It
can definitely be argued that Wilson Yip has lost his way
since his late 90s stint of splendid dramatic efforts (with a
hint of quirkiness) such as Juliet In Love and Bullets
Over Summer. His invitation to mainstream filmmaking has
proven to be a bumpy ride (Skyline Cruisers) and surprisingly
good considering (2002, Dry Wood Fierce Fire).
The reputation Yip had built up however wasn't able to be furthered
in those films but he's always shown a desire to dip
his feet in most every conceivable genre. A definite bounce
back to the good old days of quirkiness took place in the underrated
The Mummy, Aged 19 while last year's Leaving Me
Loving You fired on all visual cylinders without enough
heart sadly.
Never one to stop and give up, The White Dragon was announced as a Wuxia/comedy and a uniting of the new and
old guard. Namely Cecilia Cheung and Francis Ng. Bear in mind,
Yip's best films has been with Francis Ng in the lead. A
sure sign of quality beforehand then? Obviously not as this is a different
beast compared to the small productions of the past. So, with Wong
Fung's 1968 film of the same name as its template, you definitely
do detect a hint of Lunar New Year-esque laziness despite being a period piece
That paranoia would be justified if Wong Jing got his hands
on this but now it's an actual creative force, albeit sporadically
these days, driving this puppy...
Set
during the Ming Dynasty, blind assassin Chicken Feather (Francis
Ng in an obvious nod to Katsu Shintaro's Zatoichi character)
has made it his mission to eradicate the world from evil.
After taking out an admired principal with a dark secret,
he gets into a struggle with an enemy since long, The White
Dragon. He beats her but soon thereafter White Dragon's powers
are transferred (via broadband) to young beauty Black Phoenix
(Cecilia Cheung). The downside to having these extraordinary
powers is bad acne but helping out the ones in need is a recipe
for that to go away. Now posing as White Dragon Jr, Phoenix
also sets to avenge her master. In
the fight that ensues with Chicken Feather, Phoenix is injured but nursed back to health by the blind Chicken. Forced away from luxury and potential husband
Tian Yang (Andy On), the two strike up an unlikely bond...
Silliness
is an art. When executed, it's just fun for the cast and crew.
When executed well, that fun is picked up on by an audience.
As is human drama when done well. Those two aspects take
turns in Wilson Yip's first period piece and both are minor
triumphs. Despite big sets and fine production design, ultimately
what Yip wants to do is have fun initially but before that,
he gives action director Ma Yuk Sing the stage. The Tsui Hark
produced Era Of Vampires showed that Hong Kong filmmakers
could still churn out exciting new wave action although they forget to make a thoroughly compelling film there. Ma's work on The White Dragon leans heavily towards wires, climbing
on walls Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon style, doubling,
quick-edits and with Yip adding frames of animated sword cut-flashes
to decent effect. Even though bouts are fairly short and not
a dominating factor for the film, Ma treats
us to some slick Ching Siu-Tung like choreography and that
my friends is a rare thing today. Wuxia fans won't be pleased
if going into this expecting another Hero or House
Of Flying Daggers because after this intro, Wilson Yip goes nuts in the best of ways.
Yip
sneakily infuses the Ming Dynasty with modern elements, referencing Beverly Hills 90210, McDonald's and
he either will completely have sold you or turned
you off by the time the concert sequence hits. Cecilia Cheung's
Black Phoenix not only has a spinning wheel with her different
instruments, she also finishes off the set in true rock n' roll
style! I.e. destruction! No, this doesn't fit and things get even more ridiculous when Phoenix first acquires her powers
(in a moment reminiscent of a scene in Bio-Zombie).
Skill is required to get viewers on board
with this content but on the other hand, international
audiences is not the target. Hong Kong viewers have been subjected to this for
years, of varying quality, but for the clown show to work well, directors need to bring a focus and dedication to each set mood. Yip does and it's been a while since he's had this much fun. We're delighted alongside
with him.
Then
something happens that is so much true for his best work (Bullets
Over Summer & Juliet In Love). Confining two
characters in one setting, letting their differences
play out and the subsequent unlikely bonding, be it romantic or out of respect.
Yip's script, co-written by Lo Yiu Fai, clearly isn't intended to
echo multi-layered complexity as the development and growing
bond between Chicken and Phoenix can be smelled a mile away.
The key skill that Yip brings however for this section to gel is a genuine
sincerity and humanity. The White Dragon therefore
becomes an affecting, familiar journey that allows Yip to
concentrate fully on acting as he doesn't cut back and forth
between the silliness that doesn't matter. We've had our fun, now it's time to care instead.
The
isolated setting allows for the martial arts world to matter
in the very smallest degree thankfully and space is instead devoted to obviously silly
tantrums such as Chicken's childish enchantment with the flute.
In a risky twist, Yip's touch turns a scene like this into a heartfelt and joyous character moment for Chicken Feather instead! Even breaking into
actual comedy, especially a sequence where Ng is playing
with the free gift he got from McD, requires the utmost
dedication to the director/actor relationship for it to sell emotionally in the long run. I'll say it
again, the best works of Yip's have been with Francis Ng.
Ng
is excellent and brings a suitable low-key and well mannered
aura to Chicken. It's also a rather touching portrayal of
abandonment as he tells us of his tormented past and he
subsequently discovers the joys of life that the jiang hu never
seemed to offer. He strikes up splendid chemistry with Cecilia
Cheung who is game for the chosen moods for the film and
comfortably handles drama by now. A subtlety is on display
that caters well to both actors as their bond continues to
grow and be prepared to be affected by their honest and sincere
dedication here.
It's
only towards the final reel that Wilson seems a bit too stuck
in the misery of the tale and when bringing in a larger group
of characters for the final showdown, we're reminded of the
fact that The White Dragon celebrates its triumphs when
being smaller in scale instead. Nevertheless, I do regard
this as Wilson Yip's finest commercial venture. A silly, touching
and heartfelt period piece with an admirable dedication to
actually make each mood work. Not churn out a cheap release
just for the heck of adding onto filmographies.
The
DVD:
Universe's
1.78:1 anamorphic presentation has a few nicks and scars while
blacks are very good. The soft look of the transfer drags
it down slightly however.
The
Cantonese Dolby Digital 5.1 track mainly uses the front stage
for some pleasing effects and for music. Dialogue is also
crystal clear. Cantonese DTS 5.1 and Mandarin Dolby Digital
5.1 tracks are also included.
The
English subtitles are a bit on the large side and more often
than not substitutes the name Chicken Feather for just C.F.
Other than that, only a few spelling errors turn up and the
translation is easy to follow. Traditional and simplified
Chinese subtitles are also included.
Main
extra feature is the 19 minute making of that only
comes with imbedded Chinese subtitles. Most every cast member
is interviewed, many movie clips are featured but the behind
the scenes footage is quite amusing. Star's Files only
contains filmographies for Francis Ng and Cecilia Cheung.
The
12-page Photo Gallery is actually marked as making
of on the right side of the main menu. Trailers for The
White Dragon, Leave Me Alone and The Attractive
One finishes the slim package.
reviewed
by Kenneth Brorsson
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