Tsui Hark's "Seven Swords"

[GeneChing]

According to two others who saw the film with the sound, the plot makes little sense. Maybe it would have been clearer in the 4-hour version, but neither of them thought Seven Swords was of much merit. Perhaps it's better without sound because it makes it more abstract. I had me guessing a lot, assuming that there was something behind everything, when in fact (or at least according to these two other viewers) it was just babble, wasted film. Given this new insight, my suggestion is that if you see Seven Swords, focus on the red lantern fight in the beginning, the villainess, and the final fight in the corridor. The rest might bore you. Or you could turn off the sound like I did (unvoluntarily). Sometimes, less *is* more.

[grlyncher99]

Illegal downloading and bootlegging is bad. Ironic you did it from a chinese film.

[SimonM]

The DVD is being hyped in all the DVD/VCD stores in Lishi right now. I'll pick up a copy tomorow and give it a watch. I'll tell you all what I think afterwards.

[SimonM]

Otherwise known as the super-angst friends VS. the evil goths...

It seems to clock in at about 2.5 hours or 150 minutes. A far cry from four hours but still not a walk in the park. Especially since the entire film is in Mandarin - a language that (though I am more versant than the average white North American) I am FAR from fluent in. There were subtitles... In Chinese. Considering my vast knowlege of about 50 characters this was not particularly helpful.

Picture if you will watching Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Special Edition, having never read the book and never seen the theatrical release, in a language where you understand one word in twenty and about one complete sentence in a hundred.

That being said I really liked this film. The action was entertaining, the plot seemed straightforward enough (though I am a little bit confused about the wavy sword that was dug up by the bad-guy and then NEVER USED) from my limited grasp of dialogue and rapt attention to on-screen action. The bottle of sub-standard (expensive by Chinese standards) Cabarnet may have helped matters somewhat.

The film quality seemed just fine in my opinion. I rarely had difficulty discerning who was speaking, just what the h311 they were saying.

It did remind me considerably of another movie. It was the first movie I watched on TV after coming to China. Aside from DVDs I rarely watch TV. I am not overly fond of Chinese television; their innovative programming was not the reason I decided to come here. However occasionaly I will put on the CCTV movie channel. It was there I saw Kung Fu Mahjong (two hours of my life I will never reclaim) and this other movie. It featured a one-armed fighter, armed with a cleaver on a length of chain who spun (yes, spun) his way through an army of Goths and Road Warrior rejects until he had a rather exciting final battle with a guy whose Dao had about a million and one special features. Don't suppose anyone knows what this movie was called per-chance...

Anyway, back to Seven Swords...

I mentioned earlier LoTR: Two Towers, SE. This was for a reason. It was of comparable length to the Two Towers SE. Like Two Towers it was comprised of long dramatic scenes punctuated by often extended periods of rather graphic violence. It was a fantasy plot that centered around a battle of good vs. evil that was (yes) slightly murkier than Rohirrim vs. Orcs but still relatively well delineated by prop, costume and character behaviour (Stoic good guys vs. overly emotional and perverse villians). Oh yeah and at one point the (mostly) helpless townfolk hid in an extensive system of caves while the warriors did battle.


Now just a few questions that perhaps Gene can answer...

1: What was with the sword that the villain dug up and then didn't bother to ever ues in battle?

2: Why, oh why, did Donnie Yen's character decide to go smash the statue and why in the world did he feel it was necessary to bring his damaged-goods girlfriend?

3: Where can I get a copy of that sword that doubles as a tree-felling axe and a baseball bat.

4: Will an english-subtitled version ever be available here in the Middle Kingdom or will I just have to learn more Po Tong Hua to make sense of the dialogue in this movie?

Ratings:

Cinematography: 7/10
Action: 8/10
Plot: Um.... Ask somebody who speaks Chinese.
Music: 3/10 (The la la la on the DVD menu drove me around the twist!!!)

Overall 7/10

Land Sun Cabarnet: Approx 35 RMB per bottle at Kaixingyu Supermarket, second most expensive Wine available. 3/10

[SimonM]

Hey Gene? You there?

