The Pulchritude of Passion: Wong Kar-Wai’s ‘In the Mood for Love’ and Luca Guadagnino’s ‘I Am Love’ Showcase Beauty in Tragedy

There’s no question about it: I am a very visual person.  As this blog will certainly attest to, it’s perhaps no surprise that the films I gravitate towards are ones that not only strike the viewer emotionally, but also aesthetically.  In this edition of #FilmStrips, we’ll be looking at two films that do just that — and memorably so: Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love (2000) and Luca Guadagnino’s I Am Love (2009).  Through the use of strong audio-visual cues – intertitles, vibrant images that seem to spill off the screen, and sweeping music — all set against the lush backdrops of Hong Kong and Milan, In the Mood for Love and I Am Love both provide a breathtaking view at love’s potent power.