Barcelona v Man U through the lenses of Wong Kar Wai
"For the uninitiated, Wong's films seem pointless and dull, which is reinforced by the director's trademark cinematic indulgences, laggard pacing and minimalist plotting. However, upon closer inspection, it is easy to become intrigued by the rampant symbolism, the metaphor-laden dialogue, and the philosophical underpinnings of his films. The exhilaration of watching one of his films comes from fitting together the seemingly disparate pieces of a ninety-minute intellectual puzzle, with each subsequent viewing revealing new interpretations and nuances."
That's an extract from an analytical essay about the dominant themes in Kar Wai's first four movies. It's an insightful one and worth a read, but how does it tie in with football? Well, I joined Fergs and Tim for the second half of yesterday's Champions League semi-final tie, and together we came to the conclusion that Kar Wai must have directed Barca's game. Seriously.
It's because of their slow, graceful game of repetitive passes. Very patient football. Even in the last third of the field where attacks normally pick up momentum, they were content with keeping things at a suffocating boil. So time and time again, we saw the team move forward unhurriedly with the ball and then pass it to and fro in front of the goal mouth while the Man U defenders tried to win it back.
See? Skillful, arty repetition, stifling pace. Kar Wai trademarks.
Once we had that figured out, we could interpreted the game better. Barca passing the ball back and forth represents the passing of time and the impermanent nature of existence. Fergus said with some authority that Barca's close control game and Man U's compact man-marking system is reminiscent of the cloistered cinematography of Kar Wai's films. United were mostly forced to play deep in their own half, leaving Ronaldo and Rooney alone up front to make a charge when ever the ball came their way. That's a powerful illustration of isolation and solitude. Finally, the goalless draw represents frustration and unfulfillment. 90 minutes of art house brilliance!
I enjoyed myself, but Fergs said he couldn't stand more than 60 minutes at a time. So much for calling himself a Kar Wai fan.
It's because of their slow, graceful game of repetitive passes. Very patient football. Even in the last third of the field where attacks normally pick up momentum, they were content with keeping things at a suffocating boil. So time and time again, we saw the team move forward unhurriedly with the ball and then pass it to and fro in front of the goal mouth while the Man U defenders tried to win it back.
See? Skillful, arty repetition, stifling pace. Kar Wai trademarks.
Once we had that figured out, we could interpreted the game better. Barca passing the ball back and forth represents the passing of time and the impermanent nature of existence. Fergus said with some authority that Barca's close control game and Man U's compact man-marking system is reminiscent of the cloistered cinematography of Kar Wai's films. United were mostly forced to play deep in their own half, leaving Ronaldo and Rooney alone up front to make a charge when ever the ball came their way. That's a powerful illustration of isolation and solitude. Finally, the goalless draw represents frustration and unfulfillment. 90 minutes of art house brilliance!
I enjoyed myself, but Fergs said he couldn't stand more than 60 minutes at a time. So much for calling himself a Kar Wai fan.
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