Director: Lu Yang
Notable Cast: Chang Chen, Chin Shih-chieh, Ye Qing, Wang
Qianyuan, Li Dongxue, Nie Yuan, Zhao Lixin, Qiao Lei, Yang Yi, Gu Dian, Ye
Xiangming, Yang Xiaobo
The wuxia genre has seen its fair share of evolutionary
changes and most recently it has taken to being a rather artistic and epic
affair thanks to filmmakers like Zhang Yimou. There have been a few films that
harken back towards the more classic (and pulpy) wuxia style like 14 Blades,
but it’s usually either one or the other. Rarely does one find a film that
blends a slick modern visual style of modern Hong Kong and the classic old
school foundations for the genre. Not only does Brotherhood of Blades do
that, but it also efficiently blends the two in such a way as to be a massively
entertaining action packed ride and a heartfelt and dramatic tale.
As the governing body of the Chinese government desperately
looks to weed out corruption, they task three of their best Imperial Assassins
(Chang Chen, Chin Shih-chieh, Ye Qing) to find and eliminate the head of the
movement. Unknown to them, the assassins’ task is steeped in political upheaval
and their mission will leave them on the wrong end of the blade.
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| Brothers in arms. |
To throw a bit of context to this review, it was completely
unexpected that this film would be such a phenomenal piece of work. Sure, it
was nominated for a handful of Golden Horse awards (the Hong Kong version of
the Oscars) in a slew of categories like best actor, supporting actor, action
choreography and make-up and costume design, but usually that means the film is
more artsy and less dynamic. Brotherhood of Blades is DYNAMIC. All caps.
It works on so many levels that I may have watched it three times in one day.
In a row. On repeat.
The film, first and foremost, solidifies itself as a classic
style wuxia. The story is based on loyalty, betrayal, love, and honor as we
follow the rather edgy lives of three ‘brothers’ in the Imperial Assassins. We
see them betrayed by the very officials that they placed their faith and
loyalty in and then they have to fight their way out. Like the classic Shaw
Brothers wuxia of 70s and 80s, the film moves at an efficient and quick pace,
intertwining the character beats of our three heroes with bombastic action set
pieces. Sleek visuals from director Lu Yang punctuate the fight work, where there
are big multi-tiered fights among rain, fire, and snow as if the film didn’t
think it was quite dynamic enough, and the impact of the fights actually move
both plot and character arcs forward – a task that is often overlooked in
modern action cinema far too often.
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| No chains can hold him! |
Even outside of the engaging entertainment value of the film
as an action flick, there is quite the heart to Brotherhood of Blades.
The combined acting efforts of the three leading men, along with a rather large
and yet utterly memorable and valuable secondary cast, deepens the overall
effectiveness of the standard betrayal/loyalty martial arts themes. Layers of
character personalities are peeled away in quick effectual dialogue (learning
of the dreams, problems, and loves of these three men is almost as entertaining
as the slick modern sword fighting) and by the time shit truly hits the fan in
the third act the film had me hooked and emotional.
 |
| Carry on. |
That is the brilliance of Brotherhood of Blades. On
one side, the film contains plenty of modern visuals and a slightly askew
narrative that uses non-linear leaps for emotional punch. On the other, this
film could have easily starred Ti Lung, David Chiang, and Fu Sheng and been one
of the biggest grossing wuxia films for the Shaw Brothers in 1978 with its
classic themes and characters. Yet, the true highlight of the film is just how
unbelievably smooth the blending of both of those sides are. The film is
beautiful and lush in its look and design. The fights are ambitious and
exciting. The story is classic and still refreshing in its character build. Brotherhood
of Blades is one of the best martial arts films in the last 30 years. Chang
Cheh would be proud.
Seriously though, I’m adding a couple of pre-order links
below this. Buy it. It drops on February 10th from the iconic Well
Go USA.
Written By Matt Reifschneider
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