Dersu Uzala

Here's an older movie. 1975 according to imdb.com but that may just be the US release date - there were 2 copyright dates on the dvd box ('71 and '74), so I'm very confused...

I am positive, however, that I really liked this movie - Dersu Uzala.

Akira Kurosawa was commissioned to direct this Russian epic adventure: the story of an early-20th century mapping quest into the Siberian wilderness. The company of Russian soldiers happens upon an older nomad (Dersu), who at first seems antiquated and eccentric. Dersu soon earns their trust and much more as he guides them through the uncharted, vast, VAST wilderness. But over the course of just a few years, as the wilderness becomes tamed, Dersu's usefulness comes into question...

This is a sloooooooooooow (old!) movie, yes. But anyone interested, REALLY interested in film should see this. It is a cinematic masterpiece. An absolute wonder to look at. This is what kept my interest throughout the film. I don't think any other director could pull off this movie.

Akira captures the bleakness of the landscape, he catches it's rugged beauty. EVERYTHING is in focus (thanks to his use of long lenses). But there are a few scenes that will stay with me, if not forever, for a long, long time - not for the action (old movie!), but for the absolute beauty in the picture!

The dvd case did not say anything about remastering or enhancing the video. But the colours were so vibrant, so clear I'm not sure they didn't lie. That's how good this film looks.

Rent to watch. Watch and learn from the master.

Ip Man (eep mun)

Sorry for the long delay in posts. But I haven't been really passionate about anything I've seen lately.

...That was until I watched Ip Man (2008).

Here's an amazing movie that, unfortunately, I think only a very few people I know will enjoy. This is a great drama with a lot of great martial arts. I felt equal parts sad, happy, touched, and that adrenaline rush that you get from amazing action scenes.

Set in the 1930's, more specifically the Japanese occupation of China, it follows the life of a man aptly named Ip Man. He's an expert it Wing Chun kung fu and a gentleman of leisure (very much a gentleman) before the war. Then during the occupation a Japanese general tries to prove that Japanese martial arts is superior to the Chinese. Ip Man refuses to fight. Conflict ensues.

The cast is excellent. Especially Donnie Yen as the lead. He's so engaging and charismatic in both dramatic and action scenes that I was on his side almost instantly. And if you didn't know any better you'd think he had been practicing Wing Chun all his life (rather than 9 months prior to shooting). But the supporting cast is very good too.

There are a couple caveats to watching this movie: 1) Some of the action is a bit brutal here and there. occasionally it looks really, REALLY painful. They did a really good job keeping the various styles of martial arts specific and accurate. A little wire-work seeps in, but it's mostly good old fashioned butt-kicking and is shot really well.

2) Watch this (please!) in it's original Cantonese with English subtitles. I prefer when the actors' mouths sync up with what it sounds like anyway. But there are subtleties that the English dubbing does not do justice to. But more importantly, there are a couple times during the film that they explain stuff that happens historically. And unless you can read Chinese you will miss a lot.