Review of The Grandmaster (2013) by Lasttimeisaw — 11 Sep 2013

As film buffs are all acclimatized with the fact that every Kar Wai Wong’s project has to endure an excruciatingly procrastinated process of filming and editing since IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000, 9/10), an almost six-year gap between THE GRANDMASTER and his first misfired Hollywood foray MY BLUEBERRY NIGHT (2007, 8/10) does manifest Wong’s perverse assiduity and forbearance on his own artifact, apart from the sporadic but stretching-out shooting spells, Wong is also universally distinguished for other idiosyncrasies such as script-less improvisations for his cast, the stylish oriental aesthetics dramatized by the over-sentimental score, larger-than-life characters uttering aphorisms with philosophic undertones and last but not the least, the cinematography brimful of vim and vigor (on this occasion, Philippe Le Sourd is the new DP).

I’ve been consistently vouching for Wong simply because he is my favorite Hong Kong director, albeit his perceptible slump of his career orbit in the noughties, even his less-successful esoteric saga-tale 2046 (2004, 9/10) has won me over without a hitch. THE GRANDMASTER reunites Tony Leung and Ziyi Zhang as rivals-cum-mutual-attracted-contemporaries Kung Fu masters Ip Man and Gong Er, spanning over 50 years in the tumultuous southern China from the beginning of 20th Century, despite of its 130 minutes length (I watched the Chinese theatrical version), the film somewhat stymies its audiences from getting a comprehensive grip on Ip Man, the nominal protagonist, instead, it leans heavily on the plot of Gong Er’s obstinate revenge for her father’s demise, maybe Chinese viewers have already fed up with a plethora of Ip Man on screen (notably Donnie Yen’s Ip Man series), so this approach lends Ziyi Zhang a rare platform to outshine Tony Leung in rendering a meatier portraiture of a woman’s fortitude and pluck in the male-dominant Kung Fu métier.

The dazzling action sequences are scattered wantonly among Wong’s slow-paced, micro-distant frames zero in his players’ amber countenances, the opening fight manages to achieve an ultra clarity of splashing raindrops in the Stygian night, and the subsequent ones are all meticulously shot with slow-motion interactions and two thumbs up for all the actors, name-checking Tong Leung, Ziyi Zhang, Max Zhang and Chen Chang for their strenuous endeavor in their martial arts training.

While Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi continues his collaboration with Wong,.

Stefano Lentini’s adaption of soprano piece “Stabat Mater” imprints on one’s mind profoundly in this otherwise over-scored Kung Fu spectacle.