Film Name: 恋战冲绳 / Okinawa: Rendez-vous / 戀戰沖繩
This is a remarkably unassuming film. So unassuming that even with big names like Leslie Cheung, Faye Wong, Tony Leung Ka-fai, and Gigi Lai in the cast, it never gained much recognition; so unassuming that the triad boss in the film abandons his criminal ways to become a devoted lover, and the international thief is solely focused on romance; so unassuming that after watching it, you feel almost no emotional stirrings, as if you’d just drunk a glass of plain water.
Yet despite its ordinariness, the film still weaves threads of emotion that draw you in.
The characters in this story mirror us in real life.
When love takes hold, it haunts your dreams; when favored, one grows reckless.
One morning, she awoke to realize her love for the man beside her had faded. So she quietly took his substantial cash and fled.
Jenny, played by Faye Wong, is a Chinese woman living in Okinawa whose boyfriend is a yakuza boss.
The boss treats her well—learning Chinese to please her, even trying to salvage their relationship after she flees with his money.
But true to Faye Wong’s real-life free spirit, she stays when she loves and leaves when she doesn’t.
Jenny hid in a residential building in the bustling city center and took a job at a small shop called Manza.
There, she encountered two men. One was Hong Kong police officer Lo Hung-tat, played by Tony Leung Ka-fai. The other was Tang Kit, an international thief played by Leslie Cheung.
Both men fell for her.
Tang Kit was an international thief, drifting aimlessly across the globe.
This time, he struck a deal with a triad boss to steal a diary containing the boss’s scandalous affairs from the police station. But during the transaction, the boss’s girlfriend stole the money.
He first encountered Jenny while trying to shake off a Japanese girlfriend who had fallen for him. Disgusted by his sleazy behavior, Jenny threw a paper ball at him.
Playboys are actually quite popular with girls—after all, they know exactly how to make them happy.
Tang Jie’s carefree charm and Jenny’s lively spirit drew them deeply to each other.
They secretly watched each other, yet always put on a cold front when face-to-face.
Tang Jie grew jealous when Jenny dined with other men, while Jenny rushed to warn him when she learned Luo Hongda had set him up.
But neither had ever confessed their feelings.
Luo Hongda works in the Hong Kong Police Force managing archives. Yet he harbors grand ambitions—solving major cases, rising through the ranks, and making a name for himself.
He originally came to Okinawa on vacation with his girlfriend and her best friend. But now, his girlfriend holds no spark of novelty for him.
As he says in the film, “Life often takes unexpected turns. Remember how excited everyone was when the undersea tunnel first opened? But now? My relationship with my girlfriend is like that of a parishioner and their church. At first, I was devout, wanting to go every day. But gradually, I only went on major holidays. The worst part is, I’ve started to lose faith in this whole thing.”
Over time, relationships can become as fragile as a cicada’s wing. Without the right bonds to hold them together, they can easily snap.
His girlfriend was too considerate and obedient, robbing him of any desire to conquer.
The first time Luo Hongda met Jenny, he was captivated by her liveliness.
He began setting traps to catch Tang Jie while simultaneously drawing closer to Jenny.
In the end, he even abandoned his girlfriend, who had been endlessly considerate, just for a chance with Jenny.
Though he could act with impunity in his girlfriend’s world, in Jenny’s world, he could only look up to her.
Sandy, Luo Hongda’s girlfriend portrayed by Li Zi, always affectionately called him “Ada.” She followed his every arrangement and considered his needs in everything.
To others, Luo Hongda was a laughingstock, but in Sandy’s eyes, he was a man.
Time and again, he barked orders: “Men handle things, women stay out of it.” “Police work, women stay out of it.”
He flirted openly with other women in front of her, made her beg for an ice cream, ignored her in bed, and never called when she stayed out all night…
Even so, Sandy clung to her love for Luo Hongda.
Yet despite her utter self-effacement, she still earned only his final breakup.
Fortunately, she eventually found solace with a fellow outcast—a gangster boss—and discovered belonging.
Love left unsaid will never be attained.
After Jenny left, Tang Jie searched endlessly, yet could not find that familiar figure.
One dim night, beside a small shop.
Tang Jie idly smoked a cigarette, then suddenly turned to see Jenny leaning against the railing, swaying gently.
In real life, many farewells become final goodbyes. Yet in films and stories, we still hope that lovers destined to be together will eventually reunite.
To love and to be loved are two different experiences.
We often become so intoxicated by the world of our own affection that we overlook the meticulous care given behind the scenes.
All forms of care deserve respect.
If you possess it, cherish it!
Please specify：Anime Phone Cases » Okinawa: Rendez-vous 2000 Film Review: When you love something, it haunts your dreams; When you’re favored, you grow reckless.