Spoilers
`Warriors' is intend to be the Chinese movie that will follow the footsteps of Crouching Tiger and Heroes to next year's Oscar contest for best foreign film.
Before going to a synopsis, allow me to start from the middle of the movie and explain my summary line. This is a scene when the three main characters converge in an ambush, and we see separate shots of them on horseback, clad in red, black and white respectively. This was the point when I made the association to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach respectively), even though the match may not be perfect. The Good is one-time army captain Li (JIANG Wen), now hunted by the government for his refusal to slaughter women and children. The Bad is Lai Xi (NAKAI Kiichi), the government agent charged with the assignment of killing the Good before he his allowed to return to his native Japan to see his mother. The Ugly is bandit leader Master An (WANG Zueqi) who is being manipulated by the Turkish empire to go after certain treasure. Watching the three wielding their respective weapons, a Chinese army sabre, a Japanese sword and a curved Islamic sword, I had another thought. If I were to cast them from Hollywood, my choice would be Russell Crowe, Morgan Freeman and Johnny Depp respectively.
Some of the other characters are:
The Girl (Vicki Zhao from `Shaolin Soccer') - a general's daughter that the Bad is escorting back to the capital city
The Monk - on an imperial mission, in a caravan travelling to the capital
The Soldier - escorting the Monk
The Four - the Good's former subordinates, loyal as ever
The Old Man and the Boy - fighters recruited by the Good
Now to the synopsis. I'm trying to divide the story into chapters (the original idea is not from Kill Bill, as there have been numerous examples before).
1. The build-up.
This is the longest part, taking its time in introducing the various characters. We see the three warriors, on separate occasions, display their awesome skills. The main story line develops when surviving a killer sandstorm, the Good runs into the caravan, and agrees to help out on this treacherous journey. On a short sojourn in a quiet village, the Good refuses help offered by the Four, in consideration for their families. While enlisting the Old Man and the Boy, he has his first encounter with the Bad whom he persuades, after some brief parrying, to back off until he has seen the caravan safely to the capital.
2. The trap
In their attempt to recruit more help, the Good and the Old Man wander into a small walled village that looks more like a maze than anything else. There, the Ugly is waiting, with two alternatives he has to offer: recruit his men or turn the caravan over to him. Upon the Good's refusal, the gates are all slam shut, and a fight ensues. Dodging pursuit in an attempt to get out of the trap, the Good is greeted by the sudden appearance of the Girl and the Bad, offering their help. Before he has time to respond to the offer, however, his four loyal followers crash into the skirmish from out of nowhere. While the Good and his followers finally break out of the trap and ride back to the caravan, the Bad confronts the Ugly, daring him to challenge the authority of the Imperial Emperor, which he represents. The Ugly backs off, vowing to come back.
3. The ambush and the revelation
Reinforced by the Good's four loyal followers, the caravan moves on, only to meet an ambush by the Ugly and his bandits. Recognising that the caravan is on an imperial mission, the Bad and the Girl come to their aid. After a bout of exciting engagement on horseback, the caravan retreats through a narrow gorge and finally goes into hiding a cavern not unlike Moria in Lord of the Rings (but not as grand). There, the Monk finally reveals the secret. He is carrying the utmost treasure, the crystallised remains of Buddha, back to the capital, and this is what the Ugly, with the Turkish Empire behind him, is after. Recognising the gravity of the situation, the Good sends the Boy home while keeping the Old Man in his service.
4. The gamble
Temporarily safe in the hidden cavern, the group, including the Bad and the Girl, debates various alternative routes. The final decision is to brave the Gobi Desert, gambling on the Old Man's accurate recollection of the location of an underground stream. On they move in the punishing heat into the scouring desert. Their supply of water has dwindled to a critical low when the Old Man proclaims that they are getting close to the underground stream. There the camp, and send out the Old Man and one of the Four to look for the stream. The Ugly's pursuit however has caught up with them. Mobilising into a circular formation just like wagons in a Hollywood Western, the caravan fights off the first round of savage attack. But the elements are against them as their supply of water finally runs out and the searches return with the heartbreaking news that the underground stream is nowhere to be found. All seem lost, despite the gallant effort of the Good and the Bad in the furious fight against the fatal onslaught, when something skin to a miracle occurs. Struck down by several enemy blades, the Old Man plunge his sword into the ground, from which water first gushes, then shoots out in a ten-foot fountain. Life comes back in full vitality to the caravan while the Ugly, reading this as a heavenly sign, calls a hasty retreat.
