, he voiceovers that he and May broke up on April Fools Day (1st April) and thus he has always treated it as a joke. And he is willing to let this joke continue for one month. Since that day, he has bought one can of pineapple which expire on 1st May everyday. Because May loves to eat pineapples and 1st May is his birthday. He tells himself that if May hasn't returned to him after he has bought 30 cans, then the relationship would have expired too.

Sun 30 Apr 12:00

Scene 13
Scene cuts to the flip-display calendar again, as the time and date changes from Saturday 29th April 11.59pm to Sunday 30th April 12.00 midnight.

Chungking House

Scene 14
At Chungking House, the woman books a single ticket for the earliest flight the next day. She then retrieves a gun from her mailbox before going out to ask around for those Indians. While she stands outside a toy shop, Faye is seen walking out carrying a large plush Garfield.

Scene 15
Scene switches to surreal jerky handcam sequence of 223 battling a suspect. As he arrests the suspect, he voiceovers that he has cracked any big cases for the last six months, but has finally managed to catch a wanted criminal today. He explains that everytime he has good news, the first person he would call to inform is May. He then picks up a phone and dials for May, but instead an unfamiliar male voice answers. He realises that May has gotten a new boyfriend and hangs up without saying a word. As he leaves, 663 is seen looking down from an overhead bridge. Cut of 'No-Entry' sign before 223 is shown running up the Central escalator screaming that he wants to kill Miura Tomokazu.

Scene 16
At the convenience store, 223 looks in vain for a can of pineapple with the 1st May expiry date. He approaches the clerk who tells him that those have been removed from the shelves as they will expire tomorrow. He explains nobody will buy them as they will go for fresh ones. 223 then complains that the clerk is being wasteful as there are still two hours to go. He goes on to describe the hard work that goes into making the canned pineapples. And he berets the clerk for throwing the old and preferring the new, without considering the can's feelings. The clerk replies that he would prefer things never expire too, then he would have less work clearing them, and gives 223 a box of expired cans free. Sitting outside the store, he voiceovers...
"Somewhere, somehow, things come with an expiry date. Sardine will expire, meat sauce will also expire, even Glad Wrap will expire. Is there anything on Earth that will not expire?" - 223
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223 offers his can of sardine to a passing old junk collector. But the junk collector snuffs the offer upon realising that the can has expired.

Mon 1 May 12:00

Scene 17
Scene cuts to the flip-display calendar as the date and time changes from Sunday 30th April 11.59pm to Monday 1st May 12.00 midnight. Camera zooms in on the display 1st May.

Scene 18
Scene jumps to Garden Hostel. The woman bursts into a dark empty corridor. In her frustration, she drops her handbag and spills half it's contents while retrieving it. Calming herself, she lights up and contemplates while leaning against a wall.

Scene 19
Cut scene to a closeup of the flip-display calendar, this instance showing only the minute time display switching from 00 to 01.

Scene 20
Elsewhere an Indian appears and beckons to others nearby. As the woman walks out of the building two Indians draw guns and attempt to shoot her. But she dispatches them in quick succession with three shots from her own gun. Another surreal jerky handcam chase sequence as woman is pursued by a horde of Indians. She finally loses them when she slips into a subway train just as it's doors close behind her.

Scene 21
223 finally finds his 30th can of pineapple. He seems to be enjoying himself as he begins to consume all the 30 cans one by one. He jokes that he's lucky May doesn't like durians. After eating all the pineapples, he wonders whether the other May at Express has slept.

Scene 22
At Express, the owner informs him that May has already gone out with another man.
"She no wait for you. Women can't wait! You wait, time goes; time goes, heart freezes. And you get bumps all over you when your heart freezes." - Owner
¡§Ãø¹Dµ¥§A°Ú¡S¤k¤H¤£¯àµ¥ªº¡C¶Vµ¥¶V*|±ß¡M¶V±ß¶V3/4á¤ß¡C³Ì«á3/4á¤ß¹³µoºÆ¤@1/4Ë¡C¡¨ - (c)±¥D
223 voiceovers that to heal his wounds after being ditched by two Mays in one night, he would never look for another woman with that same name. 223 then begins phoning women to ask them out for company. We feel his increasing desperation and loneliness with each call. First was Lulu who wants to sleep early. Then his Japanese language teacher whom he has not met for five years, but she already has a husband and two daughters. Last is Siu Wai, a grade four classmate he sat next to, who cannot even remember him. Finally, 223 leaves desponded and with the receiver hanging off its hook.

