Yeah I thought it was interesting to compare it to Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury from a decade previously. In both, we have a superficially similar plot to kick us off (a war between a traditional Chinese martial arts school vs a traditional Japanese martial arts), but the films take this in very different directions from there. Bruce Lee's is a much angrier film in comparison to this.
Duel to the Death. Super fun from minute one. I loved all the ninja tricks, the giant split, the strip surprise, the explosions never got old, everything that happened in the last battle was nuts! The I never had legs reveal twice?! The drinking scene was super fun. How did you know I was a girl lmao! the title of nations best sword fighter was almost as prestigious as of cockfighter of the year.
I am really glad this pick sparked a lot of conversation. I will try to get to it this weekend when I have my first day off in almost a month.
I enjoyed this way more than the recent modern actions movies I watched (fastx john wick 4) I was still having a good time between the action, the camera was doing so much work.
I did love JW4, but I would overall agree with you. There seems to be way more thought put into the framing of the non-fight scenes compared to something you’d find in modern action films.
It’s also incredibly tight. In 90 minutes it has just as much insane action as a two and a half hour action movie while succinctly getting across a cool story. Way too much bloat in movies these days
This was my first wuxia film that wasn’t Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and it was dope as fuck. Glad I had this excuse to dip into the genre; I found myself saying “fuck yeah” by the end. I also found myself genuinely invested in the main characters and the tragedy of the fighting by the end, though it’s always tough when a movie’s both doing that and looking awesome. Also, women with swords are very cool and should be my friend.
Some other good Wuxia films, if this film has ignited an interest, in no real order; A Touch of Zen Dragon Inn The Black Tavern Hero Shadow House of Flying Daggers The Eagle Shooting Heroes Kung Fu Cult Master Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain Holy Flame of the Martial World Wing Chun The Forbidden Kingdom
I'm late to the conversation, but I popped in the Blu-ray last night for a rewatch and this still rules. Beautiful cinematography, fight choreography that manages to get crazier as the film progresses. Exploding ninjas, talking severed heads, it seriously has it all.
The two concurrent fight scenes towards the end in the forest might be my favorite stretch of any action movie. Literally every 5 seconds something absolutely insane happens
Watched Transit, which was excellent - Petzold is one of the most consistent contemporary filmmakers working currently. A World War Two story transported to something like the current day in France. The setting of the story feels recognisably in our present, but it draws on a story from our past, with parallels to the rise of the far right and fascism in modern Europe, history repeating itself. We're in a city and country under siege and occupation, with Georg attempting to escape an oppressive force, and living under the shadow of being an illegal immigrant in France. It's never exactly clear, nor is it particularly important, the exact nature of the regime or the countries involved. Marie has blind faith that (the real) Weidel is still alive, in spite of the reality that she is told by Georg. By the ending, this hope and devotion is present for Georg too, the pair of them, forever roaming the earth apart, looking someone who may or may not be there.
@George will pick next week and then we will start over. I have one that I have probably talked about more than any movie.
Just popping in to see if there's anything off limits outside of what I read in the OP. If not my pick for this week would be Ingmar Bergman's Persona on (HBO) Max. It's been on my watch list for what seems like forever now, been meaning to dive further into Bergman's work but for some reason I just keep slacking so this feels like a good reason.
so far I've seen Autumn Sonata and Seventh Seal. Loved both. I can pick something else if this doesn't work