Days of Being Wild (A Fei zheng chuan) (1990)

90% of critics liked it
(29 reviews)
87% of users liked it
(9,004 ratings)

Set in 1960, the film center of the young, boyishly handsome Yuddy (Leslie Cheung), who learns from the drunken ex-prostitute who raised him that she is not his real mother. Hoping to hold onto him, she refuses to divulge the name of his real birth mother. The revelation shakes Yuddy to his very… More Set in 1960, the film center of the young, boyishly handsome Yuddy (Leslie Cheung), who learns from the drunken ex-prostitute who raised him that she is not his real mother. Hoping to hold onto him, she refuses to divulge the name of his real birth mother. The revelation shakes Yuddy to his very core, unleashing a cascade of conflicting emotions. Two women have the bad luck to fall for Yuddy. One is a quiet lass who works at a sport arena named Su Lizhen (Maggie Cheung), while the other is a glitzy showgirl named Mimi (Carina Lau). Perhaps due to his unresolved Oedipal issues, he passively lets the two compete for him, unable or unwilling to make a choice. As Lizhen slowly confides her frustration to a cop named Tide (Andy Lau), he falls for her. The same is true for Yuddy's friend Zeb (Jacky Cheung), who falls for Mimi. Later, Yuddy learns of his birth mother's whereabouts and heads out to the Philippines. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 34 min.
Directed By: Kar Wai Wong
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Mar 13, 1990 Wide
On DVD: Oct 19, 2004
Studio: Rim

Critic Reviews

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
Needless to say a must-see for Wongcolytes, Days of Being Wild is also an excellent entry point for people who haven't yet caught this most exotic and habit-forming of cinematic bugs.
Carla Meyer, San Francisco Chronicle
Every shot is perfectly composed and compelling, with light and shadow manipulated to maximum effect.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
There are images in Days that can make your heart stop for no other reason than that they're perfect.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
It may have been released in the olden days of 1991, but Wong Kar-Wai's Days of Being Wild remains pulsatingly contemporary.
Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune
A triumph of movie pop poetics.
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
In many ways, Days of Being Wild anticipated the overall pattern of its writer-director- auteur's haunting career.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
A dark moody period piece about unrequited love.
Andy Klein, Los Angeles CityBeat
Twelve years after first seeing Days of Being Wild, I'm finally developing some fondness for it.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
The '60s were a time of alienation and sadness, which I suppose Wong was trying to reflect here. But he's chosen characters so monumentally self-destructive that it's difficult to care about them.
John Esther, Pasadena Weekly
Unless the film is pure homage, the film lacks authenticity
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
Wong has a reputation for slow-moving mood pieces in which very little happens, but that's not the case here.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
Wong's always-striking visual style uses floating, neon colors and extreme angles to emphasize disconnected souls.
John Hartl, Seattle Times
It now seems like a promising apprentice work, almost a blueprint for the writer-director's most acclaimed and famous film, In the Mood for Love.
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The languorous atmosphere of longing, disconnection and emotional isolation is hypnotic.
Tim Cogshell, Boxoffice Magazine
A heady mix of sex, obsession, alienation and angst.
Kim Morgan, L.A. Weekly
Feels exciting, in part, because you are watching an auteur lay the groundwork -- with an assortment of clocks, watches and meticulously detailed moments -- for ideas and moods he will obsessively follow in later films.

Read all 16 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Bob S

In the Mood for 2046. Only just hints at what is to come from Wong Kar Wai. Heavy with atmosphere and loathesome characters.
Anthony L

Days of being wild is a hint of what was yet to come from Kar Wai Wong but no where near as good. It looks great and has some very cool characters but the script isn't great and some of the acting is questionable at best, it's good but it just doesn't work as a whole… More
Days of being wild is a hint of what was yet to come from Kar Wai Wong but no where near as good. It looks great and has some very cool characters but the script isn't great and some of the acting is questionable at best, it's good but it just doesn't work as a whole piece. An important turning point for Kar Wai Wong and indeed Eastern cinema but just an ok film as it is.
Carlos M

A very honest film about unrequited love that proves that a simple story with well-constructed characters works much more effectively than what we see in Wong's most films: a lot of fancy ribbons wrapping up emptiness.
Arash X

Wong Kar Wai's somehow reaching his unique style in here
Luke B

Wong Kar Wai sets up his template for his future masterpieces. Doyles cinematogrophy adds a great layer and texture to the piece. This isn't a tale for everybody the pursuits for companionship only end in sadness and heartbreak. While not Wais best it has echoes of the greatness… More
Wong Kar Wai sets up his template for his future masterpieces. Doyles cinematogrophy adds a great layer and texture to the piece. This isn't a tale for everybody the pursuits for companionship only end in sadness and heartbreak. While not Wais best it has echoes of the greatness to come.
Anthony V

Wow. A near perfect film.
Christopher B

Great little film by the fantastic Wong Kar-Wai. Very engaging and beautiful.
Patrick D

I was into it right away, and then my interest swayed about 15minutes in, but promptly picked back up. This film is actually quite engrossing and interesting. It's also the kind of film that stays with you. This being only the second WKW film I've seen I'm not sure yet… More
I was into it right away, and then my interest swayed about 15minutes in, but promptly picked back up. This film is actually quite engrossing and interesting. It's also the kind of film that stays with you. This being only the second WKW film I've seen I'm not sure yet if that's a regular thing for him.
Krystle C

Stunning performances by the whole cast, haunting story which ties in beautifully with 2046. UPDATE: I think I gave this one such a high rating because it's WKW and I was already attached to the other two stories (In the Mood For Love,… More
Stunning performances by the whole cast, haunting story which ties in beautifully with 2046. UPDATE: I think I gave this one such a high rating because it's WKW and I was already attached to the other two stories (In the Mood For Love, 2046), but it stays with me less than does some of his other films, so I'm downgrading it by half a star until further notice. Needs a rewatch.
Wu C

Reminds me of a french new wave film. Slowly paced, but a good character study.

Read all 10 featured audience ratings

Cast

Leslie Cheung
as Yuddy
Maggie Cheung
as Su Lizhen
Andy Lau
as Tide

Jacky Cheung
as Zeb
Carina Lau
as Leung Fung-ying
Rebecca Pan
as Rebecca (as Tik-Wa Poon)

See full cast

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