Scene 23
223 goes to Bottoms-Up pub. He voiceovers that eating all those pineapples have given him a stomachache and he thus came to a pub as he heard that alcohol aids digestion. He proceeds to the washroom to puke. Wondering how he is going to forget May, he decides to fall in love with the next woman to walk into the pub. It is the woman with the blonde wig. He says that he has a feeling she also likes him, but for safe measure he asks her if she likes pineapples. She replies that she's not in a mood to talk and asks him to buzz off. He says that's alright as he just wants to sit next to her because she seems lonely.
"A woman still wearing sunglasses this late can normally have only three possiblilities. Either she's blind or she's pretentious. Or she has a broken heart and she wants to cover up her tears." - 223
¡§¤@­Ó¤k¤H³o»ò±ß¤FÁÙÀ¹ÆØ3/4¥Ãè¥u¬°¤F¤T­Ó²z¥Ñ¡C²Ä¤@­Ó(c)O¡M´N¬O¦]¬°¦o¬Oª1/4¤l¡C²Ä¤G­Ó(c)O¡M´N¬O¦]¬°¦o¦b­A«Ó¡M(c)Ò¥H­nÀ¹3/4¥Ãè¡C²Ä¤T­Ó(c)O¡M´N¬O¦]¬°¦o¥¢ÅÊ¡M¦]¬°¦o¤£·QÅý§O¤H¬Ý¨ì¦o­ú¹L¡C¡¨ - ¦ó§ÓªZ
223 assumes she's out of love and suggests she follow his method of jogging when heart-broken, so that she need not cry. She replies that she has done enough running for one day and is very tired, asking him to buzz off again. He again insists that he just wants to keep her company, because he understands that a heart-broken lover like her needs a shoulder to cry on. She asks for his age, and he replies 24 two hours ago, but now 25(that's how she knew it was his birthday). She says she will not fall in love with him, but he asks her not to be so certain. He again asks whether she likes pineapples, in an effort to learn more about her as he explains that his girlfriend of five years has just left him and he doesn't want to make the same mistake.
"Knowing a person doesn't mean having a person. A person changes. Someone who likes pineapples today may like something different tomorrow." - Woman in blonde wig
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Scene 23
Scene cuts to the other pub. The Caucasian man inserts a coin into the jukebox and song comes on again. A woman in a red dress beckons to him with a blonde wig. He goes behind the screen behind the bar and kisses her.

Scene 24
Back at Bottoms-Up pub, 223 invites the woman for a jog when told that the place was closing. But the drunk woman asks for a place to rest instead. 223 brings her to a hotel room where she concusses on the bed. He voiceovers that through the night, he watched two oldie films and ate four chef salads. Before he left in the morning, he removed her high-heels, because his mother had told him that women will get swollen feet if they slept with their high-heels on. He then polished her white high-heels, saying that she must have walked a lot last night and a pretty woman like her should have clean shoes. The woman awakes after he left.

Scene 25
223 sprints around a track. He voiceovers that he was born at around 6am in the morning, so in less than two minutes, he will be 25. He says that he has already spent a quarter of a century alive and will commemorate this historic moment by jogging. He claims that he was successful in losing all the excess water in his body and is thus very happy. Also, he has decided to leave his pager behind at the track, because he knows that no one will call him today. Camera focus on the pager he clips on the fence as he walks away. A beeping is heard and 223 runs back to retrieve his pager and off again to return the call.

Scene 26
At a nearby phone booth, the operator informs him that the occupant of Room 702(the woman) wishes him Happy Birthday. While this is being said, the scene shows the flip-display calendar time changing from 5.59am to 6.00am. After hanging up, he voiceovers that on this day 1st May 1994, a woman said Happy Birthday to him. And because of this, he will always remember this woman.
"If memory is canned, I hope this one will never expire. If a date must be added onto it, let it be 10,000 years." - 223
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Scene 27
Back at San Miguel Beer pub, the woman in a red dress checks the rain outside. She returns inside and plays the song on the jukebox, before complaining that about the rain to the Caucasian man who is dressing up to leave. When he walks out to the back-alley, he squats down to look at two kittens eating sardines from a cat. The woman in the blonde wig then walks up behind him and fires five shots at him, before walking off and dropping her wig.

Wig


A group of Indians run along to check out the commotion, and the camera shows a glimpse of the woman without her wig at last. The camera then pans what the Indians find - a pool of blood, two kittens, a wine bottle and finally an opened sardine can with a 1st May 1994 expiry date. Camera zooms in on expiry date.

Opened Sardine Can

End of 1st Story

Scene 28
Scene cuts to Express. Camera shows a pair of hands rinsing a cloth in a red bucket. 223 walks in with casuals and jogging shoes tied to his bag, and orders a coke. Owner knows he is jogging because he is still heart-broken and suggests he go after Faye, his new assistant who started work today. He advises him to act fast before she goes out with another man. 223 looks around and sees only a male Indian worker, and thus exclaims to the owner that he does not like men. At this moment, Faye backs rapidly into the shop dragging a huge sack of potatoes and asking others to give way. When 223 turns to leave, they bump into each other. Freeze scene as their eyes meet. As 223 voiceovers, 'California Dreamin'' plays and scene fades to show Cop 663 in uniform.

