I love this movie. First off, I'm a huge Jet Li fan. Even the really crap films he did in the beginning of his career. This is one of his better ones but that's not the main reason I love it so much.
Fist of Legend is probably my all-time favorite Jet Li film and Fearless serves as kind of an awesome non-canonical prequel to it. I say non-canonical because the Tanaka from FOL is kind of a douche and a drunk but the one from Fearless is all zen and honorable in a badass kind of way. There are other little differences but whatever. I don't really care about that. Both the movies are good.
What really blew me away about Fearless, though, was the message. I am a big believer in personal redemption, in the ability of each person to expiate their failures through good works and humility. I don't think that there's anyone that is beyond saving as long as they are committed to change. I think the conversation Huo Yuanjia and Tanaka have over tea is one of the more beautiful philosophical musings I've ever heard in film. It really appealed to my aesthetic in how pared down the metaphor was, as well. There was not a single extraneous word.
I found the entire movie to be extraordinarily well-crafted, beautiful, and up-lifting. You know, as much as killing a man over a stupid misunderstanding, living in self-imposed exile in penance for said killing, returning to stand up for your country, then getting poisoned and dying publicly can be up-lifting.
No comments:
Post a Comment