Happy Together (Chinese: 春光乍洩) is a 1997 Hong Kong romantic drama film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai. It stars Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai as a gay couple facing difficult challenges. The English title comes from a song by the Turtles from 1967, which is also performed by Danny Chung in the film’s soundtrack. The Chinese title, previously used for Michelangelo Antonioni’s film Blowup, is a phrase that means “the revealing of something personal.”
The film is considered an important work in Hong Kong’s LGBT cinema. It was praised by critics and shown at many film festivals, including the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival. It was nominated for the Palme d’Or and won the Best Director award at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.
In 2022, Happy Together was ranked the 225th greatest film of all time in a poll by Sight & Sound critics. In 2016, it was listed as the 3rd greatest LGBT film of all time in a poll by the British Film Institute. In 2018, it was ranked the 71st greatest foreign-language film of all time in a poll by the BBC.
Plot
Ho Po-Wing and Lai Yiu-Fai are a gay couple from Hong Kong who experience a difficult relationship filled with many separations and reunions. They travel to Argentina together but break up after becoming lost while visiting Iguazu Falls. Without enough money to return home, Fai begins working as a doorman at a tango bar in Buenos Aires, while Po-Wing spends money freely and is often seen with other men. After Fai accuses Po-Wing of wasting money and leaving him stranded in Argentina, Po-Wing steals from a friend and is badly beaten. Fai lets Po-Wing stay in his small rented room and helps care for his injuries. They try to fix their relationship, but it remains filled with distrust and jealousy.
Fai loses his job at the tango bar after fighting the man who hurt Po-Wing. He finds work at a Chinese restaurant, where he becomes friends with Chang, a co-worker from Taiwan. Later, Po-Wing and Fai argue, and Fai refuses to return Po-Wing’s passport. Po-Wing moves out after recovering from his injuries. Soon after, Chang leaves Buenos Aires to continue traveling. When Fai earns enough money to return home, he visits Iguazu Falls alone before leaving. Meanwhile, Po-Wing returns to their empty apartment, feeling heartbroken and realizing Fai has left for good.
Fai returns to Hong Kong but stops in Taipei. By chance, he eats at a food stall in a night market run by Chang’s family. He takes a photo of Chang, saying he may never see Chang again but knows where to find him.
Release
During its release in Hong Kong theaters, Happy Together earned HK$8,600,141 at the box office. The film had a limited theatrical run in North America through Kino International, where it earned US$320,319.
The film’s producers considered removing the opening sex scene for some audiences. Posters showing the two main actors fully clothed but with their legs intertwined were banned in Hong Kong and removed before the film’s release.
Kino International released the film on DVD and Blu-ray on June 8, 2010. This version is no longer available for purchase.
The film was later acquired by the Criterion Collection and released on March 23, 2021, on Blu-ray as part of a set featuring seven films by Wong Kar-wai.
The film was well received in Hong Kong and has been studied by many scholars and critics, including Rey Chow (周蕾) and 陳劍梅. A Hong Kong film review site described it as "an elliptical, quicksilver experiment" that is "pure Wong Kar-wai, which is equal parts longing, regret, and pathetic beauty" and praised its cinematography.
Due to its international success, the film was reviewed in major U.S. publications. Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle gave it a highly positive review, praising Wong’s innovative cinematography and directorial style, and noting that writers like Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs might have appreciated it. Stephen Holden of the New York Times called it a more coherent and heartfelt film than Wong’s previous works, while still maintaining its stylish and bold elements.
Derek Elley of Variety gave a positive review despite its lack of a clear plot, calling it Wong’s "most linear and mature work for some time." He praised the film’s visual design, music, and production details, and highlighted Christopher Doyle’s cinematography as a standout. Both Elley and Andrew Thayne of Asian Movie Pulse noted that Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai delivered strong performances as the lead actors.
However, Jonathan Rosenbaum of the Chicago Reader gave a mixed review, criticizing the film’s vague plot and calling Wong’s direction "lurching around." Wade Major of Box Office Magazine gave a negative review, stating the film offered "little in the way of stylistic or narrative progress" and calling Wong’s cinematography "random experimentation" that was "unbearably tedious."
According to the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 84% of critics gave the film a positive review based on 43 reviews, with an average rating of 7.40 out of 10. The site’s critics consensus states: "Happy Together’s strong sense of style complements its slice of life love story, even if the narrative slogs." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, with 71% positive reviews based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."
Accolades
In 1997, Wong Kar-wai was already famous in the Chinese film world for making successful movies such as Days of Being Wild, Chungking Express, and Ashes of Time. When he won the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival for his movie Happy Together, it was his first major award. This recognition helped him gain attention from people around the world.
Music
In this film, Wong Kar-wai chose South American music instead of American and British music, which he had used before. This choice connects Hong Kong and Argentina, two places that are not usually linked. The first song in the film is "Cucurrucucú paloma," a sad song by Caetano Veloso. It plays when the main characters break up for the first time. At this moment, the Iguazu Falls are shown for the first time, and this is the first scene in the film that uses color. The song helps show Fai's thoughts about the waterfall, which he connects to Po-Wing. This scene makes Fai's sadness and longing for Po-Wing clear.
The Frank Zappa song "Chunga's Revenge" plays throughout the movie. It highlights the difficult relationship between Fai and Po-Wing. The loud guitar music represents Po-Wing's exciting and unpredictable personality, while the softer trumpet and slower beat reflect Fai's calm and thoughtful nature. This song also shows Lai's loneliness and his wish to be happy with Po-Wing. It contrasts the two characters and shows how their emotional connection grows weaker over time.
