Runtime:
I saw the version that was 180 minutes long
Directed
by: King Hu
Starring:
Feng Hsu, Chun Shih, Ying Bai, Xue Han, Roy Chiao
From:
Union Film
This is an epic from Taiwan which finally got the respect it deserves after it was released in the United States (by Criterion) and in the UK back two summers ago. The film is worth seeing if you want to check out a different sort of wuxia motion picture:
For
awhile now I've known of this 3 hour* wuxia epic but last night I
finally sat down and gave this a shot. 3 hours later I realized I made
an error in putting this off despite its very long runtime. The martial
arts in here are pretty cool-swordplay is what is on display-but those
moments aren't plentiful yet it is alright as the movie is not about
that; instead you find out this picture has a lot it wants to say.
The plot sounds like a standard Shaw Brothers picture, which shouldn't be a surprise as of course King Hu used to work there. A man in his 30's who can be described as ineffectual or effete (he lives with his nagging mother and is definitely henpecked; he wants to be a painter instead of getting a government job) finds out a new girl who lives nearby is actually on the run from some corrupt authorities; they offed the rest of her family but she escapes. All that said, the movie has higher ambitions than a typical Shaw Brothers flick. Plenty of time is spent with the main characters so you get to know them pretty well and it is intriguing seeing how the heroes (which include Roy Chiao and his fellow monks) try to avoid capture. The final half hour or so is pretty beautiful in several different ways, none of which I dare spoil here.
Overall, the movie is a joy to look at between the scenic rural locations and how they were all filmed. As you might suspect from the English title, spirituality is part of the equation, and in fact is rather important. The film dabbles in several different genres and deception is something you should expect to see often. But as I just said this is not a film I want to spoil as there are plenty of unexpected developments and I'd rather let people find out for themselves why people like Tarantino, Ang Lee, Wong Kar-Wai and Zhang Yimou have all been inspired and sometimes paid tribute to this movie in their own works. This is a lyrical treat although to steal a line from someone, the notes being played are more like jazz rather than a classical piece.
* On Amazon the stream of this film is listed as being 170 minutes long; that is not correct. It is 180 minutes exactly.
The plot sounds like a standard Shaw Brothers picture, which shouldn't be a surprise as of course King Hu used to work there. A man in his 30's who can be described as ineffectual or effete (he lives with his nagging mother and is definitely henpecked; he wants to be a painter instead of getting a government job) finds out a new girl who lives nearby is actually on the run from some corrupt authorities; they offed the rest of her family but she escapes. All that said, the movie has higher ambitions than a typical Shaw Brothers flick. Plenty of time is spent with the main characters so you get to know them pretty well and it is intriguing seeing how the heroes (which include Roy Chiao and his fellow monks) try to avoid capture. The final half hour or so is pretty beautiful in several different ways, none of which I dare spoil here.
Overall, the movie is a joy to look at between the scenic rural locations and how they were all filmed. As you might suspect from the English title, spirituality is part of the equation, and in fact is rather important. The film dabbles in several different genres and deception is something you should expect to see often. But as I just said this is not a film I want to spoil as there are plenty of unexpected developments and I'd rather let people find out for themselves why people like Tarantino, Ang Lee, Wong Kar-Wai and Zhang Yimou have all been inspired and sometimes paid tribute to this movie in their own works. This is a lyrical treat although to steal a line from someone, the notes being played are more like jazz rather than a classical piece.
* On Amazon the stream of this film is listed as being 170 minutes long; that is not correct. It is 180 minutes exactly.
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