223 and Faye


"At the high point of our intimacy, we were just 0.01cm away from each other. I knew nothing about her. Six hours later, she fell in love with another man." - 223
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Scene 29
663 walks into Express and orders a chef salad from Faye. 'California Dreamin'' is blasting from a hi-fi nearby and Faye is looking down nodding away in tune to the music. Without missing a beat, she asks if it's for takeaway or dine-in and he says takeaway. As she prepares the order, 663 asks if she's new as he hasn't seen her before, but she just kept nodding away. Thinking that she can't hear him, he glances at the hi-fi and asks if she likes such loud music. She replies yes as there's no need to think so much with all the noise. He asks if she doesn't like to think and Faye then shook her head to the music. He asks what does she like then. She replies that she doesn't know and will tell him when she does. As she hands him the chef salad, she asks him what he likes. He beckons her closer and whispers - chef salad. She exclaims loudly as he leaves.

Scene 30
As 'California Dreamin'' continues blasting away, scenes showing Faye doing her chores while bobbing to the music. On another night, as Faye slips behind into the kitchen, the owner turns off the hi-fi and goes to the counter. 663 enters again to order chef salad. The owner exclaims that it's chef salad again and asks if he gets tired of it. He says it for someone else and the owner guesses girlfriend, to which 663 just smiles. The owner asks again if she likes chef salad and 663 says that he got used to buying it for her and she never said anything. 'California Dreamin'' comes back on as camera shows Faye slipping in to turn the hi-fi on again. The owner said that his girlfriend might be sick of chef salad. The fact that she doesn't say anything doesn't mean that she doesn't want to try something new. He suggests fish and chips instead. 663 asks what if she doesn't like it and the owner suggests that he buy one of each for her to have a choice. 663 agrees. Camera shows Faye looking on as she bobs to the music in the background. When 663 leaves, Faye comes to the counter and watches and he walks off.

Scene 31
The next night, 663 walks in and orders fish and chips instead. The owner tells him that he knew she would like it and 663 complains that she never said anything about not liking chef salad before. The owner says that it's because he never gave her a choice before. He suggests he use the same tactic and buy fish and chips as well as pizza tonight, which 663 again agrees to. Outside the shop, Faye listens to their conversation with interest as she wipes the windows.

Scene 32
The following night, 663 walks in again. Owner suggests he try hotdog this time, but 663 just orders black coffee. He explains that his girlfriend has left, claiming that she wants to try someone new. In the background, Faye turns her head around and listens with intense interest as she cleans some displays behind the counter. He jokes that she's right, since even supper can have so many varieties, much less men. Chef salad was alright all the way, but he had to change to fish and chips... Owner consoles him that she will know that he is best only after trying someone else, and will eventually come back.

Scene 33
Scene shows airplane taking off in the night sky as 663 begins voiceover.
"On board every flight, there's gotta be one attendent you want to seduce. This time last year, 25,000 feet above sea level, I successfully seduced one." - 663
¡§¨C¤@¬[­¸3/4÷¤W¤@(c)w¦³¤@¦ìªÅ¤¤¤p(c)j¬O§A*Qªwªº¡C¥h¦~ªº³o­Ó(r)É­Ô¡M§Ú«D±`¦¨¥\ªº¦b¨â¸U¤­¤d¤Øªº°ªªÅ¤Wªw¤W¤F¤@¦ì¡C¡¨ - 663

Scene 34
At 663's apartment, 'What A Difference A Day Makes' is playing on the hi-fi. 663 plays with a toy aeroplane, but before long, he and the flight stewardess we saw earlier make out. 663 continues voiceover as she sleeps beside him.
"I thought we would be together for very long, just like an aeroplane full of fuel, which can fly very far. But I didn't except the plane would change course halfway." - 663
¡§§Ú¥H¬°*|¸ò¦o¦b¤@°_«Ü¤[¡M´N¹³¤@¬[¸üº¡ªoªº­¸3/4÷¤@1/4Ë¡M¥i¥H­¸±o«Ü»*¡C1/2Öª3/4¹D­¸3/4÷¤¤³~°±¯¸¡C¡¨ - 663

Scene 35
Stewardess waves to 663 in his apartment as she goes up the Central escalator in uniform with her luggage.

Scene 36
At Express, 663 walks in and orders black coffee. 'California Dreamin'' is blasting away as usual and Faye is mopping the floor. Owner exclaims that his girlfriend is still not back after one week. 663 reckons that maybe she does have a lot of choices outside. Owner then suggests he should not wait for her anymore as he can have his own choices like her too. He can't live on black coffee everyday. 663 says that change takes time and that he is okay. In the foreground, Faye seems to be nodding and shaking her head to their responses.

Scene 37
On another night, the stewardess waits outside Express in her uniform and with her luggage. Seeing no sign of 663, she enters Express. 'California Dreamin'' is not playing. Faye begins comparing heights behind her but goes off to wipe windows when she noticed. Stewardess then asks owner about 663, who replies that he is off today. She then hands a letter to him asking him to pass it to 663. Faye cannot take her eyes off that letter.

