[Joo Seong-cheol's Locker] Tony Leung Sometimes Wants to Hold an Ashtray.

I sometimes hold an ashtray too. In the second meeting after director Hou Hsiao-hsien and actor Tony Leung's 〈Days of Being Wild〉 (1989), there is a scene in 〈In the Mood for Love〉 (1998) where Tony Leung suddenly acts out in a fit of rage. It may seem like a word that doesn't quite suit him at first glance, but nonetheless, he gives it his all, shouting in a long take and throwing objects in a fit of rage. 〈In the Mood for Love〉, which is based on the 1894 novel 「The Story of the Last Night」 by the novelist Han Bang-jing, considered one of the pioneers of modern Chinese literature, depicts the complicated relationship between Wang Jia-zhong (Tony Leung) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) set against the backdrop of Shanghai's brothels in the 1880s.

Wang Jia-zhong and Su Li-zhen have been in a romantic relationship for years, but for various reasons, their relationship is not smooth. Wang, upset by Su's cold attitude, spends the night with another courtesan, Zhang Hae-jung (Yoo Chae-young), and Su, filled with jealousy, goes to confront Hae-jung and ends up hitting her. Wang Jia-zhong wants to take Su as his concubine, but he is uncertain whether their relationship can remain as it is now, so Su's attitude is ambiguous. Regardless, after experiencing such events, he dreams of restoring his relationship with Su, but one day he discovers a Peking opera actor entering her room and cannot contain his anger, leading to his outburst.

Set against a brothel in Shanghai, there is a courtesan who has no choice but to accept being a concubine for economic reasons, and there is Zhu Sang-yuk (Bong Sun) who cannot endure anything less than love itself, as well as Zhu Sang-ju (Yoo Ga-young) who seems to live her life in the brothel under the long-term patronage of an older Jia-zhong without saying a word, and Huang Chui-feng (Lee Ga-hyun) who is struggling to gain independence as soon as possible. The owner of the brothel, Huang (Ban Jeok-hwa), whom they call 'Mom', is also gradually losing her wealth as she is swayed by young men. Thus, the flow of money and the emotions of the people in Shanghai between modernity and contemporary times are changing.

The emotion of a disrupted relationship, and the density of cinematography and production design, are aspects in which 〈In the Mood for Love〉 (2000) was decisively influenced by 〈In the Mood for Love〉. There is even an absolute intersection with Tony Leung, as the cinematographer of 〈In the Mood for Love〉, Mark Lee Ping-bing, who is also Hou Hsiao-hsien's close cinematographer, shot the film 〈In the Mood for Love〉. Regardless, Tony Leung, who experienced his wife (Yoo Ga-young) cheating with Huang Yao-shi (Yang Ka-hui) in 〈Days of Being Wild〉 (1994), never got angry and always wanted to return to his hometown where his wife was. However, in 〈In the Mood for Love〉, he throws himself into the role and expresses his anger with all his might.

Although Tony Leung did not play a villain in 〈In the Mood for Love〉, looking back, it is rare for him to have played a villain or displayed violent behavior. Interestingly, in films where 'Tony Leung's villainous performance' is mentioned, such as 〈Ashes of Time〉 (1998) or 〈Infernal Affairs 3: The Final Chapter〉 (2003), there are scenes where he strikes someone with a bottle he picks up, as if it were a promise. In fact, in 〈Infernal Affairs 3: The Final Chapter〉, he even resorts to using an ashtray when the bottle does not suffice to vent his anger. And although it is not a glass bottle, in 〈The Killer〉 (1992), Tony Leung, who appeared undercover, is seen hitting the back of the head of police officer Chow Yun-fat with a gun. It seems that such specific and physical 'striking actions' are essential to endow the mask of the actor Tony Leung with a demonic quality.

In 〈Lust, Caution〉 (2007), where we can see Tony Leung's desperate running scene, during the violent first sex scene with Tang Wei, he loosens his belt and swings it like a whip, indicating that some intense 'tool' and 'action' are necessary. By the time of 〈The Silent War〉 (2006), instead of direct violence, he attempted an image transformation using slightly tinted sunglasses, which was said to be Tony Leung's own idea. Just like in 〈Infernal Affairs〉 (2002), where he grew a mustache based on his own idea. In any case, he had to add something. The 'bare-faced Tony Leung' is destined to never become a 'villain'. 

Interestingly, Tony Leung's first acting role was actually a 'villain'. What I mean is, when he was filming for a portfolio with his childhood friend Stephen Chow, he always played the villain opposite Stephen Chow, who played the protagonist. Born on June 22, 1962, Stephen Chow, who is five days older than Tony Leung, shared many emotional experiences with him, such as parental divorce and difficult family circumstances. Perhaps one expressed their wounds through extreme comedy, while the other encapsulated them in silence and a sorrowful gaze.

At that time, the goal of aspiring Hong Kong actors was undoubtedly to enter TVB's 'Artist Training Class'. Stephen Chow also prepared for auditions and shot an 8mm short film with Tony Leung. Stephen Chow, who dreamed of being an action star like Bruce Lee, directed and starred in the film, while Tony Leung took on the role of the villain in a playful practice piece. Except for his role as a typical rogue in 〈Ashes of Time〉 (1997), Tony Leung, who had been far from villainous roles, started his acting career as a villain. In 2023, Tony Leung opened a Douyin SNS account to celebrate his 40th anniversary in the industry, where he posted a video series titled 'Tony Leung's Life Journey', which included a video titled 'Stephen Chow is my worst friend and my best friend'. He mentioned about those films, saying, "Every time Stephen Chow played the protagonist, I was the one who lost in the duel and died," and added, "I once asked where that film is, but he said he didn't know. Perhaps now he is afraid to let it see the light of day and is keeping it safe."

After Tony Leung crossed over to Hollywood and played a villain in 〈Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings〉 (2021), coincidentally, he has since played villains in 〈The Storm Riders〉 (2022), 〈The Nameless〉 (2023), and 〈Goldfinger〉 (2023). It is quite significant that he played a 'villain trilogy' as a leading actor rather than a supporting role in the latter half of his acting career. In 2023, at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, Tony Leung received a Lifetime Achievement Award and shed tears as he received the trophy from director Li An. He proved with his whole being the truth that 'the strong do not last, but those who last are truly strong'. Following the first domestic release of 〈In the Mood for Love〉 in 28 years, the re-release of 〈Days of Being Wild〉, and the upcoming release of 〈Silent Friend〉, which was invited to the competition section of last year's Venice International Film Festival, it is time to see a new side of him again.