What better way to end my personal screenings at the Fantasia International Film Festival than with a martial arts film? As described by the programmer Matthew Kiernan Earlier last week during the Canadian premiere of Yugo Sakamoto‘S Baby Assassins: Beautiful Daysit was “Asian Action Week” at Fantasia. It’s an unofficial term, but it was really a tough choice for Asian action fans, with Sakamoto’s film, Stanley Tong‘S A legend, Heo Myeong-hang‘S The Raid: Punishment And Soi Cheang‘S Dawn of the Warriors: Walled in play all week long.
At the end of the unofficial “Asian Action Week” Haofeng Xu And Junfeng Xu‘S 100 metersa martial arts spectacle without rules that promised action on the same level as Lau Kar-leung (through the words of the programmer King Wei Chuwhich introduced the film. And while it certainly delivers in terms of spectacle, the same cannot be said for its lackluster, often underdeveloped story, which only seems to serve as fodder for some truly epic action.
Description of the plot of 100 meters seems to be pointlessbecause the parts become more and more complicated as the film progresses. But the basis of the film is a conflict between Shen An (Jacky Heung) and Qi Quan (Andy On), venerable masters of a well-known martial arts school in China in the 1920s. The two want to take over the school after the death of their old master, with Qi being the intended heir. However, Shen also wants to get something out of it; a conflict arises and they take their fight to the streets.
The majority of the film is a non-stop series of perfectly timed and filmed action sequences, the likes of which are rarely seen on such a scale in big-budget Hollywood blockbusters. I don’t like to compare apples to oranges, but there’s something really special about seeing a film from another country that not only understands the physics of action filmmaking (and perfectly understands that “action is emotion”), but also knows how to shoot those scenes for a visual medium. Most Hollywood filmmakers have seemingly forgotten both of these golden rules when it comes to capturing action on such a large scale, and that’s why many critics feel refreshed when they see an international film that does what everyone should do.
To King’s credit, Haofeng and Junfeng’s language does indeed seem to be inspired by the physics and overwhelming grandeur of a Lau Kar-leung production, albeit with slightly more hectic cuts between fight moves that often make the sequences seem a little jarring. But one shouldn’t complain too much when most of the action is not only perfectly digestible but also looks flawless. Each fight move hits as hard as the last, and the overwhelming, almost ballet-like quality of the camerawork makes the whole package feel like a massive choreography that intensifies as alliances are formed and the conflict races toward its climax.
How Haofeng and Junfeng stage the fight scenes is an art in itself, and it’s even more impressive to see how each emotional point of the action works in response to how the (steady) camera moves within the sequence. When the camera slowly pans as Shen Qi demonstrates how to kill him during a tense duel, every movement means something, and every gesture made by the characters carries emotional weight. It also helps that the choreography is precise, demonstrating an action style that few filmmakers can match.
Every time a fight broke out, I would jump up from my seat in complete confusion, trying to figure out exactly how a particular moment played out, especially a brawl in the locker room that left me out of sorts. How did they do it all? It doesn’t feel as impossible as it does in Baby Assassins: Beautiful Daysbut it is certainly an action language that hasn’t been seen on screen for a long time, and one that continues to be refined by filmmakers who respect the legacy of the Shaw brothers but put their own spin on the Hong Kong action pioneers.
It’s a shame that the story isn’t nearly as interesting as the action (alongside a bludgeoning, harmonica-heavy score that gets boring very quickly). Such a simple premise shouldn’t get so complicated, and it’s hard to get invested in the drama when the characters are only superficially developed aside from strong action episodes. Sure, the film has style for days and is one of the most lavish productions to come out of China in a long time, but it doesn’t make up for the weak character development, even if Heung and On give competent performances.
They are much more convincing when they are emotionally engaged with themselves during a brawl than when they are spouting the most nonsensical nonsense when talking to each other. It is unfortunate that neither Haofeng nor Junfeng can convincingly portray a fascinating rivalry beyond the fights, but their skill at creating breathtaking, perfectly calibrated and timed action is 100 meters‘ true salvation.
Some action cinema experts will tell you that you don’t watch a Shaw Brothers film for the plot, which may be true. However, films like Sun Chung‘S The avenging eagle And Kuei Chih-hung‘S Killer cop (both of which were shown at Fantasia this year, so I’m using these two as specific examples) had incredible action elements that enhanced the already compelling story and character work. We were emotionally invested in the characters beyond the overwhelming action.
100 meters features some of the most amazing fight scenes of the year, but without the emotional structure and substance of those Shaw Brothers films. In fact, the trailer for a Shaw Brothers film that 100 meters felt much more complete in its story than Haofeng and Junfeng’s film. Strong drama and characters that grip you before the filmmaker bursts into action you’ve never seen before. That’s the beauty of any great Shaw film. 100 meters seems to sum up the plot, but there isn’t much more to it than that.
Nevertheless, it is much better than Haofeng’s last production, The Hidden Swordand there is hope that her next film will be even better than 100 meters. With their innate understanding of the physics and emotions of action sequences, there’s no doubt that Haofeng and Junfeng will establish themselves as true action innovators if they can find a less complicated and more emotionally engaging story that acts as a deeper emotional anchor than perfectly choreographed martial arts routines.
RESULT: ★★★
