China Film Journal

None of the recent wuxia martial art epics can seem to avoid the the endemic schlockiness of the genre, so as a viewer we are just content to find one that isn’t altogether too offensive in this regard. We think that Three Kingdoms manages to do that. There’s some good action, though nothing you haven’t seen before — the hail of spears and arrows, the beheaded enemies, the evil vixen (Maggie Q) playing pipa while men are being slaughtered, and of course, the de rigeur moral message about the evils of war and humanity’s inability to end violence with violence.

The film is based on one of the classics of Chinese literature, The Three Kingdoms> (三国演义), and focuses mostly on the
character of Zhao Zilong (赵子龙), one of the legendary warriors in the book. There’s nothing to deep or particularly memorable about his journey from being a nobody in the army to becoming legendary heartthrob general, but Andy Lau does a competent enough job of it, even though his perfect teeth don’t really jibe with the character.

There are great actors like Ti Lung, and then there are not so great actors, like Maggie Q, Van Ness Wu (he of F4 boy band fame), and Sammo Hung.We’ve been reading some reviews, and most of them seem to say something alone the lines of what we read in Cinema Online:

With “Kingdoms”, you feel that it could have been a five star film if a few things were improved here and there. Before John Woo’s “Red Cliff” hits the screens, it’s still a good bet for almost-there entertainment. One thing though – Vanness Wu should never be in the same picture as Lung Ti. Harshly said, boy band members have no place in war epics, at least not one with Shaw Brothers’ icons in it.

Twitch has a slightly more critical view of the film:

These days with so many period epics on the way or already released, you can literally create a checklist for their requisites. Beautiful costumes: check. Stylish weapons: check. Breathtaking landscapes: check. Armies of thousands: check. Exciting martial arts and action sequences?

This genre has really gone the way of “all style and no substance” which is somewhat ironic, given that the whole reason why the Three Kingdoms is such a classic in the Chinese world is not just because it’s a good yarn, but because it’s moving. The characters are moving. Their relationships, their words, deeds, and actions are memorable. People know so much of these stories by heart. That’s a challenge to any filmmaker, so believe us that we aren’t trying to slag off this director as not worthy of the challenge; few directors could be. However, you’d think that character development would not be as short-shrifted as it regularly is.

Fans of wuxia and Three Kingdoms might like this one, the rest of you should not encounter any existential crisis if you miss it.

Well, we think so. The question is whether or not they were even re-summoned to the censors in the first place. After what happened to Tang Wei over her Lust, Caution performance, filmmakers hoping for theatrical release in China have gotten nervous. The Independent reports on China’s new regulations regarding film content:

As so often, the index of censors’ dislikes provides a fascinating insight into the dark desires of the general populace. China is a deeply formal society, reserved, even prudish, on matters sexual, although growing openness in society has led to greater permissiveness. Directors must not produce films that depict hardcore sexual activity, rape, prostitution or nudity. “Vulgar dialogue or music and sound effects with a sexual connotation” are also out.Any content involving “murder, violence, horror, evil spirits and devils and excessively terrifying scenes, conversations, background music and sound effects” is banned. The list forbids films that “distort the civilisation and history of China or other nations … or … tarnish the image of revolutionary leaders, heroes, important historic characters, members of the armed forces, police and judicial bodies.”

Other banned subjects include the reconstruction of crimes or films that reveal police investigatory techniques. Movies that advocate nihilism, environmental damage, animal abuse and the capture or killing of rare animals will also be on the censor’s list.

Ah, what little the censors know about films and film culture. Just like having basketball courts open at midnight saved inner-city American youth from doing drugs and committing crimes, so quality movies — the kind that you tend to get more of when you’re free to make films the way you see fit — can keep Chinese teenagers from becoming nihilistic, capturing rare animals, and tarnishing the reputation of judicial bodies.

The two films in question, one a rape of Nanking movie helmed by Roger Spottiswoode and starring Chow Yun-Fat and Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and the other (Three Kingdoms：Resurrection of the Dragon that is) a historical action/drama with Andy Lau, have, according to this article not had to face the censors again, meaning that their same day release on April 3rd is still a goer.

Sorta related note: Did you know that “http://batgwa.com/story.php?id=706″>Chow Yun-fat is an amateur photographer and that some of his photographic works are on display at the Louis Vuitton flagship store in Hong Kong? Some of his pictures are, not surprisingly, behind-the-scenes looks at the movies that he’s been in.

Technorati Tags: chow yun-fat, huangshi, rapeofnanking, nanjing, films, historical, threekingdoms, andy lau, 劉德華, 三國演義, 黃石的孩子, 周潤發, 南京大屠殺

As far as war films go, few films stoop as low as The Warlords,Peter Chan’s painfully stupid and unengaging post kung-fu vision starring Jet Li, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro. In this painful-to-watch dung heap, Li Plays a general who survives a battle that leaves the rest of his army dead. After pulling himself out from under a mound of dead bodies, he stumbles into a crumbling village where he meets up with a band of rogues, which he soon joins. Life as a bandit doesn’t work out well for him or his new comrades however, so the group joins the regular army to begin a legitimate rape and pillage career after Li and his two closest buddies swear a blood oath.

The Warlords was supposed to mark a turning point in Chinese cinema, a step toward gritty realism and away from kung-fu fantasy. And there is no reason why this attempt should’ve failed so miserably. Li had previously sworn off the fantasy pictures that made him a household name. And Chan made numerous comments about wanting to steer clear of exaggerated action.

For whatever reason, decision makers were not able to control themselves. They infuse this film with comical fantasy violence. Sword thrusts pierce bodies as though the bodies were empty plastic cola bottles, and heroes bounce around like trained acrobats. When one of them is run through with a sword, arrow, or blunt pole, the hero shows no sign of pain. Pain is nearly as uncommon for his foe, who drops dead the moment a weapon either touches him or becomes tucked under his arm pit. Thus, the film never escapes its fate as a low-grade kung-fu war film.

Still, far be it for anyone to disparage low-grade kung-fu war films. Such films have a lot of heart, a bit of philosophical insight or some fun at very least. None of these qualities can be found in this time waster. The three new amigos sack one city after another, and the film hardly slows down to explore their friendship or even their characters. Sure the three warlords stick together through thick and thin, but there doesn’t seem to be much reason for them to do so. Their friendships are never believable.

And even less comprehendable is the love interest that is even more underdeveloped and unnecessary to the story.These weaknesses would be bad enough, but The Warlords combines its awful fantasy elements and brain dead story/character development with awful melodrama to create a total offense on anyone unlucky enough to see this film. Li’s character, for example, repeatedly makes a difficult decision to betray a friendship for a greater good. And along with this decision comes a close-up of his tearful eyes. Violins begin playing. Rain falls. Then a mournful voice-over explains the tragic consequences. It’s all so laughable, and so manipulative, that it is as if the filmmakers heard a few Hollywood stereotypes and then decided to copy them.

And just to kick this dead horse one more time, I’ll add that not only is this film stupid, it is also ugly. War is presented as game and theater, a fun adventure that any healthy teenage boy would want a piece of. If the filmmakers wished to convey such a dangerous message, they could’ve at least made the film more interesting to watch.