Retro Film Review: Fearless (Huo Yuanjia, 2006)
Jet Li, one of the greatest Chinese films stars, owes much of his success to the impressive martial arts talents, which he displayed even before the star of acting career, earning prominence as young champion of wushu. Unsurprisingly, some of his most famous roles, including Once Upon a Time in China series, were those of real life Chinese martial arts masters. The last such project was Fearless, 2006 martial arts epic directed by Ronny Yu.
In this film Li plays Huo Yuanjia (1867 – 1910), a legendary martial arts master who lived during the last decades of Qing Dynasty, in time when China was in decline and its territory and resources openly coveted by Western imperialist powers. The plot, told through flashback, describes Huo’s life, starting with him being the son of an esteemed martial arts master Huo Endi (played by Collin Chou). His father, concerned about the boy’s asthma, doesn’t want him to train, but he does so anyway and grows up to become formidable fighter. Despite his talent, Huo spend much of his youth as uneducated and arrogant brute, using his skills solely to gain fame and wealth instead of developing his character. This arrogance lead to conflict with Qin Lei (played by Chen Zihui), rival martial arts that would cost Huo his family. Wrecked with guilt, he flees his home city of Tianjin, and after a long journey, he arrives in an isolated village where he finally finds peace among simple, untroubled peasants. After several years, he returns to Tianjin and, seeking redemption, is prepared to participate in a grand exhibition match against four foreign fighters, including the esteemed Japanese karateka Tanaka (played by Nakamura Shido).
The script by Ronny Yu effectively places the fight scenes – choreographed by Yuen Woo Ping, renowned for "The Matrix" – within a coherent story. Huo Yuanjia is depicted as a complex character, possibly the greatest acting challenge for Jet Li.
The film's plot may remind some knowledgeable viewers of The Way of the Dragon, a classic Bruce Lee film from 1972. This isn’t surprising, as Huo Yuanjia is the "Master" whom Lee's character mourned and later avenged. However, this film does not exhibit the previous outpourings of anti-Japanese sentiment, partly because Ronny Yu – whose filmography includes titles like 51st State and Freddy vs. Jason – understands that this film must appeal to foreign markets. It adopts a much "softer" and "politically correct" approach to the Chinese "wushu" tradition, allowing audiences from other cultures to relate. A prime example is the scene where Huo and Tanaka discuss the pros and cons of their martial arts styles before their fight, demonstrating mutual respect.
Although the film sometimes adopts cavalier approach to historical facts (which led to Huo's distant descendant contemplating a lawsuit), and occasionally indulges in Oriental pathos, "Fearless" represents one of the better examples of the martial arts genre. Jet Li himself has stated that he would no longer play leading roles in films of this genre. It can be said that he has chosen a very fitting title for his farewell to the genre that brought him fame.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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