Title: The Grandmaster
Year: 2013
Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Country: China
Language: Mandarin
Perhaps the most well known Chinese writer-director in North
America, Wong Kar-Wai has made four decades worth of sensational and spell
bounding films. 1994's Chungking Express,
2000's In the Mood For Love and 2004's
epic 2046
are just a few fantastic films in his repertoire. The man is certainly
capable of making a masterpiece at any moment, which is why fans are on the
edge of their seats when a new Wong Kar-Wai picture arrives in theaters . His
latest film, The Grandmaster is
certainly making waves with audiences worldwide.
The Grandmaster is a biopic which stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Red Cliff) as IP Man, the martial arts master who trained the likes of Bruce Lee. The film chronicles his life, starting with his peaceful time in the city of Foshan. However, this is interrupted as he is threatened by Gong Yutian (Wang Qingxiang), a retired martial arts master of the North.
Though it's "based on a true story", the majority of the film seems more fantasy than reality. While discussing the film with a friend from Taiwan, he claimed that it "felt like an attempt by the Chinese government to glorify and white wash IP man's history". While Wong Kar Wai's film can be obnoxiously melodramatic, it is spectacularly well made and absolutely enthralling. It is full of love and hate, of despair and of hope.
The Grandmaster is a biopic which stars Tony Leung Chiu Wai (Red Cliff) as IP Man, the martial arts master who trained the likes of Bruce Lee. The film chronicles his life, starting with his peaceful time in the city of Foshan. However, this is interrupted as he is threatened by Gong Yutian (Wang Qingxiang), a retired martial arts master of the North.
Though it's "based on a true story", the majority of the film seems more fantasy than reality. While discussing the film with a friend from Taiwan, he claimed that it "felt like an attempt by the Chinese government to glorify and white wash IP man's history". While Wong Kar Wai's film can be obnoxiously melodramatic, it is spectacularly well made and absolutely enthralling. It is full of love and hate, of despair and of hope.
Apparently there are many versions of The Grandmaster circling theaters around the world. While North America can see a 108 minute cut, Asia is in possession of a 130 minute cut. Does the Director think so little of the American attention span? While the North American version is absolutely breathtaking, it feels as though a chunk of the story is missing. Regardless, the themes seep through the screen and into our consciousness. IP's inner struggle for peace is universal and the fight scenes are majestically choreographed by Yuen Po Ping
In conclusion, The Grandmaster is an exciting martial arts film with some incredibly deep themes that will resonate with the viewer long after the film is finished. The acting, especially from Tony Leung Chiu Wai, is pretty decent and adds to the drama that unfolds on the screen. I wish North America had the full cut, but the version we have in North America will have to suffice. Unfortunately because it is cut too short, the film feels poorly paced during the second half. 3/5
I thought it was a good film. Not too dramatic. I agree with you that with the way it was cut it felt like something was missing. I would've liked it to have been longer. Something else I would've loved to have seen was a battle between Ip Man and Ma San. Something tells me that would've been one epic showdown.
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