Wang de Shengyan (2012) Reviews

• Artsy epic

  harry_tk_yung2013-01-06

  I'm not sure if my summary "line" constitutes an oxymoron but anyway, anyone who has watched director LU Chuan's brilliant debut "Kekexili" (2004) knows that he is uncompromising when it comes to the artistic style of his work. Arguably the most dramatic epic in Chinese ancient history is the titanic struggle between LIU Bang and XIANG Yu which many consider to have started at the Feast at Hong Gate which, arguably again, is the most famous single dramatic event in Chinese ancient history. This story has seen almost countless screen presentations in the Chinese language cinema. Quite predictably, all these attempts wound up in lush entertaining packages, from unabashedly melodramatic to somewhat more tasteful work. Yet, nobody has done what Lu did. Anchored in LIU at his deathbed, having enjoyed his hard-won kingdom but not without a few regrets (albeit he probably still did it his way), the story unfolds in snapshots of short flashback scenes juxtaposing in an almost chaotic way between characters and events. For instance, the famous Feast at Hong Gate keeps coming back, from time to time, but each time with added perspective. The expected treacheries, betrayals, ruthless cruelties are all there in this, to borrow a critic so aptly borrowed himself, "game of thrones". However, LU adds another dimension all of his own, close to the end. Allegorical in no uncertain terms, he spares no pain in telling the story of how people in power falsify history. It is almost a miracle that this segment survives uncensored. The cast is uniformly brilliant. The three top-billed are superstars from the three most prominent Chinese ethnic communities. LIU Ye (Mainland China) portrays the founder of the Han Dynasty (who might have even been an ancient ancestor of his from a score of centuries ago). Cast somewhat against type is Daniel Wu (Hong Kong) who portrays a most macho hero in history you can name, XIANG Yu. The third of this tripod is Taiwan's CHANG Chen who plays the brilliant general and strategist HAN Xin, whose fate is tragically interwoven with the other two's. QIN Lan is as chilling a dark queen as you can get, making Lady Macbeth look like Cinderella. ZHANG Liang, historically just as important (and some would say more so) as HAN is given a cool observer's role in this film, ably portrayed by QI Dao. SHA Yi has his moment toward the end as XIAO He, another of the emperor's key advisors who finds himself plunging into a bottomless pit of lies. "The last supper" will likely disappoint some who are looking for conventional entertainment. Those with the appetite for an exceptional piece of filmmaking will be vastly entertained, albeit not in the conventional way.

• Go for it, despite the ratings

  inzhimomi2013-08-21

  A friend of mine suggested me this movie. So like what most of us do, I checked out the ratings and reviews in IMDb and Rottentomatoes. I must say I was not encouraged by what I read. But critics did accept that the movie had stunning visuals and gorgeous landscapes. So I spent two hours of my precious time to watch it, then another two hours to watch it again and I have no regrets. The flashbacks and flash forwards from the movie were still on my mind days after. The story line is sometimes not linear, but it is easy to understand. The movie begins, with the dying Han Emperor Liu Bang being haunted in his dreams by his two mortal enemies, Han Xia and Xiang Yu. In a series of flashback the Liu Bang recollects the memories of how he turned from a ordinary villager, to a soldier and to an Emperor. As the movie progress you will find that Liu Bang is a very complicated person and might not find him likable at all, for his many shortcomings. Some critics pointed this out and argued that the central character(Liu Bang) is despicable, and hence erodes the movie. But I found it otherwise. The movie will take you to the heart of the three main characters( Liu Bang, Han Xia and Xiang Yu). You will see, if you understand, why they do and what they do are out of very basic human emotions and instincts i.e love,fear, ambition, pride,glory and jealousy. These feelings are very clearly displayed by the characters in the movie. That it could have been any of them ,who would be king, had the circumstances been different or the decisions they had made been different. And also that fate of a person is sometimes sealed no matter what. This is why I really love the movie, though I may or may not like who wins in the end. I think what the critics(western) don't understand is the enigmatic character of Xiang Yu, whose role and part they feel is a foolish and trivial one. I believe the movie actually tries to show him as a noble, wise and a tempered king. Normally display of humility and kindness, is viewed as weakness in the west, and this may be the reason why critics cannot find a place for Xiang Yu in the plot. So yes, this is not your regular sword clashing, slashing movie. But this movie is and Epic of it's own kind.I recommend it strongly.

• An art-house historic epic

  ronchow2016-07-09

  First of, since 'The City of Life and Death' and 'Kekexili' I have become a fan of mainland China director Lu Chuan. I did not know about this film but somehow, through indirect references, I found out about it and decided to purchase a DVD to see it. And a good thing I have a DVD, for I needed to watch it more than once to truly grasp the gist of the film. The story line is based on a piece of history in the period of around 200 BC, toward the end of the Qing Dynasty. It is a story of allies turned mortal enemies, trust, mistrust, and the deadly outcome when a woman, here a queen, got involved in the King's decisions. There are no epic battles and brutal action here, although there are a couple of scenes of torture and execution. The plot and pace are both slow. So I can see why many people will not like it. But if you have the patience, this is a visually impressive film that told a complex story. DVD is the best medium as you can pause, backtrack or watch it for a 2nd or 3rd time to fully understand the plot.

• To make commercial movies with the idea of making literary and artistic films

  yoggwork2019-02-20

  To make commercial movies with the idea of making literary and artistic films is to elaborate the black screen of history, but the entry point is not accurate enough. The whole film has a slow rhythm and no fluctuation. The story line, especially the old Liu Bang, seems particularly confused.

• Underestimated Movie

  i-577532018-09-14

  In fact, the atmosphere and the beauty of scene may be the best among films about this topic. The first emperor of Han Dynasty Liu Bang and his wife told us a golden rule in politic: kill your politic ennemy as soon as possible if you could. Another from Xiang Yu: Never overestimate morality.