1972–1973, 2000 : a subtle encounter : Tête-bêche and In the mood for love

Liu Yichang is one of the most important Hong Kong writers. Originally from Shanghai, he settled in Hong Kong in the late 1950s. Also born in Shanghai, Wong Kar Wai is one of the most important Hong Kong film directors. His film “In the Mood for Love” which gained numerous prizes from international film festivals acknowledges Liu Yichang at the end credit. Sentences from Liu Yichang’s famous novel “Tête-bêche” appeared as inter-titles in the film. Is there any relationship between the two works? On the level of plot and characters, the two works could not be regarded as adaptation in traditional sense. This paper studies the free adaptation of Wong Kar Wai’s film and Liu Yichang’s novel.