THE WARRIOR’S WAY

New Zealand, 2010, 100 minutes, Colour.
Dong-gun Jang, Geoffrey Rush, Kate Bosworth, Danny Huston, Tony Cox.
Directed by Sngmoo Lee.

The Warrior’s Way is a strange mixture of martial arts films in the Asian tradition with spaghetti westerns. And it was filmed in New Zealand.

It is the first work of the director but uses a Korean star, well established, as well as an American leading lady, an American villain, and an Australian narrator.

One of the most striking things about the film is its stylised use of locations, colours, compositions. We are taken into an unreal world, both in Asia and in the American desert. In the American desert is the abandoned town of Lode, the alleged Paris of the West. A group of circus people is stranded there, caravans and the huge ferris wheel and carousel crumbling.

The film focuses on Yang, a hero who wants to be the greatest swordsman on earth – and achieves this ambition. His family has been feuding with a rival family and he has destroyed all of them except a baby. Urged to kill the baby, he does not, taking it with him to America. He finds the town where a friend lived, only to find that he has died. With the help of Lynne (Kate Bosworth) he sets up a laundry. Lynne has her own story – told in flashbacks – where a ruthless colonel has killed her family and raped her. She is planning revenge on him. Also in the town is an alcoholic, a sharpshooter whose wife has been killed. He has taken refuge in drink. He is played by Geoffrey Rush – a strange presence in this kind of film.

The film’s score echoes both the martial arts films but, especially in America, the Ennio Morricone scores for spaghetti westerns.

The film is full of special effects, especially for the swordsman and his activities, the appearance of a myriad of Ninja fighters, an attack by the colonel and his men, a shootout.

The film is fascinating for the eye and the ear, fascinating for the imagination – especially those who are fond of the genres which the film combines.

1. Martial arts? Spaghetti western? The blend?

2. New Zealand production, Korean director, the international cast?

3. The visuals, the artificial sets, the palette of colours, the artificiality? Stylised? Mountains and sky, desert, the town? Audiences accepting this world as real? The musical score, the martial arts, spaghetti western style?

4. The influence of the martial arts films, Kurosawa and the eastern masters? Of Sergio Leone and the spaghetti westerns? Of experimental westerns like The Good, the Bad and the Weird?

5. The title, Yang wanting to be the greatest swordsman on earth, showing him in his battles, defeating the master? The family feud? The flashbacks to his training, the master, trained to kill, to kill the dog, to be an assassin? Sword and action?

6. Yang and his decision not to kill the baby, the baby’s response, the petal on his face and laughing? Going to America?

7. In the desert, walking, the town of Lode, its look, the confrontation with the inhabitants? The circus people and the variety? Ronald? The tough kids and the dwarf controlling them? Lynne’s presence in the town?

8. The spaghetti western, the town, its look, the laundry, the ruins, the washing, inside, on the line? The saloon? The circus ruins and the visual impact? The possibilities of surviving in this town?

9. Lynne’s flashback, the colonel, his ruthlessness, his troops, shooting her parents, pursuing her, the sexual assault, her escape, throwing the liquid on his face and burning it? His being bent on revenge?

10. Lynne, throwing the knives, Yang teaching her to focus, throwing blindfold? His outline on the board? Giving her the knives for her fatal meeting with the colonel? The colonel’s arrival, the martial arts fight with him? Yang stepping back?

11. The circus people, the range of items, their life in the town, the dwarf? The colonel’s attack, putting on their circus clothes, preparing to fight, their deaths?

12. Yang as laconic, his character, in the West, his decisions?

13. The master and the Ninjas, their appearance, the battles, the visuals of these fights?

14. Ronald, telling his story, the sharpshooter, his wife, his alcoholism, digging up the weapons in the cemetery? His taking the gun, his accurate shooting? Preparing for the attack?

15. Yang’s sword, its being sheathed, no enemy Ninjas appearing? The posse’s approach, his getting out the sword?

16. The posse, the swordsman, Yang and his sword, the destruction of the horses, the advancing men, Ronald in the tower, shooting? The colonel’s men and the decimation, his determination to keep advancing, the deaths on the tower?

17. The colonel, the confrontation with Yang, Yang stepping aside, Lynne and her fight, the colonel’s death?

18. The master, the Ninja, the speech to Yang, the master’s death?

19. Yang and his leaving, going to the Arctic, the fish, the attack of the Eskimo, his death? Walking on into the future?

20. The overall effect of this kind of mixture of genres and mixture of visual styles and music?