by Won Kim

Part II:

Slice & Dice: Korean wu xia, A noble French chevalier and pretty Japanese super ninja.

Last time we discussed two films co-directed by Yuen Woo Ping Jet Li's new film Fearless and Tai Chi Master 2005 with Jacky Wu Jing. I will close this update on martial arts films with some recent contributions to the time honored wuxia, swashbuckler and chanbara genres.

Director Kim Young-Joon's previous film, Bichunmoo, was a movie criticized for its complex plot, and its fight scenes that were so jazzed up they looked like they belonged in a rock video instead of a kung fu movie. In contrast Kim's new film, Shadowless Sword (Korea 2005), has a lot going for it: good looking popular actors with a decent level of physical skill in the major roles, the participation of choreographers from Yuen Woo Ping's stunt team, location shooting in China, and fantastic production design. The plot is simplicity itself. Whereas Bichunmoo was a muddled variation on The Count of Monte Cristo, Shadowless Sword sports a straightforward pursuit plot akin to Peckinpah's Getaway that frames a variation on the age-old Arthurian fable, The Sword in the Stone, wherein a young man learns (or in this case re-learns) what it means to be a king.

10th Century Goth Villains!

It's 926 AD. Mongol warriors threaten to topple the Balhae Dynasty, and half of the country's armed forces have chosen (1) to side with the invaders, and (2) to dress goth. The loyalists in the military need a legitimate figurehead to rally the people to their side. Unfortunately, turncoat hit-squads have killed the king and almost all of the heirs to the throne. Then one loyal general remembers a prince who was exiled nearly a decade and a half ago, so they dispatch Soha, a highly trained young swordswoman, played by the beautiful action star, Yoon So Yi (memorable as the irritable taoist superwoman in Arahan) to find and the last remaining prince and then rendezvous with the armed forces at a predetermined location.

Yoon So yi and Lee So-Jin, the noble Soha and the dissolute Prince.

However, the assassins also remember the young exile, and are in hot pursuit. If that weren't bad enough, the young prince, embittered by his years in exile, is highly suspicious of anyone representing the dynasty. Moreover, he has turned to fencing stolen objects d'art to get by, and has since built a large network of fellow criminals to fall back on when he feels the need to disappear. Not only must the dissolute young man re-learn what it means to be a leader, he has to be convinced it's a desirable thing to do.

Whereas looking at Fearless from the perspective of Hong Kong's kung fu films of the 90's really isn't the best approach to that film, it's perfectly suited to the strengths and weaknesses of Shadowless Sword. When the film opened in Korea, local critics charged that Kim hews too closely to the example set by HK directors Ronny Yu (Bride With White Hair) and Tsai Hark (Dragon Inn, Swordsman). On the surface, this argument sounds ridiculous. The Chinese have been making period wuxia adventures and kung fu films since the turn of the last century. Anything produced in those genres will bear unavoidable similarities to those previous efforts. Also, it's not as though emulating their work in the genre is necessarily a failing: it all depends on how it's done. Witness Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon which successfully wedded the tension of Jane Austen's domestic dramas with the conventions of the wuxia genre. The 2005 film Duelist is another good example: there director Lee Myung-Se's creative use of lighting and digital editing breathes new life into the genre. However there is some merit in the Korean critics argument. This is evident in the way Kim Young Joon shoots fight scenes, and in the way he directs his star, where paradoxically he falters by not following his forebearers closely enough. Even though Kim is working with members of Yuen Woo Ping's stunt team this time around (the same people who graced Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger with inspired, easy to follow, wire assisted sword fights) Kim insists on shooting the fight scenes in such a frenetic style that it's often hard to clearly see what the actors are doing, thus diminishing one of the pleasures of the genre. True, the balance between clarity of movement and wire assisted spinning is far better in Shadowless Sword than it was in Bunchimoo there is still room for improvement. I do hope the director tips the balance further in his next outing. Excessive spinning gets old fast.

Yoon So-Yi as Soha.

Another characteristic of the wuxia genre is the combination of simple linear plots and one dimensional characterizations. Shaw Brothers directors like Cheng Cheh and Lar Kar Leung, and the independents of the 90's, like John Woo and Tsai Hark, got around this by having their actors to play their roles as heroically as possible. However for this to work, all of the principals have to perform their roles with an equal level of melodramatic intensity. Actors who do not follow suit end up looking bland in comparison. Oddly for a director who so clearly loves martial art dramas, Kim directed Yoon So-Yi, the woman who has to carry the picture, to play Soha with a great deal of restraint in half of her scenes. Thus while she once again proves herself a competent action star, her Soha comes off as curiously bland through much of the picture, especially compared to the intensity shown by Lee Seo-jin as the fallen prince, the magnetic Lee Ki-Yong as death squad leader Mae, and Hyun Joon Shin, who positively boils with barely restrained rage as Mae's commander. Though there is a reason Soha is so reserved around her reluctant charge, this important revelation comes rather late in the story. Her performance makes much more sense on second viewing once the audience has that critical piece of information. As it stands, however Yoon's restraint distracts from the film until her character finally begins to show some warmth, a little over half way into the film.

Lee Ki-Yong as Mae.

Lee Ki Yong deserves note. She makes Mae's intense hatred of Soha and her slavish devotion to her commander, compelling, and you end up wanting to learn more about the roots of both passions. The overall production design and cinematography is top notch. Shadowless Sword remains worth seeing for its period spectacle alone, and those fight scenes where wire work isn't so prevalent. In many ways Shadowless Sword is a big improvement over the director's previous effort, but he also has a ways to go. I hope he gets the chance. The man clearly loves the genre.

In terms of production values, Shonobi Honpen or Shinobi: Heart Under Blade (Japan 2005), equal those in 2002's Azumi. The similarities don't stop there. Both films are set in the peace enforced by the Tokugawa Shogunate after decades of bloody war, and both films feature cute, pretty stars in lots of fast, special effects assisted ninja action. The style of the fight scenes recall, but do not copy, those in the anime feature film, Ninja Scroll.

Joe Odagiri as Gennosuke, and Yukie Nakama as Oboro.

That alone should be enough for many action fans. However, Shinobi Honpen is saved from pleasant mediocrity by a better than average script. Two young, skilled martial artists meet and fall in love. As their clans, former rivals, have been at peace for some time, they hope their union won't meet too much opposition. However, fearing the ninja could be used against the Shogunate some day, the Shogun sets the clans against each other, and our young lovers face harsh, unwelcome choices. That the production begins as a transparent variation on Romeo & Juliet (and with a nod to Zhang Yimou's Hero the young lovers remind me of Broken Sword and Falling Snow) then leads the viewer to a sounder and more satisfying ending than expected, is a credit to Kenya Hirata, who adapted Futaro Yamada's novel. Shinobi Honpen may be a simple popcorn movie but (like Azumi and Aragami) <>Shinobi Honpen works. Recommended.

I wish I could say the same about On Guard! (Le Bossu, France, 1998).

Daniel Autieul as the eager swordsman Lagardere, a Chevalier in heart if not in name.

On Guard features a great cast headed by Daniel Autieul, a lot of decently choreographed fight scenes, and a fast moving script. Unfortunately all those pluses cannot save On Guard! from the unimaginative cinematography and routine editing that rob this action packed, old fashioned swashbuckler of it's a natural spark. With the right director (Christophe Gans? Luc Besson? Richard Donner? Tsai Hark?) On Guard! could've been great.

Foreign Film Watch: Chinese Fists & Korean, Japanese & French Swords Pt. 1

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