THE WARLORDS
China, 2007, 128 minutes, Colour.
Jet Li, Andy Lau, Takeshi Kaneshiro.
Directed by Peter Ho San Chan.
A Chinese epic of 19th century warlords and battles with high tragic overtones.
Since Jet Li has got older (although he was born only in 1963) and begun to move away from the rather potboiling shows for the American market, he has emerged as a strong actor and the star of some serious Chinese films (Hero, Fearless). Here he is General Pang who survives a massacre and begins life again in a small village but eventually becomes the leader who takes Nanking for the Dowager Empress in a very disturbed China of the 19th century.
The film is impressive in its battle sequences, in its stylised colour photography and in its production design that immerses us into the civil strife of the times.
One needs to be attentive to appreciate just who is who in the line-up of Generals doing battle and manipulating behind the scenes.
General Pang aligns himself with a village leader, a thief, whom he recruits to the army along with the adult men of the village. He becomes his blood brother. Another blood brother is the idealistic young man who narrates the story, explains his admiration for Pang and becomes disillusioned and ultimately violent when he sees the feet of clay of his idol. This not only includes a massacre of 4000 surrendering starving soldiers, the power plays for control and the love that Pang has for the young wife of his blood brother.
The development of the war history and the personal ambitions and relationships is rather reminiscent of Shakespeare's tragedies: epic in scope, focussing on significant leaders, dramatising their fatal flaws which lead to their tragic downfall.
An impressive piece of Chinese film-making which may (or may not) be fascinating for audiences unfamiliar with the history and Chinese traditions.
1.The impact of the film as Chinese history, the 19th century, for Chinese audiences, world audiences?
2.The camera styles, the close-ups, battles and pageantry? Drama?
3.The epic scope, the colour style of the film? The musical score? Special effects?
4.The film as tragedy, the tragic hero, the fatal flaw, his downfall and the consequences?
5.The historical introduction, China in the 19th century, the 1860s, the civil war, the Tai Ping rebellion, the corrupt dynasty? The warlords? Their ambitions? The dowager empress and the end of the war? The sieges, massacres and deaths? Fifty million dead in battle or of hunger?
6.Pang in the field, under the corpses, emerging, his being saved, his regrets about his men dying, his playing dead? Wandering, recovering, the encounter with Lian, the night with her, his wondering whether it was real, her disappearance? The effect on him, going to the village, the welcome?
7.Life in the village, the visuals of the village on the cliff, the rule by Zhao Er-Hu? Zhao as leader, admitting he was a thief, his personality, his helping feed his people? His adoption of Jiang Wu-Wang? As a blood brother? Wary about his friendship with Pang? The issue of the army, Pang persuading him to join the army and bring his men? The years of fighting, feeding the people, Zhao’s social concern? His relationship with Lian?
8.Jiang, his life, being adopted, the blood brothership? His voice-over and telling the story, his explanations about himself, his admiration for Pang, loyalty, placing him on a pedestal, following him, justifying him? Into battle, the years passing, the siege and the massacre of the four thousand? Zhao’s trying to protect them? Pang and his orders, Jiang executing the orders? Lian, Jiang glimpsing them, the boat, his suspicions? His loyalty to Zhao, the realisation of what was happening, trying to warn Zhao, seeing him dead, his going to Lian, confronting her, explaining the situation, killing her? His killing Pang?
9.Lian and her story, young, married to Zhao, continually running away and returning, Pang and the night, the visits? Her being with her husband, the changes, her prosperity? Her being confronted by Jiang? Her death?
10.The generals, their plotting, motivations, jealousies, the sieges, wanting glory, issues of food and arms, the end, their disdain if Pang as governor, their kow-towing to the empress? The role of the empress? Her appointing Pang as governor? Her gratitude for the siege of Nanking – and the entry into the splendour of Beijing?
11.Pang, the years of war, military skills and success, the difficulties, the starving troops? The decision to lay siege to the town, the sudden action, his motivations because of the generals, pleading for food and arms? His ambitions, the siege, success? Zhao’s promise to the men and their survival? His decision to massacre the unarmed troops? Jiang as his lieutenant? The reasons for the massacre? The move to Nanking, his motivation?
12.Nanking, his being received in court, the dowager empress? His being named governor? His response?
13.The victory, the rivalries, the murder of Zhao?
14.Pang and his achievement, self-satisfaction, becoming governor? The generals plotting against him, considering him unskilled? Jiang, the confrontation, his death?
15.The scope of the film in terms of grandeur, drama, tragedy, China, human nature?
