In The Mood For Love Ending Explained: Possible secrets Chow might have confessed at the Angkor Wat temple

It has been 25 years since Wong Kar-wai's classic romantic film In The Mood For Love was released. Ever since then, this film has been celebrated and revered by many, be it for its captivating storytelling, remarkable performances, and impeccable cinematography.

Actors Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai star in the lead roles. The film follows the plot of two married individuals, Su Li-zhen and Chow Mo-wan, who find out that their respective partners are committing adultery with them. Not only that, their partners are in fact involved with one another. As a result, the two begin a journey of friendship, whilst analyzing their partners' infidelity.

In the course of the film, they fall in love with each other. But fate and situations play a huge role in deciding the future of these lovers. Toward the end of In The Mood For Love, we witness Chow at Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. There, he murmurs an inaudible secret. What could Chow have possibly confessed at the temple?

Let us dive deeper into the ending of In The Mood For Love.

Possibilities regarding Chow's confession in In the Mood for Love, explored

At the end of In The Mood For Love, we witness Chow traveling to Cambodia in the middle of the Vietnam War. We see him at the Angkor Wat temple. He re-enacts a story that he had once narrated to someone back in Singapore. In the story, Chow narrates an archaic story that if anyone bears a secret, they would carve a pit in a tree and utter their secret hushingly. And they would secure the secret by covering it with mud.

So at the temple, Chow murmurs his secret into a pit on the surface of the temple wall, and the story would say, cover it up with mud. We never get to know what exactly Chow whispered in the pit.

What could Chow possibly have uttered? This is a secret he will probably take to his grave. But we, as the viewers, can certainly make assumptions. It is most likely in relation to Su, as both of them have been separated and are yearning to reconcile.

There can be multiple predictions for it. Did Chow know that Su lives in Mrs. Suen's previous apartment and still chose not to meet her? Or it could simply be that Chow might have strongly manifested for the ultimate reconciliation with Su this one last time.

How does it lead to the ending of In the Mood for Love?

The story of In The Mood For Love begins in the year 1962, in Hong Kong. Su and Chow are practically strangers living next to each other. Both Su and Chow are married to their respective partners. However, both of them spend a lot of time in solitude as their partners are away most of the time due to work.

Su and Chow begin their interactions in the form of humble greetings. However, soon, they both come to know the truth that ruins their perspective of their marriages. They realize that their partners have been involved with each other, which means Su and Chow are being cheated on in their relationships. As a result, Su and Chow begin interacting more, resulting in a close connection.

They begin acting out the situations that could have sparked the affair between Su's husband and Chow's wife. Su also helps Chow with writing a Wuxia script. But one time, while acting out one of the scenes, Su becomes overwhelmed and disturbed. However, later they both reconcile after staying apart for some time.

Soon we get to know that Chow has been offered a job opportunity in Singapore. He asks Su to come and join him on this journey, but Su fails to show up at his hotel room on time. Hence, they do not go together.

A year passes by, and Chow is now in Singapore. Su does attempt to connect with him in Singapore, as she calls him. But when Chow answers, Su does not say a word. She also goes to Chow's place, as he finds a burnt cigarette laced with a lipstick mark. Looking at this, he realizes Su's presence at his apartment.

Three years after that event, Su and her son move into her former landlady, Mrs At the same time, Chow returns to Hong Kong and visits his old place, where he talks to the Koo's, his former homeowners. He inquires about the tenant who moved into the apartment when Mrs Suen moved out. He learns that a woman and a child live there, but Chow does not know that it is none other than Su and her son.

Yet again, Su and Chow are brought back together by fate. But somehow, every time in In The Mood For Love, they are only just one thing away to prevent them from a very satisfying reconciliation.

Wong Kar-wai's filmmaking style has been a huge influence on the world of cinema. His unique usage of color and his narrative style have been noted as his distinct style. One such film is the 2000 film In The Mood For Love.