The widely acclaimed films of Wong Kar-wai are characterized by their sumptuous yet complex visual and sonic style. This study of Wong’s filmmaking techniques uses a poetics approach to examine how form, style, narration, characterization, genre, and other artistic elements work together to produce dynamic effects on the audience. Bettinson argues that Wong’s films – from Days of Being Wild and Chungking Express to In the Mood for Love and 

The Grandmaster – are permeated by an aesthetic of sensuousness and “disturbance” achieved through techniques such as narrative disruptions, jarring cuts, the blocking of facial access, and other complex strategies. The effect is to jolt the viewer out of complete aesthetic absorption. Each of the chapters focuses on a single aspect of Wong’s filmmaking. The book also discusses Wong’s influence on other filmmakers in Hong Kong and around the world.

This tenth-anniversary edition of The Sensuous Cinema of Wong Kar-wai includes a substantial new Afterword bringing the story of Wong’s career up to date (including reflections on the Mainland Chinese drama Blossoms Shanghai). Bettinson revisits and extends the arguments of the first edition, surveys the recent key debates on Wong’s filmmaking, and introduces fresh lines of critical investigation.