Amphetamine

What a beautiful relationship with such an underlying fault.

From the very opening shot of a naked, silver-coated, angel-winged man standing high above the Hong Kong City to the two men beneath the water, surrounded by white robes; this film was a visual feast.
The poor, straight Kafka practicing his martial arts on a cliff-top, city in the distance. The rich, gay Daniel in a sports car speeding to a small temple. Kafka and his girlfriend having sex before his little shrine. The two men bungy jumping from the incomplete bridge; that giant symbol that the two men will never forge a connection. Their love was fantasy propped by these visually saturated scenes.

It really highlights what I feel is our biggest human failing: our ability to live in denial. What we desire will be fulfilled if we absolutely refuse to face the reality. Their's was an impossible relationship. Although, it seemed so perfect for for a while. At first Kafka understood the "game"; parading himself for Daniel; keeping Daniel interested. But slowly a genuine bond seemed to grow. But how could it have been. Kafka just needed somebody to love him. Anybody. Horribly, his relationship with Daniel seemed to compound, not resolve, the pain of his rape. And there's a brilliant moment where Kafka spells Daniel's name incorrectly, labeling him, Denial.

I'm a sucker for glamorous tragedy . That stunning Kafka reaching such a dazzling high before his fall. And at the moment Daniel was leaving (abandoning?) him is the time that Kafka can literally take the plunge off that bridge so they can be together.

Of course it was never going to work. Daniel's interest was escapism; a rich Australian that can leave it all behind. Kafka's was life and death; a poor local that had lost everyone and himself. Days later the emotion is still with me.