Review

Review Date: 24-September-06
Spoiler Rating: Medium
Juju Judgment: Juicy

Jet Li's Fearless (2006)

Although it's based on the life of a real person, "Jet Li's Fearless" follows the precepts of a traditional tale involving the path towards wisdom and the battle for something bigger than oneself. Its idealized hero is Huo Yuanjia, a Chinese martial arts expert who attained international renown at the dawn of the 20th century. The movie traces Yuanjia's upbringing as a fighting master's son whose dreams of glory propel him into a life of competition and ego. His quest to become the foremost warrior in his province eventually causes him to sacrifice his honor, his family, and his best friend (Yong Dong), after which he embarks on a search for penitence and humility. He is aided on this journey by a blind maiden named Moon (Li Sun), whose gentle goodness is his guiding light. Purified, he returns to the scene of his past failures to discover that the country has changed and modernity is creeping in. He finds purpose in the new century when a cadre of western and Japanese businessmen try to belittle China by upstaging its best fighters in public contests. Yuanjia then becomes his nation's champion and illustrates a valuable lesson in the process.

"Fearless" is directed by Ronny Yu with a nicely modulated flow of drama and action (and sometimes drama within action) which fans of both butt-kickage and legend should enjoy. Each fight scene is different enough from the others to appear fresh (I particularly liked the various weaponry), and the costumes and scenery provide an almost sensual gratification. The movie also expresses its moral well (stop and smell the wind in the rice paddy: got it) and even manages to include a smidgeon of pro-communist, anti-capitalist sentiment which seems somehow inseparable from the loss of virtue in the modern age. Through it all, Jet Li exerts a quiet presence worthy of the title's fanfare. (This is reportedly his last martial arts film.) He's at his most powerful when pitted against an enormous wrestler from the States in an east-west smackdown: a slight, elegant dynamo facing down a behemoth. Li's talent at appearing both calm and lethal helps to bring Yuanjia's story to epic life. The account may not be entirely accurate, but it makes for a stirring work of cultural and heroic pride.

Copyright © 2006 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.