Films like this put me in a very difficult position. Some of you may remember my first review of “Ong-Bak”. I then gave it an “A” (5/5). Be that as it may, he deserved it. This was a great entertaining film with some great martial arts on display. But considering that Merantau is much, much better than Ong Bak, I started to consider giving it a higher A rating.
This may seem too pretentious, but for those who have seen both films, the fact is quite obvious. “Merantau” is a brilliant showcase of complex martial arts, in which the fights are seamlessly combined with the characters, and the camera captures it all perfectly. There are no flashy repetitive shots here - just good, old-fashioned shots that focus all the attention on the two (or thirty) opposing fighters. This complements the action on screen, showing the intensity of the fights without the added help of editing or camera tricks.
In addition, the plot is truly expressive, the characters are well thought out, and after watching it I felt for them all, even the villains. It's a simple story that's been told countless times before, but in Merantau, thanks to the writing skills of writer/director Gareth Evans, it comes off very well. He managed to create the impossible - an action movie with deep meaning. The key to this, most likely, was the dense emotional scenes and dialogue, consisting of more than just the usual cliches. This way, there is a connection with the characters, and we don't have to wait endlessly for the end of the dramatic episodes to enjoy the fight scenes.
Another success factor is the huge number of fights. Unlike some militants, in “Merantau” the battles take place one after another. A big initial battle doesn't mean you have to spend an hour watching the plot develop and be discouraged until the final battle. No, my friends. This is a hint at the insane number of fights that you will witness. For example: while in some films, where a girl is kidnapped, and the main character wanders around for several scenes and thinks about how he will penetrate the villains' lair in an old mill/disco/estate, in “Merantau”, after the girl is kidnapped, Yuda knocks out kicks in the door and brutally beats the kidnappers. Why waste time making plans when we all know perfectly well that in any case everything will end in a fight? In “Merantau” such issues are resolved simply - with a boot in the face.
Of course, there are plenty of weak fighters who easily fall from Yuda’s fists, but there are also a fair number of fights with fighters of equal strength. The best example is the final fight scene with two bosses who happen to be the strongest fighters in the gang. The scene is complex and quite lengthy, with a bloody ending. But what’s more interesting is the fight choreography itself and how the opponents learn from each other. They develop throughout the fight, look for each other’s weaknesses, take advantage of this, learning from their own mistakes. Hand on heart, I will say that this last fight is one of the best I have seen in the entire history of the films I have watched.
But a lot of movies have great fights, right? That's what this genre is for. The difference is that here I actually cared about the characters and it just made the fights better. The winner attracted my attention not only because he was a “hero,” but because he earned my respect and was fully connected to the people around him whom he was trying to save. The connection between the villains and the protagonist, understanding and respecting the skill of their opponent, also helps. Unlike the stereotypical cigar-smoking mafia boss, Ratger (Mads Caudall) and Luke (Lauren Buson), having smashed Yuda's jaw with a fist, would gladly offer him a job rather than order two stupid thugs to throw him into a river somewhere. Something like that. The fights become more brutal and funnier at the same time.
Speaking of cruelty, there is a scene in the film that is simply ingrained in my brain, since there was no more amazing stunt in more than one fight in Ong-Bak. I hate to spoil it, but I will say that it can teach a valuable lesson about not jumping off a building onto your opponent, and will probably go down in history as the “Pole Scene.”
Picking my jaw up from the dirty floor, after half an hour or so, I realized that there was a lot I didn’t understand. That's the combination the film works with - explosive sequences combined with a sincere emotional component. The relationship between Yuda and his mother is recreated simply, but, as in the case of the relationship between Yuda and the girl Astri, it is built surprisingly restrained. Winning the battle completes everything, and the film's ending is one of the most powerful I've seen in a martial arts film.
“Merantau” doesn’t skimp on showcasing Silat or the emotional values of the characters. It builds strong connections between on-screen characters and there are no long delays between fights.
- Plus: great fight scenes, tight script, great characters, good acting, the pole scene and the last fight.
- Less: I'll have to rethink the rating. “Ong-Baka”.
Interesting fact: Mads Cowdel, who plays the main villain, looks like he's been practicing martial arts his whole life, but he'd never actually fought before this movie.
Author: Dr. Cole Abaius
Source: filmschoolrejects
Translation: EvilDollaR
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Tags: Merantau Warrior, Gareth Evans, Iko Uwais, Laurent Buson, Mads Coudal
Tags: Merantau Warrior, Gareth Evans, Iko Uwais, Laurent Buson, Mads Coudal
EvilDollaR, when do you think “Merantau” will be online
or on sale? Is there any information about this? We've been waiting for so long!
Thank you in advance.
I will update the page as information becomes available. Premieres and releases. Stop by.