extraordinary interpretation of the classical martial arts film

Rating: 10/10 (12 December 2003)

This film takes the genre of Martial arts films in a direction much neglected by modern western cinema. Unlike Kill Bill or Rush Hour, though wonderful movies in their own right, Ying Xiong stands apart in it's attention to one of the most essential elements to martial arts: art. The action scenes are flawlessly smooth and textured both in the movements of the actors and their surroundings. The various settings of each fight set the tone of the actors movements, as well as the movement and subjectivity of the camera. When not fighting, the camera presents us with shot after shot that would each unto themselves qualify as a work of art. When meshed together, they create a seamless continuity into which the fight scenes mesh perfectly. This attention to the art of martial arts was touched upon in both Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (Bamboo forest) and Brotherhood of the Wolf (Opening rain fight), but neither of these films had the daring of Ying Xiong's pacing. The camera work is so confidant in it's depth that it dares to slow fights down for artistic effect, not dramatic, and to slow the scenes between fights down rather then rush it's audience to the next fight. This respect for the audience is evident in every shot of this visual masterpiece, and as both a martial artist and a Movie goer, I give this film a strong vote of ten out of ten.