Review of The Grandmaster (2013) by Linda B — 03 Jul 2013

I can sympathize with those who have difficulty watching Wong Kar-Wai films. His storytelling can seem opaque at times. But of course, the gift in his directing is the ability to capture in a small set of dialogue, within the very movement of two characters, their respective personalities, strengths, and flaws.

Let me give you an example, in a later conversation between Gong Er (Zhang Ziyi) and Ip Man (Tony Leung), they begin discussing opera. She mentions two operas one focusing on a family of female generals, and the other about a woman who wakes from a dream. For the non-Chinese viewer, those titles may have no meaning, but they're actually metaphors for Gong Er herself. On the other side, we have Ip Man staring at her coldly: his motivations are clear, and untethered. It's really the culmination of the movie. I think in western film, the viewer waits for conflict to reach resolution: The resolution is typically a catharsis around which the protagonists feel satisfaction. This satisfaction is impressed upon the viewer and the viewer feels catharsis as well. But what if there is no catharsis? What if the act of courage which is meant to bring resolution instead becomes meaningless in the face of the unfairness of life, the apathy of others, or one's own rigidity? These types of scenes are the ones to watch for in Wong Kar Wai films (Ashes of Time being another).

But while Wong Kar-Wai's storytelling may be difficult for people to accept, he takes great pains in ensuring that the action of the movie is understood in a meaningful way. Throughout the films, there is an emphasis on the styles of fighting as being deeply rooted in the personalities of the characters. Yuen Wo-Ping's choreography escapes the tiresome pure acrobatics that have been characteristics of his more recent films. It's not just about fighters doing impossible physical feats (though in honor of the tradition of Martial Arts films there's plenty to watch). When the characters warn Ip Man that Bagua is "underhanded" and that Xingyi is "brutal", he's talking not just about a fighting style, he's talking about people. Ironically the man on top of the stairs Ip Man fights seems to exhibit neither of these features. He is neither overbearing, nor is he underhanded: and yet he somehow embodies those two values in the form of principle and flexibility in his own way.

If you watch the movie and all you see are a bunch of highly choreographed fight scenes with some arbitrary dialogue: Wong Kar-Wai films are probably not for you. If you are willing to work a bit and look for the storytelling within the fights, the characters within the dialogue, I believe you will find much to love in this movie.