Fearless

Plot synopsis:
The film begins with Huo Yuanjia fighting and defeating three Westerners: a British boxer, a Belgian lancer and a Spanish fencer. While waiting for the fourth match to begin, Huo remembers his father Huo Endi teaching martial arts. The story is then told in an extended flashback. Watching his father fight, the young Yuanjia wants to participate, but his father is concerned about his asthma. Yuanjia sees his father in a leitai match with Zhao, who won the fight dishonourably by retaliating when Huo Endi held back what would have been a fatal blow. Humiliated by his father's defeat, Huo Yuanjia vows to regain the Huo family's honour and pride. He practices martial arts behind his father's back. As the years pass, Huo Yuanjia defeats several opponents in leitai matches and becomes a famous martial artist in Tianjin. As he becomes successful, he becomes arrogant and ruthless towards his opponents, compared to his late father who advocated showing mercy to opponents.
When a rival martial arts master named Qin Lei injures one of his followers, Huo feels insulted and confronts Qin at a restaurant owned by Huo's childhood friend, Nong Jinsun. After failing to talk his friend out of fighting and fed up with his ruthless behavior, Jinsun ends his friendship with Huo. The confrontation escalates into a fight between Huo and Qin, in which Huo emerges as the victor by killing Qin with a fatal blow. Qin's godson seeks vengeance and kills Huo's mother and daughter in retaliation. Huo goes to Qin's house, where Qin's godson admits to the murders before killing himself. Huo learns that it was his follower who had insulted and provoked Qin, which prompted Qin to beat him.
Wrecked with guilt, Huo flees Tianjin, and wanders aimlessly for many months. He nearly drowns in a river, but is saved by Granny Sun and her blind granddaughter, Yueci. They bring him back to their village. Huo, guided by their kindness, begins to learn the value of compassion and mercy.
In 1907, Huo returns to Tianjin and sees the changes that have taken place. He apologizes to Qin's family and reconciles with Jinsun, who is now a businessman. He challenges the American wrestler, Hercules O'Brien. Prior to the match, Huo requests that he and Hercules fight with honor and civility to which the Announcer, taking advantage of the language barrier, deliberately mistranslates Huo's request to "He wants to kick your butt". During their match, Huo saves O'Brien from being impaled on some nails and wins the gratitude of O'Brien, who names Huo the victor. Huo's fame spreads with successive bouts against other foreign fighters. In 1909, with funding from Jinsun, he founds Chin Woo Athletic Association in Shanghai.
The members of the foreign chamber of commerce fear that Huo's victories might fan anti-foreign sentiments among the Chinese people and thus become a disadvantage to them. They propose a match between Huo and four foreign champions. Huo takes up the challenge, even though he will have to fight four bouts in a row. Before the matches, Huo meets the Japanese champion Tanaka for tea and strikes up a friendship.
The film then returns to the competition shown in the opening scenes. On 14 September 1910, Huo, after defeating the European challengers, faces Tanaka. In the first round, they fight with their weapons of choice. Huo uses a sanjiegun while Tanaka uses a katana. In the heat of the fight, they accidentally exchange weapons. However, Huo is able to handle the katana proficiently, while Tanaka fumbles with the sanjiegun. Huo offers to exchange weapons with Tanaka, and the first round ends in a draw. Before the next round, Huo unknowingly drinks tea poisoned by the members of the foreign chamber of commerce. In the second round involving unarmed combat, Huo has difficulty breathing and begins to lose his strength. He collapses and starts coughing blood, the result of arsenic poisoning. Tanaka and Huo's supporters demand that the match be halted and postponed, but Huo wishes to continue, since he is going to die in any event. Huo is dominated by Tanaka but manages to deliver a blow to Tanaka's chest, using the same technique that killed Qin. He then collapses. Tanaka, aware that he would have died had Huo used more force, declares Huo the victor as Huo dies.
In the epilogue, Huo's spirit practices Wushu on a field while Yueci observes him. Huo turns to her and smiles, indicating a lovers' reconciliation.

Tags: psychological, boring, flashback

Review:
I know from personal experience--mine was nothing like a plane crash--but the phenomenon that this movie ventures to explore that I just described, which may seem like mostly bizarre behavior shifts in Bridges' character to those who haven't experienced what I'm talking about--is in fact as real as love, fear, or passion itself.
