| In 'Fearless,' Jet Li returns to roots of kung fu |
|
| 2006-01-26 01:24:29 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS |
Chinese movie star Jet Li attends a news conference to promote his new movie, "Fearless," in Hong Kong, January 6, 2006. (Photo: REUTERS/Paul Yeung)
|
|
|
HONG KONG, Jan 26 (AP) -- Trailers billed Jet Li's new movie "Fearless" as his most important ever.
Adding to the hoopla, Li proclaimed it would be his last martial arts film. He later qualified those comments by making a distinction between kung fu movies and action pictures, saying he'll continue to make the latter.
To some, it sounded like Li was splitting hairs and that all the self-generated hype was a shameless publicity stunt. But watching "Fearless" dispels such doubts.
In "Fearless," Li, director Ronny Yu and famed martial arts choreographer Yuen Wo-ping of "The Matrix" fame have crafted a thoughtful, no-frills, back-to-basics tribute to the spirit of kung fu. It's Li's valedictory dissertation on the meaning of martial arts.
This time around there's no hip-hop soundtrack or damsels in distress a la "Romeo Must Die" or "Kiss of the Dragon." It's just Li standing alone, fighting with his bare hands.
"Fearless" is about the coming-of-age of real-life martial arts master Huo Yuanjia, played by Li. Deeply humiliated by his father's defeat in a public kung fu duel, a young Huo resolves to become the best fighter he can be. By the time he's a young man, Huo is formidable, with death waivers from his dozens of victories lining his walls.
But he's caught up in his glory, indiscriminately taking in students who turn out to be more like groupies. He travels with a large entourage. His pride finally catches up with him when he challenges his only outstanding unconquered opponent, Master Chin, at his birthday party and ends up killing him.
In revenge, Master Chin's godson kills Huo's young daughter and his mother and later commits suicide. A distraught Huo goes into exile, settling into a remote farming village. Years later when he returns to his hometown Tianjin in 1907, it has a heavy foreign presence -- a testimony to China's inability to fend off outside aggressors.
Doubling the insult, an American fighter on a victory streak, O'Brien (Nathan Jones), calls the Chinese "sick men of east Asia." Huo decides to fight again -- but this time for national honor.
After defeating the American, he takes on another series of foreign fighters. But this time he just does enough to gain the upper hand and claim victory, then walks away without inflicting major damage on his opponent.
In one of the most brilliantly choreographed moves in the movie, after Huo sends O'Brien flying out of the ring, Huo rushes over to support his opponent's plunging body with his foot just before it hits a series of ringside hooks.
A grateful O'Brien bows his head toward Huo, says "thank you" in Chinese and concedes defeat.
There are few exaggerated, slow-motion shots. There's a simplicity and elegance to Li's hand-to-hand combat. In another stunning scene, Li tackles a series of tall totem poles en route to the site of his battle -- a high platform. Once in combat, when Li is pushed to the fringes he appears to do a hand stand on the edge of the platform.
Then again, viewers shouldn't expect less from a Li-Yuen collaboration -- something of a "dream team" comprising a top on-screen fighter and a top choreographer.
Capping off Huo's nonviolence message, director Yu designs a beautiful final scene of Huo, wearing a glowing white outfit, practicing kung fu alone on a grass plain under the night sky.
|
|
|
|
|
HOME
NEWS >
Taiwan/HK