Film Reviews by KS

Most people watch these films for the action sequences but this film is ultimately very plodding, in plot as well as action. The characters in this type of martial arts film are often crass archetypes (hero on some quest, seductress, old drunk man, platonic devoted best friend etc.) but they are exceptionally boring here to the point of being grating. The twists and turns in the story are interminable and make it a struggle to keep your attention; although a criticism that could be levelled at most martial arts films of the time it was much more noticeable for me in this film.

The fight sequences are not of the level of some of the better instalments in this genre although the opening credit sequence and the short fight scene where Jackie Chan is introduced in the film are excellent.

If you want to see the credit sequence and a few moments in some of the other fight sequences then hire this - otherwise there are a slew of better films of this era which I would recommend (Prodigal son, Drunken master, Snake in the eagle's shadow, Martial arts of Shaolin and my favourite, the Magnificent Butcher).

This film is already excellently reviewed by Count Otto Black above so all I have to add is that I found the wordplay and both leads mastery of the material very engaging. The comedy, such as it is, won't make you laugh out loud but I smiled pretty much the whole way through the film.

Some standouts were the scene where the leads meet the theatre troupe for the first time which I immediately went back to after finishing the film and the scene where Tim Roth is watching the troupe performing in the castle for the hoi polloi. In a film that concentrates so much on the verbal sparring and jousting between it's characters, it's satisfying to think of the positives of the physical aspects of the two aforementioned scenes.

The character of Hamlet was another highlight and probably testament to the strength of the source material that watching his performance makes me want to read Hamlet again after decades!

I found this a riveting piece of cinema, keeping me hooked till the end. The eerie foreboding sense of doom was never far away and somehow heightened by what I would describe as bright, large vista cinematography which still managed to match the sense of loneliness of the main character even when surrounded by her fellow citizens for the majority of the film. The editing helped here too, the slightly longer scenes keeping me on tenterhooks as to what would next befall the gentle creature.

As a carefully crafted piece that purports to show the inhumanity of modern Russia I think this worked to show this very well. Some highlights (highlight meaning how well this worked as cinema as opposed to making me feel good because there was precious little of that anywhere) were the singer on the train; what a voice! And the monologue by the human rights worker; it just felt crushing and even though I know this is exactly as the director intended, it was still a thought-provoking piece of cinema and made you think about how inhumane and cruel people can be.

***SPOILERS***

I have read about criticisms about the end sequence but don't have a problem with it at all; the human rights worker scene above was still resonating in my mind as I saw the final sequence unfold and for me I did link what happens to the main character (which is important to feel) rather than only being a metaphor for the rape of the people by those in power.

A film that leaves you subdued for some time afterward but it will definitely make me want to seek out the director's other films too.