What Bridges realizes in putting together Max Klein is that he's *utterly* lucid--he feels as though he sees things as clearly as he ever has in his life and *never* wants to let that clarity go to revert to a more "rational" way to confront the trauma he has gone through.Others have mentioned the "why didn't this get bigger press" issue.
It actually did quite well at the box office initially and early advocacy for Bridges and Weir to get Oscars were definitely out in the review stream, but this had the misfortune of being released *just* before a little movie called *Schindler's List*, which summarily grabbed the cinematic spotlight and completely eclipsed everything else at the Oscars.Director Peter Weir himself considers this his greatest work and was greatly stung by what he considered the slight it was given by Hollywood and the public.
Equally overlooked is Australian director Peter Weir, who, like Bridges, was snubbed by the Academy Awards for 'Fearless.' The film was almost totally ignored by the Academy, perhaps due to the fact that 1994 was the year of the historical/political epic--'Schindler's List,' 'In the Name of the Father,' and 'The Remains of the Day' were the big winners that year, casting a bit of a shadow over a film about a rich white American suffering from PTSD.Based on the novel by Rafael Yglesias, 'Fearless' is the story of Max Klein, a successful San Francisco architect who survives a horrific plane crash.
His condition creates a rift between himself and his family, a gap he tries to fill through a friendship with Carla, who is similarly afflicted with PTSD.Bridges gives a tour de force performance as Max, who is simultaneously heroic (he leads other passengers to safety believing he is guiding them out of the plane into heaven) and contemptible (he is unspeakably cruel to his family and leaves his wife temporarily to pursue a relationship with Carla).He's not sure whether he's alive or dead, and he is frequently drawn to test his fear and uncertainty through ludicrously dangerous stunts like dancing on the edge of a skyscraper's roof or walking calmly into speeding traffic.
Equally stunning is Rosie Perez as Carla, a devout Catholic who believes that her baby's death is a punishment from God and is nursed back to normalcy by the agnostic Max. Other supporting actors are also captivating: Isabella Rosselini as Max's wife Laura, who loves her husband desperately but is unable to cope with Max's alienation from her and their son Jonah; Tom Hulce as an overeager but well-meaning attorney suing the airline on behalf of Max, his partner's family, and Carla; John Turturro as a psychiatrist specializing in PTSD hired by the airline to help the survivors cope with the after-effects of the tragedy; and Benicio Del Toro as Carla's husband, a poor carpenter who can't help but feel giddy about the possibility of making millions off of his son's death.
Perhaps most moving is Deirdre O'Connell as the widow of Max's partner--the scene in which Max arrives at her home to confirm that her husband did not survive the crash will break the hardest of hearts.The film is brilliantly directed by Weir, who captures the surreal nature of Max's condition masterfully.'Fearless' is not an easy film to get through, perhaps even moreso in the wake of 9/11.
The inability to `reconnect' in the wake of a significant emotional event, especially one involving a close encounter with death, is examined by director Peter Weir, in `Fearless,' a gripping drama starring Jeff Bridges as a man emotionally adrift after walking away from an accident (a plane crash) that by all rights should have killed him, but inexplicably did not.
All of which Weir succinctly captures through keen observation and his own intuitive grasp of the human condition.As the film opens, we see Max Klein (Bridges) making his way through a cornfield just outside of Bakersfield, California; he's carrying a baby in his arms and has a young boy by the hand, leading him determinedly through the haze of smoke from the crash.
In his previous films, such as `Picnic At Hanging Rock' (1975), `Witness' (1985) and `The Mosquito Coast' (1986), Weir established himself as a director who knows human nature and is adept at exploring the emotional depths of his characters, in stories dealing with ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations.
It's a quiet, and brilliant, piece of filmmaking.Through many years and many movies, Jeff Bridges has demonstrated time and again his consummate ability as an actor who can `touch' his audience, and he continues to evolve with every new film.
Quite simply, Bridges makes Max Klein a character you are not going to forget.As Laura Klein, Isabella Rossellini gives a remarkable performance, as well, as the wife given the gift of her husband's life, only to have to suffer his state of `limbo,' as she desperately attempts to penetrate the defense mechanisms that have given him a renewed appreciation for the touch, taste and beauty of life, all of which she is unable to share because his experience has taken him to a place she cannot possibly go.
