01-04-2013, 10:56 AM
A 2010 flick from director Chen Kaige (Farewell My Concubine) based on an ancient Chinese play. It's a revenge tale. A despot annihilates the Zhao clan and in the holocaust, a doctor's wife and baby are 'sacrificed', leaving the doc to raise the last orphan of Zhao. His plan is to raise the boy to build a loving relationship with the childless despot, and then have the boy kill the despot. Wang Xueqi is brilliant as the despot. Wang is emerging as a fine character actor. Remember him - he'll be in Iron Man 3.
The film begins with some great fight scenes and sword fights.
Then there's a lull of 15 years for the doctor to raise the orphan. 15 years but it feels longer. It's a beautiful film - the costumes and set pieces are magnificent, like many period films coming out of China now - and the lull has its emotional points, but it really drags in contrast to the bookend action.
Then there's the final confrontations, a good mounted battle in a forest and an emotional sword fight finale (with some wire-flying but not too much) which is pretty satisfying.
See the beginning, then fast forward to the end.
There is a lot of horse violence (looks real, not CGI).
The film begins with some great fight scenes and sword fights.
Then there's a lull of 15 years for the doctor to raise the orphan. 15 years but it feels longer. It's a beautiful film - the costumes and set pieces are magnificent, like many period films coming out of China now - and the lull has its emotional points, but it really drags in contrast to the bookend action.
Then there's the final confrontations, a good mounted battle in a forest and an emotional sword fight finale (with some wire-flying but not too much) which is pretty satisfying.
See the beginning, then fast forward to the end.
There is a lot of horse violence (looks real, not CGI).
Shadow boxing the apocalypse