When Kar Wai Wong’s greatly anticipated film The Grandmaster premiered at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year, I could hardly contain my excitement and anxiety. Excitement because each and every single one of Wong’s films are a visual treat: lush, lyrical, filmed with great attention to detail, and shamelessly romantic. Anxiety because, since 2007’s slightly disastrous My Blueberry Nights (Wong’s first film in English) he has produced nothing of significance. So it is with relief that I gleaned that The Grandmaster had been met with more than critical adoration.
For those who are unfamiliar with Wong’s oeuvre, I will alert you in advance that his films are pure art house, meandering through almost non-narrative, and almost always leaving gaps in narrative that make one either intrigued or irritatedly scratching one’s head – depending on your ability to immerse yourself in this particular director’s magic.
The Grandmaster is no exception. The film follows the life of Ip Man (played by the great Tony Leung who is a fixture of Wong’s films) a master of the Wing Chun school of Kung Fu in the 1930s. Ip Man, by his own admission, has lived a life of ease and privilege for his first 40 years, happy in his marriage to his beautiful cultured wife Cheung Wing-sing (played by the radiant Song Hye-kyo) until a clashing of the Kung Fu cultures of northern and southern China upsets his equilibrium. What follows requires at least a basic knowledge of Chinese history of the period if you don’t want to miss the depth and nuances of key parts of a story that hardly bothers to explain the historically complex period in which it is set.
There are many characters in this intricate and sometimes confusing film so pay attention and be patient. All of the storylines intertwine and pay off, albeit some in more satisfying and others in slightly more subtle ways – but then again, that is the mystery that captivates most Kar Wai Wong fans.
It is impossible to talk about The Grandmaster without mentioning the stunning cinematography by Philippe Le Sourd, a departure from most of his previous films which were shot by the savant Christopher Doyle. Regardless of Doyle’s legacy though (at one point one could not speak of Wong’s films without mentioning Doyle – they were that intrinsically linked) Le Sourd has more than stepped up to the challenge, rendering this film unforgettable with beautifully lit sets and camera work that is extraordinarily sophisticated.
As with most great works of art, The Grandmaster does not give us pre-determined truths, happy endings, or any kind of tangible story arc for that matter. Rather we have to satisfy ourselves with the emotions that play across the faces of great actors like Leung, Hye-kyo, and of course Zhang Ziyi (who plays Gong Er – a highly skilled martial artist herself).
This film is the work of a mature and subtle filmmaker, a man who has honed his skills over the years. It could, in fact, be called the work of a grandmaster of cinema.
Watch trailer
The Grand Master
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uC5amKLgnFU