gingerrdriley

This film is one which any self-respecting sumo fan will see at some point. It is a nice portrait of the wrestlers featured and has some nice coverage of training and competition.

This film is also not a very compelling narrative, and frankly doesn't entice one to sit down with it again. Like many other attempts to document sumo, the information is incomplete and there are key moments which could not be captured because of the limited access and financial support for the director.

If you're new to sumo, this is probably a good introduction. If you're a fan, then it's nice supplementary material, but not likely very informative overall. Certainly worth seeing at least once, and with company if you can help it. It's clearly a film which respects sumo and tries to show the aspects of it which truly captures the hearts of fans.

It's really good, but you should try not to view it with the expectation of conventional film making, despite the time tested method of storytelling.

Watching this film for the second time recently, someone I was with remarked that this film resembles a sort of Greek tragedy. I think that's actually a really good way to contextualize this film. The way this film is written and presented is more evocative of ancient methods of storytelling which precede traditional film. I'm not really referring to the way the way the characters speak to each other necessarily, nor the predictability of the narrative (though in fairness, the narrative isn't super hard to follow or even predict). The methods I'm referring to run more along the lines of storytelling by the characters, exaggerated supernatural ability of the characters, and the clear sense of morality and ideology by both the characters and, it seems, Yimou Zhang. The writing of this film reminds me more of Homer's Odyssey than a kung fu movie.

Speaking of Homer, the characters in this film are presented in the action scenes as being superhuman in skill and ability. This is done, of course, via beautifully choreographed wire fu. These scenes are plentiful in the film and greatly accentuate the poetic nature of the story. I should clarify though, for the most part the action in this film is meant to express emotions that have very little to do with tension. They're not typical movie fights. The point is not to wonder what will happen or who will win, but rather to understand the emotions and motivations of the characters through a sort of elaborate dance. If you understand the nature of the story and how the action compliments it, then you will see its true value.

The common complaint I hear concerning this film is that its somewhat shallow. I would actually agree with that, in a way. This film doesn't really ask any difficult questions, and I can't imagine any intelligent audience would find it especially challenging on an emotional level. While I do admire the relatively unique method of story telling, so far as the context of the film medium is concerned, I can't say it lends itself too well to the type of moral quandaries or meditations which are characteristic of great films. It's akin to a children's film. The observations and themes it presents are things which are just common knowledge for anyone older than 12. That's not to say it's bad. This is a very good film. Bear in mind though, that your emotional resonance with it might not amount to much.

It's a visual feast, and a love letter to historical storytelling. Check it out, but don't come with too many expectations of a conventional film.

So this film is fairly uneven. On one hand, its story is either lacking in tonal coherence or is generally scatter brained. On the other hand, the fight choreography and stunt work is genuinely breathtaking.

The story isn't necessarily incomprehensible, though it seems to try very hard to be. I get the distinct impression that there was either difficulty in getting all the coverage required for the plot, or that the editor had a very fuzzy understanding of how to put all the scenes together in a way which made sense, mostly it feels like the former. At a certain point it literally feels like scenes are missing from the film. It doesn't ruin the experience, but it makes it difficult to be especially invested in the characters and their motivations. Speaking of characters, they're mostly fine I guess. Jackie Chan at least represents some kind of arc or emotional conflict that the audience can get involved in. For the most part though, a lot of characters feel underdeveloped to the point of being sort of place-holders. I guess the main takeaway is that this film would be kind of bad if not for the martial arts.

The martial arts and accompanying stunt work in this film is of the highest caliber. It's sort of to be expected of a Jackie Chan feature, but even so, there are some fights in this film which seem to defy all conventions of action and the laws of physics. Admittedly, a lot of it is pretty cornball. The sort of levity which is characteristic of a lot of the action is very fitting I think. It better compliments the light comedic tone of this film than more serious encounters might have. I mean, the fighting can often be a lot funnier than the sort of weird attempts at humor that come during the "down time". I'm not trying to undermine the legitimate tension that comes during some of the fighting. I'm just saying that the tone of the action fits very well into the rest of the film.

Despite the largely messy story, the martial arts action in this film is executed with absolute mastery. It's worth checking out by virtue of its highlights. Go for it, it's good.