Scene 38
Later, the owner opens the letter by steaming out the seal on the envelope. Very soon, the letter has been read by the owner, the three Indian workers, the cook and Faye. It's a short note saying 'Change of Flight. Your Place Cancelled! Here's Your Key. Bye.', with an economy class boarding pass bound for Hong Kong(stamped cancelled) attached and his house keys enclosed. Faye pins the letter to a notice-board.

Letter

Key

Scene 39
'California Dreamin'' blasts on again from the hi-fi as Faye works at the counter the following night. Just before 663 arrives at his usual time, the owner, the three Indian workers and the cook all make excuses and leave. 663 enters surprised to find Faye all alone. She explains the rest were still there a moment ago but had all left scared at the sight of him. He doesn't understand what's so scary about himself and Faye tells him he's not. A few huhs here and there from 663 when he couldn't hear properly. Faye serves him black coffee and stammers when telling him about last night. 663 cannot hear her and asks that she turn down the volume. She turns off the hi-fi and tells him that his stewardess girlfriend came to look for him last night and left him a letter. When she handed him the letter, 663 ignored it and walked away to one corner saying that he will talk after finishing his coffee.

Watch

Scene 40
Dream Lover plays. Slow motion scene of 663 standing in one corner of Express and Faye looking at him over the counter. Pedestrains whiz past outside in time lapse photography. After finishing his drink, he pays up at the counter and leaves. Faye tells him he forgot his letter, but 663 replies that he will get it the next time. Faye pins it back up on the notice-board.

Scene 41
Next day, a replacement cop informs owner that 663 is on medical leave because he pricked himself with a pin. Faye smiles knowingly as the camera zooms to the pin holding the letter to the notice-board.

Pin

Scene 42
Back at his apartment, 663 voiceovers that ever since his girlfriend left, the things in his apartment have become very sad, and he is going to comfort them tonight. He begins talking to the things in his apartment. First he tells his cake of soap,
"Do you know that you have become skinnier? You used to be fat and chubby but look at yourself now? All flat. What for? You must have confidence in yourself." - 663
¡§§Aª3/4¤£ª3/4¹D§A1/2G¤F¡S¥H«e§A­D¹Ê¹Êªº¡M§A¬Ý§A²{¦b¡S³£«ó¤F¡C¦ó­W¨Ó(c)O¡S­n¹ï¦Û¤v¦³«H¤ß¤~¦æ¡C¡¨ - 663

Next he picks up his wet dripping towel and tells it
"I told you not to cry. When are you crying until? You must be strong. Okay, let me help you. Feeling better now?" - 663
¡§§Ú¥s§A¤£­n­ú¶Ü¡C§A­n­ú¨ì¤°»ò(r)É­Ô¡S°µ¤H­n°í±j¤@ÂI¶Ü¡C§A¬Ý§A¡Mª×¦b¨º¹³¤°»ò1/4ˤl¡S­ü¦n¦n¡M§Ú¨ÓÀ°§Aªº¦£¡C¬O¤£¬OµÎªA¦h¤F¡S¡¨ - 663

He wrings it dry and hangs it up on the window grill to dry, but it is already old and torn. Then he speaks to his soft toys as he brushes them clean.
"Why are you not speaking? Don't be angry with her, everyone has their moment of folly. Give her a chance, okay?" - 663
¡§«ç¤\¤£»¡¸Ü¡S§O¥Í¦oªº(r)ð¡M¨C¤@­Ó¤H³£¦³¤£²M¿ôªº(r)É­Ô¡Cµ¹¦o¤@¦¸3/4÷·|¡M¦n¤£¦n¡S¡¨ - 663

Finally he speaks to his girlfriend's stewardess blouse hanging up by the window.
"Feeling lonely? It has only been a few days, no need to be like this. Feeling cold? Let me give you some warmth." - 663
¡§¬O¤£¬O«Ü±I¹æ°Ú¡S¤~´X¤Ñ¶Ü¡M¥Î¤£ÆØ³o1/4Ë¡C§A§N°Ú¡S§Úµ¹§A¤@ÂI·Å·x¡C¡¨ - 663
He proceeds to iron the blouse.

Scene 43
Scene cuts to 663 returning to his apartment. He voiceovers that he sometimes comes home for meals, because everytime he comes home, he can have a hope. He proceeds before the bedroom closet and speaks aloud that he knows she is back and asks her to come out quickly. He counts to three but nothing happens. He resumes the voiceover, saying that his girlfriend used to like to pop out of the closet to scare him, but lately she has stopped doing that. He thinks that's quite normal too as one gets tired of the same game. Thus he wonders hopefully if she is hiding in the toilet this time, but is still disappointed to find no one there.

