OVERLAY REPORT

In the theatrical cut of Wong Kar-wai’s *In the Mood for Love*, the question of whether Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-zhen consummate their relationship is left **intentionally ambiguous**, though the overwhelming thematic weight of the film suggests they do **not**. However, the full answer is more complex when looking at the production history and deleted material. Here is the breakdown based on specific details: ### 1. The Theatrical Cut: The "We Won't Be Like Them" Rule Throughout the film, the central tension is built on the phrase, "We won't be like them." Chow and Su are brought together by the shared trauma of their spouses' infidelity. To maintain a sense of moral superiority or self-preservation, they constantly remind themselves that they are different from their cheating partners. * **The Rehearsals:** Much of their "intimacy" is staged. They role-play how their spouses might have started the affair or how they will confront them. This creates a barrier where even their genuine emotions are filtered through performance. * **Room 2046:** Chow rents a room in a hotel (Room 2046) so they can work on a martial arts serial together without the neighbors gossiping. While they spend nights together there, the film emphasizes the distance—showing them writing, eating noodles, or simply sitting near each other. * **The "Goodbye" Scene:** When they practice saying goodbye in the rain, Su Li-zhen breaks down. This moment suggests a deep emotional consummation, but physically, they remain restrained. ### 2. The Deleted Scene: The Definitive Answer While the final film thrives on longing and restraint, Wong Kar-wai actually **did film a sex scene** between the two characters. In the deleted scenes (which have been released in various Criterion and special edition collections), there is a sequence where Chow and Su are in Room 2046. Unlike the chaste scenes in the final cut, they are shown in bed together, and it is explicitly clear they have slept together. **Why it was cut:** Wong Kar-wai decided that showing the physical act ruined the "mood" of the film. He felt that the essence of the story was the *repression* of desire and the tragedy of what is left unsaid. By removing the scene, the characters remain "pure" in their suffering, distinguishing them from their spouses. ### 3. The 1966 Sequence and the "Secret" At the end of the film, Chow travels to Angkor Wat and whispers a secret into a hole in a stone wall, plugging it with moss. * If they **did not** sleep together: The secret is likely his unrequited love and the pain of a missed opportunity. * If they **did** sleep together: The secret is that he broke the "We won't be like them" rule and became exactly like the people who hurt him. ### 4. The Subtle Clue (The Slipper) There is a minor detail regarding a pair of slippers. Su Li-zhen leaves a pair of her slippers in Chow’s apartment/room to avoid making noise or being caught. In some interpretations, the "missing" slippers or the way they are positioned suggests a level of comfort and domesticity that hints at a physical relationship, but again, the film uses this more as a symbol of their secret proximity than proof of sex. ### Conclusion Based strictly on the **theatrical film**, the answer is **no**. The tragedy of the movie is that they deny themselves the one thing they want most because of their pride and their desire to remain "better" than their spouses. Based on the **production and deleted footage**, the answer is **yes**; the actors performed it and the director captured it, but he ultimately chose to "erase" that reality to make the story more haunting.