"Fallen Angels" (天使の涙), Original Japanese First-Release Movie Poster 1996, Wong Kar-wai, B2 Size (51 × 73 cm) L166A

This is an original Japanese B2 poster printed for the first Japanese theatrical release in 1996 of Wong Kar-wai’s acclaimed 1995 Hong Kong film Fallen Angels (墮落天使). Released in Japan under the title Tenshi no Namida (天使の涙, “Angel’s Tears”), the film was written and directed by Wong Kar-wai, with celebrated cinematography by Christopher Doyle.

Film background

Originally developed from an episode conceived during the creation of Chungking Express, Fallen Angels became a darker, nocturnal companion to that earlier film. Its interwoven stories follow a disillusioned contract killer, the female agent who secretly longs for him, an impulsive gold-haired woman, a mute former prisoner who takes over closed businesses at night, and a young woman struggling with heartbreak.

The ensemble cast features Leon Lai, Michelle Reis, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Charlie Yeung, and Karen Mok. Through fragmented storytelling, distorted wide-angle photography and intense nocturnal colour, the film explores loneliness, desire and fleeting human connection within the restless streets of Hong Kong. It has become one of Wong Kar-wai’s most recognisable works and a defining example of 1990s Asian cinema.

Poster design

The design is dominated by Karen Mok as the gold-haired woman, photographed beside a public telephone in a dramatically distorted composition. Her traditional patterned qipao contrasts with her unruly dyed hair, while the saturated greens, yellows and amber tones evoke the fluorescent interiors and nocturnal atmosphere that define the film.

The Japanese title 天使の涙 appears in enormous yellow characters along the right side, overlaid with the English title Fallen Angels in flowing red script. The vertical tagline reads もう、天使の恋はとまらない。—“Now, the angel’s love can no longer be stopped.” The director and principal cast are listed vertically at the left, completing a distinctly Japanese design that perfectly captures the film’s combination of romantic melancholy, urban alienation and 1990s Hong Kong style.

This poster is in excellent+ condition and presents beautifully, with strong colours and an exceptionally striking image area (please refer to the imagery of the exact poster for sale).

It is 30 years old.

It is not a reproduction or a reprint.

Certificate of Authenticity included.