Scene 44
Scene cuts to market where Faye is collecting her groceries. She drags a huge basket of potatoes along with a back turned and shouting for others to give way. 663 is having lunch nearby and she coincidentally bumps into him yet again. She asks if he is okay after being pricked by the pin but he replies that was not what happened. She says that she hasn't seen him for a while and he explains that he has changed to a morning shift and switched beats. He then notices that Faye was dragging an immense load and offers to help, which she agrees. They then walk along with 663 carrying the heavy basket on one shoulder and Faye playing around with his police cap. He says that her work is tough and she replies all work is tough. He asks how she got the job and she explains that her cousin couldn't find anyone else and so she came to help. He asks what job was she doing before this and she replied a lot, so as to save money. He asks whether it's for studies and she says she never thought about that, it's for travel to have fun. He asks to where and she replies anywhere will do, California maybe. He asks her whether California is fun and she says she doesn't know, but if it is not, she can always move on. He asks if she likes to travel around to have fun and she asks him back doesn't he? He says he doesn't mind either way. She then invites him along for the trip saying that she has almost enough money now, but he doesn't want to discuss it now. She complains that the letter is still with her and he replies that he doesn't have time to collect it. So she asks for his address claiming that she will send it to him so that it does not get lost. He agrees and writes it out for her. She exclaims it's quite near and he says it's just in front and invites her to drop by when she is free. She agrees readily.

Scene 45
Scene at Express where it is strangely silent. Camera pans an opened counter fan, a piece of cloth on the fan cover, a pair of pink synthetic gloves on the counter and finally Faye sitting idly by the counter apparently in the middle of her chores. She is staring into space and appears to be daydreaming. Camera zooms in on a pot of coffee boiling on a heater nearby and the sound of an aircraft taking off fades in as Faye slowly closes her eyes.

Scene 46
Scene jumps to outside 663's apartment door. Faye is seen putting on her pink synthetic gloves and fumbling for the keys from her handbag. She enters quickly after checking to see that no one saw her and slams the grill behind her.

Scene 47
Scene jump back to Express where a dreamy Faye hears the owner scolding one of the Indian workers for daydreaming. He berates him for having star dreams just because he thinks he can sing a few lines. Camera tracks into the kitchen where the owner continues scolding the Indian for using a carrot as a microphone and hands him a toilet roll to use instead. Then the owner walks to the counter and starts to tick Faye off. She claims she is not daydreaming but the owner says she's sleepwalking instead. As she walks into the kitchen, she voiceovers that in the afternoon she had a dream of visiting 663's apartment. She thought that she would wake up when she left the apartment but she didn't. For some dreams, it's not so easy to wake from them. Indian worker is singing happily with his carrot as a microphone as he does his chores.

Scene 48
663 returns to his apartment one day for lunch. As before, he tries the usual counting routine hoping that his girlfriend will pop out of the closet. But nothing happens as expected and he walks off after counting to three. Surprisingly, Faye creeps out of the closet silently after he leaves the room. Suddenly, 663 decides to turn back to check the toilet and Faye quickly hides by the wall. Finding no one, he enters the bedroom again and leaves with an uncomplete jigsaw puzzle. But he misses Faye as she has hidden herself under a blanket, spotting instead a speck on the wall where Faye was previously. After 663 leaves, Faye breathes a sign of relief and starts flipping the blanklets happily. She even cheekily shouts at 663 as he goes past his apartment in the Central escalator, before hiding behind the curtains so that he does not see her.

Scene 49
The next day, Faye is dragging her huge basket of groceries along the market again when she sees 663 having lunch there. After exchanging a few words, she quickly goes back the way she came from, claiming she forgot something. Actually, she brings the basket back to the grocer for safekeeping telling him she has to pay the electrical bills, before rushing down to 663's apartment while he is still having lunch. At 663's apartment, Faye turns on the shower and calls her cousin at Express. She claims that she is stranded at the market because of the heavy rain and places the receiver near the shower to let him hear the sound. He retorts it's sunny over there but she replies it could be an isolated shower. She assures to be back once the rain stops and he reminds her to pay the electrical bills.

Scene 50
Faye plays the 'California Dreamin'' CD on the hi-fi in 663's apartment. As the music comes on, she begins playing with the toy aeroplane all around the house. She even cooks noodles to eat. Before leaving, she bids farewell to the large white dog and promises to come back and see it.

Scene 51
The next day, Faye passes by the market and hands a few lychees to 663 who is again having lunch. When questioned about her big bag of lychees, she claims she is visiting a friend. After this, Faye is shown lying down inside 663's apartment enjoying lychees while talking to the owner on the phone. She claims that the queue at the electric company is very long and she might not be able to settle the bill today. He gets irritated that she has already taken so many days to pay the bill and asks her to go to another place to pay instead.

Scene 52
The following day, Faye passes by 663 who is having lunch at the market yet again. She says hi and he asks about the two big bags of things she's carrying. She replies that she is helping to decorate a friend's house. He notes that she's really busy and she agrees. Just as she leaves, Faye tells 663 notices that 663 is still drinking coffee and asks him not to drink so much, but instead plain water if he cannot sleep at night.

