I'm a fan of wuxia films. I can't say that my familiarity is deep, or that I am a genre-devotee. But I do love the wuxia films I've seen. I love the grandeur. I love the larger-than-life drama and the ballet-like fight sequences. I have watched a lot of things on The Criterion Channel. You know what I haven't dipped my feet into? Wuxia. And it turns out that there is a wuxia masterpiece on there: King Hu's artful opus, A Touch of Zen (1971).
I. What Is It?
This is the story of a runaway noblewoman, an evil eunuch (yeah, baby), a lazy scholar, and a group of badass buddhist monks. There are fights, discussions on philosophy and haunted manor houses. Strap in, it's a great time.II. Jaw-Droppingly Beautiful Imagery
Director King Hu is an absolute master of imagery. He lets his camera roam over fog-roiling woodlands, with shafts of light beaming through the trees. His fight scenes are elegant: the combatants leap and float around the battlefield in between brief flashes of violence.
The dense woodlands, the rushing rivers, the sprawling run-down estates: this film is flush with gorgeous locations and King Hu is not afraid to just let you look at it all.
Come for the elegant action, but stay for the pretty pictures.
- It's an uncompromising epic; it is a character portrait of the highest caliber.The dense woodlands, the rushing rivers, the sprawling run-down estates: this film is flush with gorgeous locations and King Hu is not afraid to just let you look at it all.
Come for the elegant action, but stay for the pretty pictures.
III. Wuxia as Western
The thing that occurred to me while I watched this movie was how similar the wuxia genre is to the American Western. Both genres are set in an idealized formational era for each country (China and America); the characters are larger than life; the emphasis is on stylized violence; there are philosophical musings happening in the background.
But King Hu has seemingly made his aesthetic evocative of the spaghetti western, too. There are gorgeous wide-angle shots of the countryside that dwarf the figures in them; there are dramatic closeups where the flit of an eye, or a deepening frown tell the story in lieu of dialogue; the music builds tension like a lit fuse, allowing the action to explode with emotion and energy.
If you are a fan of the western, and I am, you should be a fan of wuxia, especially this film.
But King Hu has seemingly made his aesthetic evocative of the spaghetti western, too. There are gorgeous wide-angle shots of the countryside that dwarf the figures in them; there are dramatic closeups where the flit of an eye, or a deepening frown tell the story in lieu of dialogue; the music builds tension like a lit fuse, allowing the action to explode with emotion and energy.
If you are a fan of the western, and I am, you should be a fan of wuxia, especially this film.
IV. Thoughtful
I appreciated that this film had fun with its violence, but did not shy away from the ramifications of that violence. After one particularly epic battle sequence, one of our main characters wanders around the battlefield, enjoying his cleverness. A small party was able to overcome larger numbers using wit and cleverness, and this character spends a few minutes laughing at how his plan came to fruition. But then he finds the bodies. All of the bodies. The bodies splattered with blood. And his laughter dies in his throat, and his confident stride becomes a wobbly stumble. In the cold light of day he has to come to terms with the fact that real men were killed, violently, and they their bodies are the proof of his own strategy. I am a big fan of floppy swords, and flowing cloth, and bouncing figures, all essential wuxia elements. But I'm also a fan of a filmmaker who raps the viewers' knuckles a bit for celebrating that violence.
I appreciated that this film had fun with its violence, but did not shy away from the ramifications of that violence. After one particularly epic battle sequence, one of our main characters wanders around the battlefield, enjoying his cleverness. A small party was able to overcome larger numbers using wit and cleverness, and this character spends a few minutes laughing at how his plan came to fruition. But then he finds the bodies. All of the bodies. The bodies splattered with blood. And his laughter dies in his throat, and his confident stride becomes a wobbly stumble. In the cold light of day he has to come to terms with the fact that real men were killed, violently, and they their bodies are the proof of his own strategy. I am a big fan of floppy swords, and flowing cloth, and bouncing figures, all essential wuxia elements. But I'm also a fan of a filmmaker who raps the viewers' knuckles a bit for celebrating that violence.
V. Epic
Look, this is a three hour movie. While I love that King Hu was not afraid to let his action and attention to detail breathe, I must insist that there is a leaner, more effective cut of this movie. Especially when the film seems to meet a satisfactory conclusion, only to continue for another FORTY MINUTES. But even before that, there were plots that were not necessary, and loving shots that lingered too long. This is not a movie that you just turn on. This is appointment viewing.
Why You Should See It
- It features a powerhouse performance from Hanna Schygulla.
- It is immaculately constructed and beautiful to look at, even when it depicts human ugliness.
- There is plenty to analyze, discuss and argue about once the film is done.
Why You Shouldn't See It
In Conclusion
Miscellany
- Filming began in 1968, but the film would not be finished until 1971.- The film was originally split into two films upon initial release.
- An entire village set was constructed for the film. It was left to the elements for nine months to achieve the right look and feel that King Hu desired.
- The film received the Technical Grand Prize and was nominated for the Palm d'Or, the festival's biggest prize, at the 1975 Cannes film festival.
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