Astor Piazzolla's songs, such as "Prologue (Tango Apasionado)" and "Finale (Tango Apasionado)," play during scenes when the couple is together and when they are apart. These songs are heard during romantic moments, like a taxi ride and a tango in the kitchen. They are also played after Fai and Po-Wing break up for the last time, when Po-Wing dances the tango with another man while thinking of Fai. The final time the song plays is when Fai reaches the waterfall, and the same image of Iguazu Falls from the beginning of the film is shown, but now with the "Finale" song. This scene honors their relationship, as Po-Wing cries in Fai's old apartment, realizing he left their relationship behind because Fai left a lamp. Meanwhile, Fai mourns their relationship at the falls. Wong Kar-wai discovered Piazzolla's music when he bought his CDs at an airport in Amsterdam on his way to film the movie in Buenos Aires.
The final song in the film is "Happy Together," a version of a song by The Turtles, performed by Danny Chung. It plays when Fai is on a train in Taipei. This song changes how Western music usually uses it, which is to celebrate a new romance or mock the lack of one. It also shows that Lai has accepted their relationship, making it an important part of the film's story.
Thematic interpretations
At the start of the movie, Wong shows pictures of Fai's British National Overseas Passport to tell the audience that the film will explore ideas about nationality. The film was released in May 1997, before Hong Kong was handed over to China on June 30, 1997, after 100 years of British rule. This timing reflects the uncertainty many Hong Kong people felt about their future. The film's subtitle, "A Story About Reunion," suggests it will discuss the handover. Including the date in the opening and showing news about Deng Xiaoping's death in February 1997 helps place the story in the time just before the handover. Some people think the English title of the film relates to questions about whether Hong Kong and China would be "happy together" after their reunion.
One way to understand the film is that Po-Wing and Fai represent two sides of Hong Kong that seem hard to unite. Po-Wing stays in Buenos Aires without a passport, like some Hong Kong people who did not have a real British passport, showing a sense of being far from home. Fai, however, sees a waterfall and visits Taiwan, but it is unclear if he reconciles with his father. Both characters want to leave or return, showing their uncertainty about where they belong.
Another idea is that Fai, who is gay, represents the freedoms Hong Kong people had, while his father, who is more traditional, shows the challenges of returning to a more conservative China. A character named Chang, who represents Taiwan, comforts Fai and gives hope for the future. This hope is shown through the film's increasing brightness as Fai's life becomes more stable.
Wong chose Buenos Aires because it is on the opposite side of the world from Hong Kong, symbolizing a search for something different from home. Scenes of Hong Kong shown upside down are not political symbols but ways to show how far the characters are from their roots. The film also compares Hong Kong and Buenos Aires, showing that the couple faces similar problems in both places, which highlights their feelings of not belonging.
The film often shows small, dark spaces like Fai's apartment and a kitchen, which create a sense of being trapped. Po-Wing is also limited because of his injured hands, and later, Fai keeps Po-Wing in Buenos Aires by not returning his passport. However, the Iguazu Falls, a large waterfall, contrasts this by symbolizing hope and possibility for the characters.
Some people think the characters' lack of belonging is because of their race, sexuality, and language in both Buenos Aires and Hong Kong. This is shown through shaky camera work, which reflects their difficulty finding a place in the world. Neither place feels welcoming, and the couple has the same struggles in both locations.
Fai is shown as someone who does not fit in easily in Buenos Aires, but he smiles in Taipei, where he feels a sense of belonging. The film does not clearly show if Fai returns to Hong Kong, leaving it possible he stays in Taipei, where he feels hopeful.
The Iguazu Falls appear early in the film on a lamp Po-Wing buys for Fai. The real waterfall is later shown in color, symbolizing hope and the uncertain future. Scholars say the falls represent both the power of nature and the unpredictable future, similar to the ending of the characters' relationship. The falls also show the strength and intensity of Po-Wing and Fai's love, which is described as powerful and unstoppable.
The falls are shown throughout the film, representing the couple's continued hope for their relationship. When Fai visits the falls alone and leaves the lamp behind, Po-Wing realizes Fai has given up on their relationship. Both characters mourn their lost love by looking at the waterfall, Fai in real life and Po-Wing after fixing the lamp.
The film clearly shows a gay relationship. Some people praise it for showing the universal challenges of relationships, regardless of gender. Scholars agree the film realistically portrays gay romance without focusing too much on being gay itself. However, some argue that the film's focus on universal love might overlook the specific challenges faced by gay people. Others note that the film shows traditional Chinese values, like hard work and saving money, which Fai follows, while Po-Wing lives more freely.
Legacy
Since its release, the film Happy Together has been called the "most acclaimed gay Asian film" and has remained well-known to the public.
South African singer, songwriter, and actor Nakhane listed Happy Together as one of their three favorite films of all time.
James Laxton, the cinematographer for the highly praised film Moonlight (2016), mentioned in a Time article that he was inspired by Happy Together and another film by Wong Kar-wai, In the Mood for Love (2000). He used natural light and soft warm lights, along with small touches of color, to create a "dream-like sense of reality" in Moonlight. He specifically noted the scene where Chiron's mother scolds him and the pink light from her bedroom as being influenced by Wong Kar-wai’s work.
A 2006 Russian sitcom titled Happy Together, which is a remake of Married… with Children, borrowed its name from the film.
At the 2017 Golden Horse Awards, Happy Together was shown again to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The main poster for the event featured a screenshot from the film showing the main actors and images of Iguazu Falls.
At the 2022 Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, Happy Together was shown again to mark its 25th anniversary. Rolling Stone magazine referred to the film as a "non-official protagonist of the festival" because the debut documentary film BJ: The Life and Times of Bosco and Jojo premiered at the festival in the "Special Nights" section, telling the story of the filmmaker’s encounter with Wong Kar-wai.