Scene 53
'Dream Lover' blasts on as Faye decks out 663's apartment. She adds a goldfish to his tanks, changes his tablecloth and slippers, hiding the old pair behind the sofa. She then adds sleeping pills to his drinking water. Cut scene shows 663 drinking the water later. Cut scene shows Faye elsewhere holding a watch and counting to three. Cut scene back to 663 who has concussed. Cut scene back to Faye celebrating with a can of Coke. She also changes his soap, toothbrush and cup. While cleaning the place, she notices the stewardess blouse and puts it on to take a picture with. She pastes a large childhood photo of herself onto his mirror, overshadowing all the other Neo-prints there. She switches the labels of his sardine cans onto sole cans. And she hangs a new checkered shirt and red socks which she bought for him into the closet. On another occasion, Faye is examining the bed carefully with a magnifying glass. When she finds a long strand of hair presumably belonging to his girlfriend, she appears to get upset and changes the bedsheet. She also replaces the large white dog with the large Garfield she bought earlier(scene 14). A voice message from the stewardess comes on form the telephone recording machine.
"Hi, it's me. The flight is returning to Hong Kong. Do you want a reservation? My number is unchanged, call me. Bye bye." - Stewardess
¡§Áý¡M¬O§Ú°Ú¡C¨º¯Z­¸¾÷¦^­»´ä¤F¡C­n¤£­n§â¦ì¤l¯dµ¹§A©O¡S§ÚÁÙ¬O¥H«eªº¹q¸Ü¡M¥´µ¹§Ú§a¡C«ô«ô¡C¡¨ - ªÅ©j
Before Faye leaves the apartment, she deletes that message from the machine.

Scene 54
One day at the market, Faye appears jealous when she spots an attractive waitress eyeing 663 as she clears his table. She plays with her long hair which irritates her off. Before leaving, Faye asks if 663 knows the waitress well and he replies no. 663 is then seen running back to his apartment. He voiceovers that he has a feeling today that his girlfriend had come back. But he is only greeted by a flooded apartment. Camera focus briefly on his old blue sandal which has floated out with the water from the corner where Faye dumped it(scene 53). As 663 clears the mess, he begins voiceover.
"I'm not sure if I forgot to turn off the tap, or that the house is getting sentimental. I always thought it was the strongest. But it just cried its heart out. A person cries, you hand tissue paper to that person. A house cries and you really have to work hard." - 663
¡§¤£ª3/4¹D¬O§Ú§Ñ¤FÃö¤ôÀsÀY¡MÁÙ¬O(c)Фl¶V¨Ó¶V¦³*P±¡¡C§Ú¤@ª1/2¥H¬°¥¦¬O³Ì°í±jªº¡M¨S*Q¨ì¥¦­ú±o³Ì1/4F(r)`¡C¤@­Ó¤H­ú¡M§A¥u»Ý­nµ¹¦o¤@¥]¯È¤y¡C¥i¬O¤@­Ó(c)Фl­ú¡M§A¥i­n°µ¦h«Ü¦h¥\¤Ò¤F¡C¡¨ - 663

Scene 55
After cleaning up the mess, 663 opens the door to dump out the litter. He shocks Faye who is just about to come in. She gives a startled cry and raises the bag of goldfish she is holding to cover her face. She asks 663 what he is doing here and he replies that it is his apartment. He returns the question and she stammers that she came to buy goldfish. He says that he doesn't sell goldfish here and asks again whether she came to buy or sell goldfish. Faye insists she came to buy goldfish and asks 663 not to scare her anymore. Ironically, she now tells him that every part of him scares her unlike before(scene 39). She turns to leave but cannot as she has got cramps in her legs from the scare. 663 suggests she take a rest inside first and she hobbles in. As he massages her leg, he voiceovers that he used to do the same for his girlfriend everytime she came back from her flight, because a stewardess' job is tough. When he finished, Faye wants to leave. But 663 asks her to stay for a while and plays a CD on the hi-fi for her. It turns out to be 'California Dreamin'' which Faye had left behind, but 663 doesn't seem to realise that the CD has been switched. She asks if he likes the song and he replies that he doesn't mind either way, but his girlfriend likes it. She asks if he is sure his girlfriend likes the song and he replies yes. Faye begins voiceover. She says that she is sure that song is not his girlfriend's favourite, because she had left the CD behind while sleepwalking here a few days ago. She begins to suspect whether sleepwalking is contagious. She also guesses that perhaps she was too nervous that day and eventually fell asleep on the couch. As Faye sleeps, 663 begins voiceover. He reports that that woman(Faye) fell asleep in his apartment that afternoon. He had wanted to wake her up, but for some reason, didn't do so. Soon, he too fell asleep beside her.

Scene 56
The next night at Express, Faye is in the kitchen when the electicity was cut. In utter darkness, Faye keeps mumbling oh no. Very soon the place is lit up by candles everywhere. Owner asks Faye what she has been doing these few days not paying the electical bill. She replies that she has gone to see a doctor. He says that he did not see her taking any medicine but she says he didn't notice when she did. He asks when the doctor says she will be well and she answers dreamily soon, he will be well soon. The Indian workers sing happy birthday to her as she enters the kitchen with two lit candles.

