_Unforgivable_, _The Grandmaster_

[septimus_...@q.com]

Not sure I'm a big fan of either Techine's or Wong Kar-Wai's
new film yet. Maybe I'll try them again before long.

_Unforgivable_ has the same urgent rhythm that Techine's
_Witnesses_ have, and also a writer as its center. Unlike
the previous film, the story is much more diffuse. It
turns into the exploration of many grudge-laden relationships,
especially between parents and offsprings. The early
"disappearance" of the writer's daughter is a red herring,
nothing is resolved (except by natural death), and the
most memorable scene is indeed the comeuppance experienced
by the borderline psychotic gay-basher. Clearly I have
to see it again. (Watching it while I'm less sick won't
hurt either.)

_The Grandmaster_ shows the continued evolution of Wong
Kar-Wai. Unfortunately he has gone to a place I can't
follow. It seems the anti-_Ashes of Time_ at times. What
make his former film a revolutionary masterpiece are turned
on their heads. _AoT_ has no antagonists except the
characters' own fates; there is none of the hackneyed
revenge theme of typical martial arts tomes (especially
not revenge for a father/mentor character). Revenge and
violence are OK -- as long as it is for someone else,
for charity/mercenary purposes. (Dying for nothing is
indeed the fate of many violent WKW heroes in his first
films.)

In _The Grandmaster_, Zhang Ziyi's character in
embodies all the hackneyed traits and characteristics
typical martial art films embrace, which _AoT_ avoids. On
the other hand, the fight scenes involving her are truly
beautiful -- the only great ones in the film, really.
And she is the anti-Ip Man, who is WKW's ideal I suppose.
To Wong's credit, Tony Leung's grandmaster Ip is a
southerner, with his eyes on the world rather than
his peers' focus on competition between Northern and
Southern China (and by extension, the disgusting Chinese
trait of valuing "unification" above all else, I suppose).
Southern pride and sense of independence is as evident
here as in John Woo's _Red Cliff_. The music is the
worst in a Wong film in ages. At the end, there are
long excerpts from _Cinema Paradiso_. Surely that's way
below WKW's incredible high standard? I will watch
it again, but I wish I could muster more enthusiasm.