The idea of a dispassionate parody of the rigid codes of combat in the world of martial arts in the film "The Sword Identity" good, but it is presented too academically for a feature film. Debut director Xu Haofeng - the only BI novelist (as well as a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy, theater playwright, film critic, Taoist and martial artist) who became a director. But what works on paper in his novels looks stiff and childish on the big screen, more suited to a half-hour short than a film over two hours long.
The film is a significantly modified adaptation of one of the old novels Haofeng, has a clearly comic twist: master swordsmen, lost in their thoughts, can be defeated with the help of a simple trick with a bamboo pole performed by a dancer. But the film, which depicts even the smallest details of clothing and weapons of the Ming Dynasty, looks fresh compared to most films of this genre. But in the midst of this historical detail Xu too often loses sight of the importance of storytelling, making the plot difficult to follow with its many twists and turns. The dark comedy elements that were supposed to make the overall concept into one entertaining whole are also lost.
Xu worked as martial arts consultant for the film Wong Kar Wai “The Grandmasters”, so fights in "The Sword Identity" deliberately staged in a fast and brutal manner, where a couple of movements decide the outcome of the fight. This approach is not new to the genre, but in the absence of visual effects, it looks like a satire of films with sword fights, and in some places it is quite interesting. However, after the first 30 minutes Xu doesn't offer viewers anything new, and the film becomes more and more like a school assignment done once again, in which glimpses of the unfolding fights lose their freshness.
The city is depicted in gray tones with a mixture of colored costumes of the dancer girls - this is combined with the “realism” of the film. Among the members of the cast, consisting mainly of newcomers, a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy stands out for his charisma. Song Yang as a mysterious swordsman who upsets the status quo, and also one-quarter French and model/actress Xu Fujing in the humorous role of a dancer belonging to an ethnic minority. Of two experienced actors Ma Jun manages to look exactly like the unshakable terracotta warrior in the role of local villain Tse, and a real fighter Yu Chenghui, who played the enemy in 1982 Jet Li in film “Shaolin Temple”, with his long white beard and conical hat, looks like he stepped straight out of ancient Chinese scrolls.
Xu, who acted as the producer, screenwriter, director, editor and choreographer of the film (!), clearly has the makings of a real cinematographer, but to fully reveal his personal vision, he needs to work together with experienced people.
Author: Derek Alley
Source: filmbiz.asia
Translation: EvilDollaR
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Tags: The Sword Identity, Ma Jun, Song Yang, Xu Fujing, Xu Haofeng, Yu Chenghui
Tags: The Sword Identity, Ma Jun, Song Yang, Xu Fujing, Xu Haofeng, Yu Chenghui
The film will be released in China on February 24th, and a DVD with English should appear in May. subtitles.
I don’t care about the review, I’m waiting for the movie! :)