5. The last stand
This `chapter' is reminiscent of The Alamo. Making it to a miserably primitive fortress means only a brief reprieve to the caravan. In addition to the bandits, the full fury of an entire Turkish army now is close on its heels. Similar to what we see in Seven Samurai or even Saving Private Ryan, the caravan sets up its last defence. Even the Girl trades her white garments for shinning armours, as she is after all a general's daughter. No resistance, no matter how brave, can withstand the crushing weight of an entire army and it looks like everybody will get slaughtered in the desolate fortress, when another miracle happens, Raider-of-the-Lost-Ark fashion. When the Ugly opens the container of the treasure, blinding lights come out, vanquishing the enemy. The toll that has been exacted before the miracle, however, is heavy, including all of the Four, the Monk and even the Bad. The expected climatic duel between the Good and the Bad therefore never materialised. In the end, only the Good and the Girl survive to complete the mission, bringing the treasure back to the imperial palace.
So how is the movie? It's inevitable that comparisons will be made with Crouching Tiger. At the risk of sounding ridiculously mystical, I would say that it's a bit like Yin (Tiger) and Yang (Warriors). While the former is subtle and feminine, the later is blunt and masculine. While the former delights with beautifully choreographed action, the latter excites with brutal, realistic fighting. Beyond that, it is difficult to compare because they are so different.
The first three-quarters of Warriors are splendidly done. The characters are interesting and the development is well paced. The rugged landscape is invigorating and the brisk dialogue refreshing. The end, unfortunately, falls somewhat apart. I wouldn't grudge being cheated out of a climax of a duel as I respect the producers' intention to stay away from the conventional. The Raider-of-the-Lost-Ark thing, however, is really lame. I would rather see the imperial army coming to the rescue, if an Alamo-type ending is not contemplated.
`Warriors' is intend to be the Chinese movie that will follow the footsteps of Crouching Tiger and Heroes to next year's Oscar contest for best foreign film.
Before going to a synopsis, allow me to start from the middle of the movie and explain my summary line. This is a scene when the three main characters converge in an ambush, and we see separate shots of them on horseback, clad in red, black and white respectively. This was the point when I made the association to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, Eli Wallach respectively), even though the match may not be perfect. The Good is one-time army captain Li (JIANG Wen), now hunted by the government for his refusal to slaughter women and children. The Bad is Lai Xi (NAKAI Kiichi), the government agent charged with the assignment of killing the Good before he his allowed to return to his native Japan to see his mother. The Ugly is bandit leader Master An (WANG Zueqi) who is being manipulated by the Turkish empire to go after certain treasure. Watching the three wielding their respective weapons, a Chinese army sabre, a Japanese sword and a curved Islamic sword, I had another thought. If I were to cast them from Hollywood, my choice would be Russell Crowe, Morgan Freeman and Johnny Depp respectively.
Some of the other characters are:
The Girl (Vicki Zhao from `Shaolin Soccer') - a general's daughter that the Bad is escorting back to the capital city
The Monk - on an imperial mission, in a caravan travelling to the capital
The Soldier - escorting the Monk
The Four - the Good's former subordinates, loyal as ever
The Old Man and the Boy - fighters recruited by the Good
Now to the synopsis. I'm trying to divide the story into chapters (the original idea is not from Kill Bill, as there have been numerous examples before).
1. The build-up.
This is the longest part, taking its time in introducing the various characters. We see the three warriors, on separate occasions, display their awesome skills. The main story line develops when surviving a killer sandstorm, the Good runs into the caravan, and agrees to help out on this treacherous journey. On a short sojourn in a quiet village, the Good refuses help offered by the Four, in consideration for their families. While enlisting the Old Man and the Boy, he has his first encounter with the Bad whom he persuades, after some brief parrying, to back off until he has seen the caravan safely to the capital.
