THE GO MASTER
China/ Japan, 2006, 104 minutes, Colour.
Chen Chang, Sylvia Chang, Akira Emoto.
Directed by Zhuang Zhuang Tian.
‘Zen’ was a helpful suggestion to keep in mind while watching this film. It is a meditative kind of film with moments of contemplation: of the game of Go (a traditional Chinese game that many liken to chess), of prayer, of the beauty of the Japanese countryside, of the simplicity of life of the central character.
The central character, who is glimpsed at the opening of the film at age 92 with his wife, is Wu Qingyuan, a Chinese expert at the game of Go. Born in 1913, he showed skill at the game and was sent to Japan in the 1930s where he began to win competitions. A simple, even naïve young man, he is befriended by a spiritual and Go master and his wife, suffers from bouts of TB, begins to win the principal competition in the late 1930s and continues as a master during World War II (actually playing in Hiroshima as the bomb fell with the referee urging the players to continue the game) until 1955. He remained in Japan, married and had a child.
His naivety was manifest when he became a devout member of a religious sect. It flourished until the priestess became corrupted by what one character calls ‘delusions of grandeur’ and the sect is attacked and is dispersed.
Captions appear throughout the film highlighting the political realities in Japan. Captions also appear with some reflections by Wu on what was happening in his life and in his commitment to Go. These are more than helpful since the style of the film, while slowly-paced, moves from one episode to another without filling in gaps in any detail.
Demanding close attention, this is a tribute to Wu but, Zen-like, the film observes some moments of the Go games but leaves it to the audience to respond without learning anything of the way the game is played.
1.The biography of the Go Master, Wu Quing Yuan? Tribute to him?
2.The Japanese settings, the Chinese perspective?
3.Television photography, during the periods of the 20th century? The interiors of the houses? The exteriors of the countryside, the coast? The score?
4.Go as the traditional Chinese game, audience knowledge and lack of knowledge, the games, seen only in clips and from afar? The competitions? The perspective of the film not wanting the audience to know necessarily anything about the game?
5.The captions and the information about 20th century Japanese and Chinese history, clashes? World War Two? The clips of autobiographical information from Wu?
6.Religion and faith, the sect, taking over a person’s life? The priestess, her leadership, her character, her sense of importance, delusions of grandeur, the clashes? The guide and his wife and their inspiration to Wu for faith?
7.Wu, his birth in China, growing up, his skills as a child, going to Japan, the 1930s, winning competitions, the help from his friends, especially from Segoe and his wife? His character, his illnesses, tuberculosis, in the sanatorium, recovery?
8.Segoe and his character, his guidance, faith and prayer?
9.Jikou, her character, her place within the sect, her influence?
10.The games, the history of Japan, China, World War Two, the dropping of the bomb in Hiroshima? The referee urging to continue the game? Post-war, hunger, the soldiers attacking the sect? Their migration, along the coast? Wu and his wanting to get into the truck, going to prison?
11.Jikou, her vanity, her destruction of the sect?
12.The 1950s, Wu and his wife, the birth of the child, winning the competition after seventeen years?
13.His retirement, the motivations?
14.The contemplative style of the film? The Zen perspective?
