ronchow

First of, since 'The City of Life and Death' and 'Kekexili' I have become a fan of mainland China director Lu Chuan. I did not know about this film but somehow, through indirect references, I found out about it and decided to purchase a DVD to see it.

And a good thing I have a DVD, for I needed to watch it more than once to truly grasp the gist of the film. The story line is based on a piece of history in the period of around 200 BC, toward the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is a story of allies turned mortal enemies, trust, mistrust, and the deadly outcome when a woman, here a queen, got involved in the King's decisions.

There are no epic battles and brutal action here, although there are a couple of scenes of torture and execution. The plot and pace are both slow. So I can see why many people will not like it. But if you have the patience, this is a visually impressive film that told a complex story. DVD is the best medium as you can pause, backtrack or watch it for a 2nd or 3rd time to fully understand the plot.

First off, I saw a DVD version of this film, so I did not have the luxury of enjoying 100% of the beautiful camera work that comes with this film. Second, I am a fan of Hou's work so my view may be biased.

Having said that, this is one slow, meditative martial art film, totally unlike other martial art films such as Ip Man. The camera pans very slowly, and most of the time the sound track is quiet. Words are sparsely spoken. Fighting is infrequent and short: as in Kurosawa's samurai films, the fight is settled quickly, sometimes with the defeated unhurt but walking away because he/she realizes that defeat has been the outcome.

Both the camera work and the settings are exceptionally well done, providing a visual feast. I understand the films was shot in Taiwan, mainland China and Japan, although I couldn't tell which was which.

To conclude, while knowing some people would find the film too slow and boring, I enjoy it a greatly. Characters are many and the plot is not easy to follow. That means at least a second viewing is required. Glad I have the DVD!

Since I viewed 'The World' and 'Still Life' from director Jia ZK a few years back, I have become a fan of this 6th generation film director from China. In this film he explored the ugly side of China, amid its prosperity (at least for some), GDP growth and blatant capitalism. It is about the contrast between the average person trying to make a decent living, and the corrupt officials and bandits that got rich quick. The film contains 4 stories, loosely linked together. Corruption, prostitution, social injustice, stressful lives of migrant workers in the World's Factories in the southern part of the country are all the issues explored and exposed here. Gosh, I am glad this film was allowed to be made by the Chinese government. I bet Jia's international fame has something to do with it.

All in all, I enjoyed the film greatly. I once worked and lived in China for a number of years so the stories relate to me quite easily. For now, I hope Jia can continue to do his work, with the freedom and liberty that he has so far enjoyed. I look forward to more of his work.