Wong Kar-Wai‘s romantic epic “In the Mood for Love” is not only one of the greatest films of the 21st century, it also has a phenomenal soundtrack by Michael Galasso. Now that the film is celebrating its 20th anniversary, we are living in Wong Kar-Wai’s world. After a criterion release of the film, Mondo is joining the party with a new vinyl release of the film’s soundtrack, and we are thrilled to give our readers an exclusive look at Mondo’s upcoming soundtrack and poster for Wong Kar-Wai’s masterpiece.
READ MORE: Criterion Announces ‘World Of Wong Kar-Wai’ Box Set Featuring 4K Restorations Of 7 Films
Mondo is premiering the North American vinyl release of the soundtrack for “In the Mood for Love,” which is soundtracked by a compilation of the original score by Michael Galasso, Shigeru Umebayashi and period-specific songs by Nat King Cole, various Chinese Opera, and historic Pingtan recordings. Wong Kar-Wai and Michael Galasso make the music a character in the film, representing the huge distance between the two protagonists, full of promise, sadness and missed connections.
When we made a list of the 50 Best Romantic Films of the 21st Century So Far, there was no doubt that “In the Mood for Love” would top that list. The film stars Maggie Cheung and Tony Chiu-Wai Leung as two neighbors who try to understand the suspected extramarital activities of their respective spouses, and how they try to keep their relationship platonic as to not do further wrong. It’s a swooning, smoldering, gorgeous-to-look-at, and heartbreaking work that you won’t soon forget.
Mondo’s release features artwork by Greg Ruth, fully approved by Wong Kar-Wai himself, featuring both the film’s soundtrack as well as Galasso’s score. Plus, it comes with an exclusive bonus track.
Both the poster and the soundtrack go on sale on Wednesday, February 10.
Check out the artwork and poster for the release below: