THE ONE
US, 2001, 87 minutes, Colour.
Jet Li, Carla Gugino, Delroy Lindo, Jason Statham.
Directed by James Wong.
The One was one of the earliest star features for Jet Li in the United States after a very strong career in China. From the 1990s on he made films in both countries. The American films tended to be action oriented. In China, he made some spectacular action films including Hero for Zhang Yimou.
The audience has to concentrate a bit, if they wish, on the plot complications of this film (with nods to such films as the Matrix series).
There are many universes and some people are able to move from one universe to another. In this film, a guard becomes all-powerful and decides to kill of his other selves in order to absorb their power and become The One. The last remaining victim is a sheriff in this world. The film is mainly about the escape from prison by the criminal identity, his pursuit by two officers (Delroy Lindo and Jason Statham) and the confrontations and ultimate fights between the two, the possibility for Jet Li to be fighting with himself. Carla Gugino portrays his wife.
The film has the touches of the spectacular action in its choreographed fighting. The film was written and directed by James Wong, writer for The X Files and director of Final Destination and Final Destination 3.
1. The popularity of Jet Li? Performer? Martial arts fighter? The quality of this film and performance?
2. The influence of such films as The Matrix? Alternative universes?
3. The visuals of the ordinary universe, the familiar world? The contrast with other universes? The prisons? The darkness? The pounding musical score?
4. The introduction and explanation about multiple universes? Travel from one to the other? Multiple aspects of the one person? The guards and their possibility of moving from one universe to the other? The aim of Lawless, to become The One?
5. The opening, Jet Li as vicious? Lawless? The guards, his imprisonment? His escape, his agility? Moving from one world to the other?
6. Gabe Law, the sheriff, working in the prison? Ordinary? His love for his wife? Ordinary home life? The shooting in the carpark? His becoming the target?
7. The two agents, Roedecker and Funsch? Partners, collaboration? In pursuit of Lawless? Moving from one world to the other? The confusion of the identities of Lawless and Law? Roedecker and his being with Lawless? Funsch and his being with Law?
8. Funsch and Law, the explanations? Funsch helping? Roedecker and Lawless, the fights, the escape? The reappearance of Roedecker at the gas station?
9. T.K., her love for Gabe, her confusion? The laboratories, the hospitals, the tests? Going home, Lawless in the house, seeing Law outside? Her confrontation with Lawless – and his hiding in the roof?
10. The build-up to the final confrontations? The confusion? Law and his being pursued? Each having power? The elaborate staging of the final fight in the factory? The steam being released?
11. The agents and their pursuit? The confusion about who was the genuine law? The possibility for Law’s execution? The agents realising the truth? Lawless and his being disintegrated? Imprisoned in the other universe – but his taking tough stances over the thugs and becoming lord of that universe?
12. The metaphysical themes – at the service of an action show?