Scene 57
663 begins voiceover at his apartment. He says that he doesn't know whether the change in weather is responsible for his recent heightened perception. He is starting to notice things which he normally wouldn't. Scene then show him noticing Faye's photo on the mirror. While eating instant noodles he voiceovers that his canned sardines taste like sole. And while washing up, he notices a new cake of soap and says to it,
"Take care of yourself. Two days and you are stuffing yourself to death. You still have a life without her. Don't indulge. Keep fit!" - 663
¡§§A¤£­n¦Û1/4ɦ۱ó¶Ü¡C«e°}¤l¬Ý§AÁÙ¦n¦nªº¡M«ç¤\¤@¤U¤l­D³o»ò¦h¡S¦oÁöµM¤£¦b¡M§AÁÙ¬O±o¨£¤Hªº¡C¤£­n¦A(c)ñÁa¦Û¤v¤F¡M´îªÎ§a¡T¡¨ - 663

And upon seeing his brand new towel, he complains,
"Got to tell you this, you've changed! We need to have character. Even if she's not coming back, you can't give up yourself because of her. Reflect on this!" - 663
¡§§Ú¦­´N*Q1/2|§A¡C§AÅܤF§Aª3/4¤£ª3/4¹D¡S°µ¤H­n¦³(c)Ê(r)æ¶Ü¡T´Nºâ¦o¯uªº¤£¦^¨Ó¡M§A¤]¤£À³¸Ó§ïÅܧA¦Û¤v¡C¦n¦n¤Ï¬Ù¤Ï¬Ù¡C¡¨ - 663

As he hangs up the towel, he voiceovers that he is happy when he sees it crying, because it appears to have changed physically but not deep down inside. It is still a sentimental towel. He then talks to the large Garfield.
"Do you think I have become more cheerful? I feel that everything looks so beautiful all of a sudden. I used to think you look stupid, but now I think you look cute. Don't make yourself so dirty, you look better when you used to be white. Now you look yellow. Look, with so many scars all over. Have you been fighting with someone?" - 663
¡§Ä±¤£Ä±±o§Ú¶}(r)Ô¤F¡S§Ú¬ðµMı±o¤°»òªF¦è³£¦n¬Ý¦h¤F¡C¥H«e§Úı±o§A«Ü²Â¡M²{¦b¬Ý°_¨ÓÆZ¥i*Rªº¡C§O§â¦Û¤v§Ë±o³o»òÅ1/4¡M¥H«e¥Õ¥Õªº¦h¦n¡C²pb¦b§Ë±o¶À¶Àªº¡C§A¬Ý¡M§Ë¨ì³o»ò¦h¬Í²ª¡C¸ò§O¤H¥´¬[°Õ¡S¡¨ - 663

Upon finding the stewardess blouse under the bed, he chides it,
"Why are you hiding here? Don't you know how hard I was looking for you? There's no use hiding, one must face the reality. Wah, you're mouldy. Tomorrow I'm free, I shall bring you to sun." - 663
¡§§A«ç¤\¸ú¦b³o¸Ì¡Sª3/4¤£ª3/4¹D§Ú§ä§A¦h¤[¡S§A¸ú°_¨Ó¤]¨S¦³¥Î¡M­n­±¹ï²{¹ê¤~¦æ¡C«zÁÉ¡Tµo3/4`¤F¡T(c)ú¤Ñ§a¡C(c)ú¤Ñ§Ú¦³ªÅ±a§A¥h(r)ͤӶ§¡C¡¨ - 663
Next morning, the blouse is seen hanging under the sun on the rooftop as a plane flies past.

Scene 58
Scene jumps to Faye cleaning 663's apartment as 'California Dreamin'' plays. She dusts some old newspapers and flips them open to read. Soon she starts throwing paper aeroplanes out of the window. 663 is on the Central escalator returning home just he sees Faye finish throwing the aeroplanes. Faye packs up and prepares to leave. When she opens the door, 663 is standing outside. After a momentary pause, she shrieks and quickly slams the door back on him. She bolts the door from inside and in her hurry, gets her pink synthetic glove stuck on the latch. From outside he asks what she is doing in his house and she replies with her back against the door that he had invited her to drop by. He knocks frantically and tells her to open up, otherwise he would kick open the door. She panics and scampers around the house trying to find a place to hide. Soon 663 kicks open the door and searches for her everywhere. Faye slips out of the closet and the apartment while he is looking for her elsewhere.