2. The trap
In their attempt to recruit more help, the Good and the Old Man wander into a small walled village that looks more like a maze than anything else. There, the Ugly is waiting, with two alternatives he has to offer: recruit his men or turn the caravan over to him. Upon the Good's refusal, the gates are all slam shut, and a fight ensues. Dodging pursuit in an attempt to get out of the trap, the Good is greeted by the sudden appearance of the Girl and the Bad, offering their help. Before he has time to respond to the offer, however, his four loyal followers crash into the skirmish from out of nowhere. While the Good and his followers finally break out of the trap and ride back to the caravan, the Bad confronts the Ugly, daring him to challenge the authority of the Imperial Emperor, which he represents. The Ugly backs off, vowing to come back.
3. The ambush and the revelation
Reinforced by the Good's four loyal followers, the caravan moves on, only to meet an ambush by the Ugly and his bandits. Recognising that the caravan is on an imperial mission, the Bad and the Girl come to their aid. After a bout of exciting engagement on horseback, the caravan retreats through a narrow gorge and finally goes into hiding a cavern not unlike Moria in Lord of the Rings (but not as grand). There, the Monk finally reveals the secret. He is carrying the utmost treasure, the crystallised remains of Buddha, back to the capital, and this is what the Ugly, with the Turkish Empire behind him, is after. Recognising the gravity of the situation, the Good sends the Boy home while keeping the Old Man in his service.
4. The gamble
Temporarily safe in the hidden cavern, the group, including the Bad and the Girl, debates various alternative routes. The final decision is to brave the Gobi Desert, gambling on the Old Man's accurate recollection of the location of an underground stream. On they move in the punishing heat into the scouring desert. Their supply of water has dwindled to a critical low when the Old Man proclaims that they are getting close to the underground stream. There the camp, and send out the Old Man and one of the Four to look for the stream. The Ugly's pursuit however has caught up with them. Mobilising into a circular formation just like wagons in a Hollywood Western, the caravan fights off the first round of savage attack. But the elements are against them as their supply of water finally runs out and the searches return with the heartbreaking news that the underground stream is nowhere to be found. All seem lost, despite the gallant effort of the Good and the Bad in the furious fight against the fatal onslaught, when something skin to a miracle occurs. Struck down by several enemy blades, the Old Man plunge his sword into the ground, from which water first gushes, then shoots out in a ten-foot fountain. Life comes back in full vitality to the caravan while the Ugly, reading this as a heavenly sign, calls a hasty retreat.
5. The last stand
This `chapter' is reminiscent of The Alamo. Making it to a miserably primitive fortress means only a brief reprieve to the caravan. In addition to the bandits, the full fury of an entire Turkish army now is close on its heels. Similar to what we see in Seven Samurai or even Saving Private Ryan, the caravan sets up its last defence. Even the Girl trades her white garments for shinning armours, as she is after all a general's daughter. No resistance, no matter how brave, can withstand the crushing weight of an entire army and it looks like everybody will get slaughtered in the desolate fortress, when another miracle happens, Raider-of-the-Lost-Ark fashion. When the Ugly opens the container of the treasure, blinding lights come out, vanquishing the enemy. The toll that has been exacted before the miracle, however, is heavy, including all of the Four, the Monk and even the Bad. The expected climatic duel between the Good and the Bad therefore never materialised. In the end, only the Good and the Girl survive to complete the mission, bringing the treasure back to the imperial palace.
So how is the movie? It's inevitable that comparisons will be made with Crouching Tiger. At the risk of sounding ridiculously mystical, I would say that it's a bit like Yin (Tiger) and Yang (Warriors). While the former is subtle and feminine, the later is blunt and masculine. While the former delights with beautifully choreographed action, the latter excites with brutal, realistic fighting. Beyond that, it is difficult to compare because they are so different.
The first three-quarters of Warriors are splendidly done. The characters are interesting and the development is well paced. The rugged landscape is invigorating and the brisk dialogue refreshing. The end, unfortunately, falls somewhat apart. I wouldn't grudge being cheated out of a climax of a duel as I respect the producers' intention to stay away from the conventional. The Raider-of-the-Lost-Ark thing, however, is really lame. I would rather see the imperial army coming to the rescue, if an Alamo-type ending is not contemplated.