Movie

 

 

APGS did §=ENGEPHCINMENG :

Asian Film Gives Hollywood Much-Needed Kick In Ass

Iain W. Reeve, A&E Editor

 

’m sure I’m not alone in my mixed ©

emotions leading into the summer

movie season. Like most people, I
pray that maybe, just maybe, the
Hollywood crap machine will go totally
crazy and decide to offer up some high-
quality cinema to help me pass my
scorching summer afternoons in air-
conditioned darkness. But most years I
am sadly disappointed. So what’s one to
do if they want to find some good films
that don’t subscribe to the constant
barrage of recycled romantic comedies,
buddy movies, and explosion-ridden,
chauvinistic action films? See what's
cooking in the East, that’s what. From
the late great Akira Kurosawa, to the
modern success of such films as
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Hero, and
House of Flying Daggers, Asian film has
made an impact on both film viewers
and film makers in North America. The
two following brilliant, and very differ-
ent, films from China and Korea are
currently in theatres.

Olaboy

Oldboy, by critically acclaimed Korean
director Chan-wook Park, was a big
winner at Cannes in 2004, receiving
grand Quentin
Tarantino in particular. The film is bru-

adulation from
tal, twisted, and often times painful to
watch. It is everything a masterfully
crafted story about revenge should be.
The sheer level of cruelty and tragedy
displayed in the film harkens back to
the greatest tragedies of Shakespeare.
The story follows a man named Dae-Su
who is mysteriously kidnapped and
imprisoned in a small hotel-type room
for 15 years. He is gassed, hypnotized,
and never receives any explanation as to
why he is there. When he is finally
released, he goes on a search for
revenge. Along the way he encounters a
young girl named Mi-Do, the two find-
ing themselves instantly drawn to each
other. The story is a truly powerful, and
emotionally confusing, one. The char-

acters often carry a significant moral
detachment from many situations,
which is an interesting cross between
surrealism and embellishment of true
Korean emotional norms.

The camera work and use of colour
and shadow arte the true treat here. No
two scenes are shot the same; in fact it
almost feels as though no two shots are
the same. From brilliant odd-angle
closeups, to a shot that follows Dae-Su
for about three minutes down a hallway
as he fights off a whole gang of thugs,
the show is a clinic for any cinematog-
raphy enthusiasts.

While this film presents the very
serious side of Asian film, our next film
does the exact opposite.

Kung fu Hustle

This film’s director / writer /producer/
lead actor Stephen Chow has been a
life-long fan of Kung-Fu movies and
comedy. He manages to meld both into
a film that seamlessly moves between
absurd comedy and classic Kung-Fu.
The film’s premise is simple enough, a
small run-down neighbourhood in
1930s China accidentally runs afoul of
the toughest gang in the nearby city:
The Axe Gang. The peasants, however,
ate protected from the gang when, inci-

dentally, just about every second
person in the neighbourhood is a mar-
tial-arts master. Thus proving the
long-held stereotype that every Chinese
person has some knowledge of the
deadly arts. As the town’s tailor
exclaims: “It’s no crime to be good at
Kung-Fu!” And so the film progresses

  
  
    
  
  
   
  
 
 
   
    
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

in classic Kung-Fu movie form: one
seemingly indestructible opponent is
defeated by a better fighter, till that
fighter is defeated by another, and so
on and so on till the end.

While watching the film it occurred
to me that the Kung-fu form resembles
that of pornography, wherein every sit-
uation becomes a valid time to have
sex. Yes, just as porn teaches us that any
situation containing consenting adults
is an orgy in the making, Kung-Fu films
teach us that simple daily activities such
as shopping or gardening can turn into
arenas for mortal combat. And this film
fearlessly uses its surroundings to cre-
ate fight scenes as jaw dropping as any
in Crouching Tiger or similar films, but
without the fear of falling into the
absurd. With hilarious references to
films such as The Shining, Chicago, and
The Matrix, and a cast of well-played
characters, Kung Fu Hustle makes for
one thoroughly enjoyable, though plot-

wise predictable, slugfest.

 

Les Bandes Dessinées Sont Bonne Nourriture

Jason Webb, OP Contributor

ike most comic-book readers,

I’m pretty excited about DC’s

Infinite Crisis, and rest assured:
this epic is going to render superhero
fans comatose with its sheer scope.
Lately though, I’ve been searching for
new material. Comics sold on the racks
have left me, like many readers, feeling
as though I am missing out on some-
thing. My recent visit to Paris was not
only an opportunity to gorge myself on
tich food and cheap wine, but to hunt
down some European titles.

France, like most European coun-
tries, imports all the great North
American titles, but their homegrown
artists and writers create gorgeous
works of art. French comics, or bandes

14 | www.theotherpress.ca

dessinées (BD for short) tend to be in
large, hardcover format. Unlike most
North American comics, each comic is
generally a self-contained story, rather
than monthly “episodes” that eventual-
ly form a story arc. For beginners,
reading such French classics as Astérix
and TinTin (despite their insensitive
handling of ethnicity) are a great way of
warming up to Euro-comics.

Mote obscure titles, however, can be
difficult to find in Canada. Most books
can be ordered online, but be sure to
treat yourself when a translated edition
makes its way to your local comic shop.

One recent import I recommend is
Blacksad (Dargaud), a gritty detective
series set in a world populated by, if you

can believe it, anthropomorphic ani-
mals. Written by Juan Diaz Canales
and illustrated by Juanjo Guarnido,
French publishers knew they had a
winner on théir hands. Canales’ sto-
ries are straightforward detective
plots pulled out of your favourite
Bogart film. The art is stunning in
this sucker. Guarnido captures a
wide range of emotions for each
character, unlike anything seen in
popular comics. The pacing is deli-
ciously cinematic, with each frame
moving the story along at breakneck
speed, but slows right down to
deliver the heavy emotional punch.
God, I love Paris.

   

May 11/2005