[SPJ]

I will try to get a copy and see it.

Then comes the critical analysis.

[SPJ]

As promised. I bought the VCD and watched it.

It is ok. It is a bit long.

The plot is between the general Feng Huo Lian Cheng and the retired official Fu from the Ming dynasty.

The Qing emperor had a order to ban all MA practice in the civilian circles. Whoever practice MA will be done for or Li Zhan Jue. So the greedy general slaughtered the innocent so as to collect 300 Lian money for each person.

The villiage of Wu or Wu Zhuang was populated with Heaven and Earth society people or Tian Di Hui. The second in command or Lo was a spy for the king. The Korean girl is also a spy for the king. They have army and cannon balls.

The tactics and strategy between Fu and the general Feng were good.

Not able to run with kids and old people, they move and settle in caves to find out who was the spy. They let go of the horses in the hope that the soldiers followed the tracts of the horse.

The Korean girl seduced Donnie Yet or the second brother of the 7 swordsmen from mount Heaven or Tian Shan in the northeast China or Dong Bei.

Each has a special sword and talents.

Donnie went to destroy the Buddha or Monkey figure and tried to steal the money from the general. It was a trap. The general was ready to kill Donnie and yet hurt Green Pearl or Lui Zhu, the Korean girl.

There are several twists of love affairs. Both the general and Donnie like the Lui Zhu and yet she was the people of the king. Lui has feelings for Donnie.

The novel the movie based on was a long novel with several sections of stories lasting 3 generations.

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The fight scenes are good. I like the swordplay in a narrow passageway between walls.

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Overall.

It is ok.

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[SimonM]

Yeah, the corridor fight was definately worth the price of admission... A princely 8 RMB.

[GeneChing]

Sorry so tardy, SimonM. I took advantage of Labor Day weekend to go on a work study at Tassajara Zendo. As for your questions above, I haven't a clue about the answers, I'm afraid. I saw it without the benefit of sound or subtitles, not that it would have helped much. The further I get from viewing this movie, the less I remember, which is always a bad sign in regards to my opinion of the film. In fact, all that really remains in my memory was the lantern fight, the corridor fight, that villainess and how cool Lau Kar Leung is, even when he's not fighting.

[SimonM]

Yeah, I was particularly fond of the corridor fight as well.

PS: Does anyone know Donnie Yen's Chinese name?

[SPJ]

Here is a link to the movie site:

movie

Donnie Yen fan club forum;

fan

Taiwan site

Tai chi

gallery

[grlyncher99]

In other news, This film opened the Venice Film festival. I don't know if it won any awards.

Now I do. The golden Lion went to Ang Lee's cowboy film, Brokeback Mountain. Could he have gotten any further from the Hulk?

[Taijiren]

...have you read Seven Swords? I haven't (nor do I intend to) but I'd be very curious about how it compares to the books.

I'm reading it now. As is often the case in chinese movies inspired by books, the only real link between book and movie is the name of the characters. In the book, Donnie Yen's character is one of the main bad guys, Leon Lai's character dies in the prologue, and Lau Kar-Leung's character is a refined scholar/doctor type (not the retired executioner of the movie).

In some interviews I've read on the net, Tsui Hark has said that the movie was based on the first chapter of the book, but that just ain't the case. The first chapter has to do with an assassination attempt on a high official in the government by various jiang hu types (which sets in motion the rest of the story).

[GeneChing]

Hark! SEVEN SWORDS a Coming was just posted for the holidaze...

[djcaldwell]

Having not read the book I had nothing to base my expectations of the film on. Personally, I thought it was great for what Gene's article says it should be which is the first of a series. It introduced the characters and gave you just an glimpse into each of them. The cast was good - and forget about it - Lau Kar Leung was as cool as ever hope he is in all of them. Donnie Yen's fight scenes especially that corridor fight scene was great.

The only thing that was a little much were the weapons. I get the swords being all mystical but for 17th century china the weapons that the armies had it was more like Crouching Tiger meets Bladerunner. Boomerang Shields with knives...

But all in all I've watched it 5 times already and I've only had it for 2 weeks. So I guess I like it.