This was maybe the best film I could have started with on my journey through the Time Magazine's Top 100 Films . It had a little bit of everything - comedy, drama, action, heroes, villains and enlightenment. A Touch of Zen is an epic tale of good vs. evil, displayed in the high-flying fashion of a classic Chinese wuxia film (plus a touch of the old Western). With spectacular scenic shots and exhilarating martial-arts action scenes, the film is both beautiful and exciting to watch. Timing in at just over three hours, the film takes it's time in uncovering the crux of the plot, but does so with a nice blend of wit and mystery that it doesn't ever start to drag. I liked it. It was a feast for the eyes and boasts an awesome cast of characters portrayed by skilled actors.
What I Liked Best
The cinematography is stunning - despite some shaky camera pans (which may or may not be deliberate). The images of nature, including misty forests of bamboo and softly falling flower petals, are some of the most beautiful I've seen. It gives the audience the sense that we are part of a world that is magical, but also keeps us rooted to the earth. Director King Hu plays with these two worlds in many ways throughout the film, both interweaving and opposing them, and ultimately making for a complex and rich film experience. A good example of this is in the morning scene after "ghosts" have devastated the Red Guard in a memorable night fight scene. In the light of the morning sun, Hu's main character, Ku Shen Chai, carefully walks us through every trick used to defeat the guards. He reveals fake ghosts, booby traps and slingshot devices, and as he does so he is laughing and laughing in delight. It's as if King Hu is laughing at us. Tickled by his ability to play with our sense of reality. Because even though we knew the villagers were playing a trick on the guards, we are still seeing monks walk on air and warriors fly through the air. And we buy it. Because it's beautiful and awesome.
I also enjoyed how funny the film was. Not so much a laugh-out-loud kind of funny, but there was a charming self consciousness to the film. For example, the beginning of the movie has a number of moments that reflect the style of an old Western. A strange man roles into town, wearing a large brimmed hat and carrying weapons at his side. He slowly passes by an old rusty wagon wheel which leans on the wall of the abandoned fortress. The camera cuts to an extreme close up of his eyes as they dart from side-to-side, searching cautiously yet with fear-inducing intensity. It's funny! The film is set during the Ming Dynasty, and the hat is obviously Chinese (instead of a cowboy hat) and he is carrying swords (instead of guns). But it is a conscious shout out to the Western and lets us know that we are watching a film, and that this film will be about good guys and bad guys.
What I Didn't Like
The end. I know, I know. The film is renowned for it's ending. But, to put it simply: I didn't get it. Where is the rest of the story? I loved the first three hours so much, that I wouldn't mind another hour just to wrap it up satisfactorily. I want to know what happens to our heroes. But I don't think that's what King Hu wanted. He intended to leave it open-ended, leaving us with the images of what I think is enlightenment and a discovery of spirituality. But it felt jarring and forced. It felt as if King Hu knew that he had to wrap it up by the third hour, so he threw in a bunch of visual effects and called it enlightenment. I was disappointed. Such care and artistry had gone into the rest of the film, and the ending did not deliver. But perhaps I'm just spoiled by the digital age, or even worse...I'm not in touch with my inner enlightenment.
Would I Recommend This Film?
A big YES! Despite the puzzling ending, this is a masterpiece of a film.
The cinematography is stunning - despite some shaky camera pans (which may or may not be deliberate). The images of nature, including misty forests of bamboo and softly falling flower petals, are some of the most beautiful I've seen. It gives the audience the sense that we are part of a world that is magical, but also keeps us rooted to the earth. Director King Hu plays with these two worlds in many ways throughout the film, both interweaving and opposing them, and ultimately making for a complex and rich film experience. A good example of this is in the morning scene after "ghosts" have devastated the Red Guard in a memorable night fight scene. In the light of the morning sun, Hu's main character, Ku Shen Chai, carefully walks us through every trick used to defeat the guards. He reveals fake ghosts, booby traps and slingshot devices, and as he does so he is laughing and laughing in delight. It's as if King Hu is laughing at us. Tickled by his ability to play with our sense of reality. Because even though we knew the villagers were playing a trick on the guards, we are still seeing monks walk on air and warriors fly through the air. And we buy it. Because it's beautiful and awesome.
I also enjoyed how funny the film was. Not so much a laugh-out-loud kind of funny, but there was a charming self consciousness to the film. For example, the beginning of the movie has a number of moments that reflect the style of an old Western. A strange man roles into town, wearing a large brimmed hat and carrying weapons at his side. He slowly passes by an old rusty wagon wheel which leans on the wall of the abandoned fortress. The camera cuts to an extreme close up of his eyes as they dart from side-to-side, searching cautiously yet with fear-inducing intensity. It's funny! The film is set during the Ming Dynasty, and the hat is obviously Chinese (instead of a cowboy hat) and he is carrying swords (instead of guns). But it is a conscious shout out to the Western and lets us know that we are watching a film, and that this film will be about good guys and bad guys.
What I Didn't Like
The end. I know, I know. The film is renowned for it's ending. But, to put it simply: I didn't get it. Where is the rest of the story? I loved the first three hours so much, that I wouldn't mind another hour just to wrap it up satisfactorily. I want to know what happens to our heroes. But I don't think that's what King Hu wanted. He intended to leave it open-ended, leaving us with the images of what I think is enlightenment and a discovery of spirituality. But it felt jarring and forced. It felt as if King Hu knew that he had to wrap it up by the third hour, so he threw in a bunch of visual effects and called it enlightenment. I was disappointed. Such care and artistry had gone into the rest of the film, and the ending did not deliver. But perhaps I'm just spoiled by the digital age, or even worse...I'm not in touch with my inner enlightenment.
Would I Recommend This Film?
A big YES! Despite the puzzling ending, this is a masterpiece of a film.
King Hu: director
King Hu, Songling Pu (story): writers
Chun Shih, Feng Hsu, Roy Chiao, Ying Bai, Billy Chan: cast3h 20m: running time
mandarin (english subtitles): language
King Hu, Songling Pu (story): writers
Chun Shih, Feng Hsu, Roy Chiao, Ying Bai, Billy Chan: cast3h 20m: running time
mandarin (english subtitles): language
Oona,
ReplyDeleteSomehow I entirely missed this film. Thanks for bringing it to my attention and for the review. I want to see it. It sounds beautiful and entertaining. Please ask David to write a new ending that you can film for me.