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Reviews
Xi zao (1999)
A good movie that tells you about today's China
I often felt troubled when people asked me to recommend some Chinese movies, not because there weren't any good ones, but because those good ones did not depict today's China. Some of Yimou Zhang's and Kaige Chen's movies are not only good, but also, in my opinion, among the greatest ones that the world has produced. However, the stories in those movies happened many years ago; and these years are the ones that have seen the most dramatic changes of a country in history.
My trouble ended with the introduction of Xizao (Shower) in North America.
The humors are Chinese styled, but the emotions are, as someone has said in his comment, universal. The values on intimate family relationships, genuine friendships, and concerns for the general public are exemplified in a society that is trying to find a balance between modernization and tradition. When economic development and new technologies menace thousand-year-old lifestyles, people, especially the elderlies, become ambivalent towards them.
A country with an extraordinary history and tradition experiencing the most rapid development in the world, today's China can be a perfect set for many more good movies. I often wonder why there are so few movies like Xizao. As it has proved, you don't have to touch heavy politics to depict an authentic picture of today's China. (Kaige Chen's Together is disappointing.)
One of the commentators said the movie is uneven at some points. This is probably true, and unsurprising, given that the director is not as experienced as Zhang or Chen. However, I didn't notice the unevenness because I was captured by the actors' wonderful performances. You will be easily amused by Wu Jiang's performance as Er Ming; you would be more impressed by Xu Zhu's Master Liu and Cunxing Pu's Da Ming if you understand Chinese. These are the finest Chinese actors of their respective generations.
I noticed that some commentators thought the story happened in a small village. This is a misunderstanding. The set is actually Beijing. Although bathhouses like the one in the movie exist in many Chinese cities, you feel more amazed by the changes that China is experiencing when you know this story happened in a metropolis, right?
If you want to understand today's China, watch this movie. If you want to understand the China before and during the Cultural Revolution (1966 to 1976), you should check out Huozhe (To Live) and Ba Wang Bie Ji (Farewell My Concubine). Artistically, Xizao may not be a masterpiece compared to the latter two, but it is definitely worth watching. In today's world, movies as warm as this one remind us of the beauty of life.
Jing wu ying xiong (1994)
A stunning kung fu film with believable martial arts
There is no wire-fu. The fighting scenes look less choreographed. The effects are more believable. If you pay attention, you will notice the student kicked by Chen Zen didn't fly backwards in summersaults - as they often did in other martial arts films - but flew back plainly and then fell on the ground facing down. This is the best effect - seemingly no effect.
Something about Jet Li: He is the most skillful kung fu master. When he made his film debut in 1979's Shaolin Temple, he had already won numerous championships in China's martial art contests. He was only 16 at that time. In Shaolin Temple, which I highly recommend, he displayed his unbelievable skills in different styles with different weapons. Maybe he is not as funny as Jackie Chan, nor as handsome as Chow Yun-Fat (who is actually a layman of martial arts), but he is definitely the greatest martial artist.
BTW, as great as Jet is, he is not the inventor of fighting with a belt. There is a traditional Chinese weapon called Jiu Jie Bian (Nine-Chain Whip), which looks like a long iron chain. Again, you can find an incredible display of that weapon by Jet in Shaolin Temple.