Scene 59
That night at Express, owner informs Faye in the kitchen that someone has come to look for her. 'What A Difference A Day Makes' is playing from the hi-fi. When she goes to the counter, she finds 663 waiting at the entrance for her. She gives a startled cry and hides beside a wall. From a distance, she asks him what he is doing here and he replies that he came to get his letter. She tells him to look for the owner instead but he shouts from the kitchen that she is the one holding on to it. She looks around nervously before extracting the letter from her handbag. She explains that she had kept it for safekeeping but did not read it at all. He thanks her and asks if she is free tomorrow night. She asks him what for. He says that he wants to ask her out on a date and she asks what for again. He tells her that the owner said she is off tomorrow night and she retorts that being off doesn't mean she has to go out with him. He asks her to consider it and tells her the date is at California Pub opposite at 8pm. Before he leaves, he tells her that the song playing now does not suit her and returns her the 'California Dreamin'' CD she left behind at his apartment. After he leaves, she gingerly retrieves the CD and runs off into the washroom mumbling oh no. Owner whispers to his Indian workers that 663 is good at getting girls. Later on at Express, despite having to serve an unusually large crowd of customers alone, Faye still appears very happy.

Scene 60
The next day afternoon, 663 is at home cleaning up. He voiceovers that he seems to be clearing the runway for another flight to run. He packs some items including the stewardess blouse into a box, tapes it up and puts it on top of a cupboard. He then dresses up for the date, wearing the shirt and socks Faye bought unknowingly.

Scene 61
At California Pub, 'Know Oneself And Others' just finishes playing. 663 voiceovers that he had arrived very early because he doesn't know whether the flight will be delayed. He then changed $10 into coins for the jukebox. Another stylish slow motion scene of 663 by the jukebox as people whiz past behind him in time lapse photography.

Jukebox


He voiceovers that half an hour later, he changed another $10 into coins. He says that he is starting to get the feeling that the flight has been cancelled. Owner finally arrives to inform him Faye won't be coming and hands him a letter from her. He tells 663 not to get too upset and suggests he go after May who is coming back to work tomorrow. 663 asks him what about Faye, and he says she had quit to go California. After the owner left, 663 voiceovers that he didn't read the letter, because some things need time to sink it. He starts talking to the beer bottle. The beer bottle asks if he is disappointed but he replies no. It suggests he go home to get some sleep. As he walks out, he voiceovers again that Faye did turn up, but at the wrong California. There is a time difference of 9 hours. It should be 11am over there now. He wonders if Faye would remember the date at 8pm.

Scene 62
663 walks into a nearby convenience store. Outside is a neon karaoke joint signboard, foreshadowing the owner's change later. Inside, 663 bumps into the stewardess who is in casuals. She reveals that she has found another boyfriend. Before leaving, she tells 663 she likes him better in uniform and he says that he likes her better in uniform too. Outside the store, he drops the letter into a garbage bin. Later on as it is raining heavily, 663 changes his mind and retrieves the letter from the bin. He carefully pulls out the wet note inside and places it on the food heater inside the convenience store. He voiceovers that he received a boarding pass that night dated one year later, but he couldn't see the destination which was smudged.

Boarding Pass

Scene 63
Scene cuts to Faye in California Pub a few hours earlier. She voiceovers that she was there that day. She knew that the place would be crowded by 8pm, so she had arrived at 7.15pm. It was raining heavily and looking outside the window, she saw a rainy California Pub. She wonders whether the other California is sunny or not, and thus gave herself one years time to find out. Scene cuts to one year later at the same place, Faye is wearing shades and with much longer hair. Today is raining heavily like that day. Looking outside the window, she is thinking of only one man. Wondering whether he had read her letter.

California

Scene 64
Last scene. Rain stops. 'California Dreamin'' blasts from the hi-fi in Express. Faye steps off the high stool. We realise that she is now a flight stewardess from the uniform she wears and the baggage she lugs behind. She goes opposite to Express, which appears to be closed for renovations. Raising the metal screen, she is surprised to see that 663 there. 663 is even more surprised and almost couldn't recognize Faye for a moment. He explains that her cousin wanted a changed and has switched to open a karaoke lounge, so he has become the new owner of Express. She notes 'California Dreamin'' asks when he started liking such loud music and he replies it only takes a little time to get used to. He says that she looks nice in uniform and she returns the compliment. Then, in a funny twist of the earlier letter-scene(scene 39), 663 has to switch off the hi-fi after a few huhs from Faye. He asks if California was fun and she says it was okay. He asks her if she would like anything to eat but she reveals she has an early flight tomorrow. She complains that even if she wrote he wouldn't read it. 663 gets the hint and before she leaves, he shows her the soiled boarding pass she left behind and asks if he can board with one of those. He says that day is for today, but the destination is smudged and asks if she knows where the flight is heading for. She is pleasantly surprised to realise that 663 has read the letter and didn't meet her at California Pub just now only because he couldn't make out the destination as California. Still, maintaining her composure, she claims that she cannot make out anything of it and nonchalently volunteers to write a new one for him on a paper towel.
"Where do you want to go?" - Faye
¡§§A·Q¤W­þ¨à¡S¡¨ - µá
"Doesn't matter. Anywhere you say." - 663
¡§ÀH«K¡M§A»¡¥h­þ¨à´N¥h­þ¨à¡C¡¨ - 663
'Dream Lover' fades on as camera pans to the hi-fi. Credits roll.

Chungking Express

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