Set in the
ferocious Gobi Desert, the story follows Lieutenant Li (Jiang Wen) and
Japanese emissary Lai Xi (Nakai Kiichi), both first-class warriors and
master swordsmen. After decades of service to the Chinese Emperor,
Lai Xi longs to return to Japan. His only passport home is to capture
and execute Lieutenant Li, a renegade soldier wanted for leading a
violent mutiny.
CRITIQUE
Feudal China
meets John Ford in this grand scale Eastern. Set in the Gobi desert –
parts of which look remarkable like Monument Valley – the story
concerns Lai Xi and his quest to hunt down and kill the renegade army
officer Lieutenant Li. Things do not quite work our that way, of
course (do they ever?), as Lai Xi and the Lieutenant forge a bond of
mutual respect as they encounter Turkish bandits, a local warlord, and
other obstacles to their inevitable duel. All the pieces are there,
the makings of a stunning film. Unfortunately, the film falls flat
early on, with action sequences that feel routine, drama that cannot
sustain the length of the film, and an anticlimax of an ending that is
absent of any catharsis toward which the film seems to have been
building.
Warriors
of Heaven and Earth is
not a total loss. The acting is superb, and the chemistry works
well. A particular standout is Nakai Kiichi as the Japanese emissary
who wants nothing more than to do his job and go home. Lieutenant Li
is nothing more than a ticket back to Japan for Lai Xi. These
relationships are expertly handled by director He Ping. Also a strong
point for Ping is the visual splendor of the film, its vast Gobi
landscapes. The cinematography in Warriors is amazing, giving
the film an epic feel. (Credit should also go to cinematographer Zheo
Fai, who also shot Raise the Red Lantern and Woody Allen’s
Sweet and Lowdown.)
The major
problem with the film is one of pacing. Running almost exactly two
hours, the film feels much longer, and it tends to get downright
boring after a while. The drama, which was flat to begin with, does
not hold out, and the film could have easily been shorter. As the
film builds slowly towards the end, it devolves into posturing and
mystical mumbo-jumbo, topped off with CGI effects that, aside from
having little to do with the story, look a few years out of date.
He Ping was
going for an epic with Warriors of Heaven and Earth, and the
results are mixed. Solid acting and an otherwise interesting story
are brought down by embellishments that do not quite work. The film
may actually be worth seeing for just those embellishments. It is
interesting to see how much Western influence there has been on the
recent films to come out of China, and Warriors is no
exception, as though the lore of ancient China is being focused though
the lens of the American myth. In some cases it works, but not here.
THE
VIDEO
Warriors
of Heaven and Earth is
presented in 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is pristine,
bringing all the vivid colors of this film to vibrant life.
THE
AUDIO
There are
several audio options on this DVD. There are Mandarin and English
tracks in Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish and Portuguese tracks in 5.1
surround, and a French track in Dolby surround. The presentation is
sharp, with crisp sound at all levels.
THE
EXTRAS
The Making
of Warriors of Heaven and Earth:
A behind-the-scenes featurette that documents the film’s progression
from idea to finished product. (25:00)
"Warriors
of Peace" Music Video by Jolin Tsai:
A dull, conventional video for the film’s pop theme song.
Theatrical
Trailer: The original
trailer.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Warriors
of Heaven and Earth
is a good film, but that is about the best that can be said. What was
potentially an interesting story is marred by pacing problems and an
overall flatness to the presentation. The mediocre bonus material
does not help the DVD. What is here is good, but it could have been
much better.
