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With all that late work and Olympics it took some time. Watched it last night and even though my wife didn't like it, I fell under its spell.I liked actually it less last night, but it has grown on me since. Some images and sounds are beginning to haunt me.
I simply loved the girl with a mule, that was truly masterful in its suspense. But the whole film with its tension with no resolution - like someone is pulling tendons out of your body, with no relief. You feel like you are drawn into the screen, even though little is happening there.
I could use less of the fighting scenes, done in his usual choppy way, I think they distracted more than they added, they could easily be cut by 80% or so without losing the tension, I think. But some quick shots there were incredibly expressive.
Most of the film's attration I can't explain - as it is almost hypnotic and not through your brain. You could not take your eyes away from the hero's face, from the beatifully shot landscapes, even though you could not tell why. The combination of intertwined images and sounds is haunting and unforgettable.
Follow Ups:
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I know nothng about the 96 film, just know it exists.
Great Movie, I saw that in Hong Kong many years ago. Has it been released here in the states?
Sorry, but I forgot to mention this..the great moment of relief comes when we cut back to Leslie in the room with the image of his ex. Also, his realization that there isn't always something better on the other side of the n mountain, hence the contrast with the Beggar King, who's perfectly satisfied with his lot. The exquisite symmetry is that they both achieve apotheosis at each other's hands...that's the smile at the end of the film..a brief flicker of the past/future (?) battle.The Buddhist saying which prefaces the film is his thesis..the film which follows is his argument.
Oh yes..also he picks up the egg before he leaves his inn.( sorry for my fractured post..I haven't seen the film in some time, and details are only slowly coming back)
Regards,
A.
Thank you Andrew, your explanations are good. I am in the early stages of digesting of that film and it looks like it deserves some more time. You are right, some of those cultural things were hard to get, but that hardly reduces the overal impact with plenty to note on the purely artistic level.
Hello Victor,I am really happy to hear that it had a chance to cast its spell on you. The most common complaint/question I have hear is that the voiceovers are difficult to follow, probably due to the unfamiliar voices and names.Like the names chosen for the 'siblings'..MouRong Yin and MouRong Yang etc.
certainly give more of an immediate clue to the character. The It certainly does not attempt to make it easy on the viewer.Since you have mentioned a desire to watch it again, I hope you do so, as it certainly bears revisiting. The film is actually an adaptation of a famous novel, thus the Chinese title, which roughly translates into something like 'Evil East, Poisonous West'..the names of the two main protagonists. It is a swordfighting 'martial world'( XingWu) novel..sort of like pulps over here. Obviously by the time the story went through WKW's hand's, the only thing left were the names, since he'd completely subverted it to examine his usual theme of time and memory...as can be seen not just in the content, but also the nonlinear way the story unfolds.
A minor caveat....the film exists in several forms..I believe the Taiwanese print has a bit more swordfighting ( shows are frequently cut longer for release there..in HK they want it chop chop) Not sure which version you saw. If it's in mandarin, then it's likely to be the taiwanese version.
Did you like the story? I was bowled over when he cuts back to the' hero' ( Leslie Cheung ) and we see the same image of his ex ( now his brother's wife ), or at least that's whom he imagines is in the room with him, even though it is actually the character of MouRong Yin,( are people reading this confused yet?) caressing him later on in the show after all the story has been revealed, as the added baggage has so much more resonance. Luvverly.
Also the cast is stupendous. Leslie and Jacky ( itinerant swordfighter who loses a finger ) are part of the HK pop pantheon...literally called "the 4 Heavenly/ Sky Princes'..imagine having Michael Jackson at the height of his popularity and Elvis in the same film..and they can act. the donkey girl is a star from taiwan..teeny bopper fave. They two Tony Leungs, called big Tony and Little Tony (long haired fighter and blind swordfighter respectively ) are very big..the former in that French film The Lover, and little Tony..well, you know him as the cop from Chungking Express. I believe I've already mentioned Brigitte Lin in a previous post.
If you have any questions, please feel free. Like I'd mentioned before, there are a ton of cultural references..e.g. when he mention 'the book', he means the I Ching erc. Just in case I've never mentioned it..I absolutely love this film.
Regards,
A.
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