Her portrayal is astute, convincing and some of the best work she has ever done.Also turning in a strong performance, for which she deservedly was nominated for Best Supporting Actress, is Rosie Perez, as Carla, a fellow crash survivor with whom Max forms an especially strong and significant bond.
A CRIMINALLY unknown film, especially in the UK, where it is close to impossible to get hold of, this Peter Weir outing, with Jeff Bridges taking the lead, also boasts star turns from John Turturro, Isabella Rossalini, and Rosie Perez, the latter of whom received an Oscar nomination.
Everybody is on top form in this perfectly executed, beautiful meditation on what it is to be a human being.To explain all the subtext of "Fearless", all the symbolism, the various layers of allegory, would be an essay in itself; safe to say this is a film that sends you away reeling, thinking and talking about life for a long time.
After the credits rolled, I heard a lot of weeping from the small but vocal audience.Maybe the film flopped because some people expected a 1970's-style disaster flick with cardboard characters, laughable dialog and unknown extras & doubles performing dangerous stunts.It's been almost eight years since watching "Fearless" for the first time.
His character may not be very likable but put yourself in his character's shoes and you may understand the reasons why he believes that he is "fearless".I haven't seen Isabella Rossellini's performance in "Blue Velvet" but it makes me wonder if her performance in that film beats her role as the caring but very confused wife of Jeff Bridges' character.
One weak link: John Turturro had the thankless job of playing the underwritten role of the psychiatrist.When a film like "Fearless" even inspires a music video (Brian McKnight's "Back At One"), then you know that this movie will have a lasting effect and with cable, VHS & DVD, it'll never be forgotten.
Jeff Bridges, in one of his best performances, covers a lot of ground in his character, a survivor of a plane crash.
Rosie Perez, however, in a performance equaling Bridges' in personal reconciliation with her role, plays another survivor, whose baby son she failed to protect from death by the crash.
I feel like I'm inside, inhabiting the characters when I watch "Fearless." The defining event the movie revolves around--a plane crash--seems inspired by an actual plane crash (I think it was in Sioux City) in which the plane rolled over in a corn field several times.
Aside from the horrific manner in which it crashed, the accident was noteworthy because so many passengers survived, in some cases literally walking away.I read that Peter Weir got involved in this project by asking the studio to let him see any properties that they felt could not be made into a movie (this would seem to fit the bill).
No matter how many times I watch it, the result of this material in Peter Weir's hands never loses its power for me.The post-crash impact on Max's relationship with his wifeand the formation of relationships with other survivors--is an important aspect of the movie: The survivors bond through this shared experience, while their families feel shut out and don't (or won't) understand the power this connection has for their loved ones.
This blows me away, because Tom Hanks received an Oscar for playing a gay man dying of AIDS, yet Jeff Bridges wasn't even nominated for his completely amazing portrayal of a crash survivor; Rosie Perez was the only actor from this movie to receive an Oscar nomination (she, too, was brilliant).
Peter Weirs films have a way of communicating intense emotion to me, although not all are quite so good- I watched all of the disappointing Dead Poets society, and only felt this emotion in one scene- where the boy commits suicide.
Fearless is one of his very best, but it is an oddly overlooked film and perhaps that is because of the challenging and very strange world it takes place in -- a spiritual no man's land between life and death, in which Max (Jeff Bridges) is stranded after a plane crash.If you have ever been lost and spiritually searching (haven't we all?) or feel out of step with the world, you will instantly recognize the otherworldly setting of this marvelous film and will relate to Max and Carla (Rosie Perez).
This is a movie about our real, spiritual lives.This is a rare film with "deep" and challenging themes which somehow manages to not be off-puttingly artsy, and features great and humane performances right across the board, from Bridges and Perez, to Isabella Rosselini as Max's gutsy wife, and Tom Hulce, Benicio del Toro and John Turturro as all-too-worldly characters.I would have preferred that the ending be left ambiguous; however, the ending we do get is perfectly satisfying in dramatic terms..
I survived a close workplace explosion many years ago and remember vividly to this day the unreal feeling going home on bus and train as if walking on air in slow motion while the whole world around me carried on bustling by as normal.Weir again surpasses himself judged against his Truman Show and Witness standards of excellence, what an interesting film maker he is.Bridges has never been better, if you think his comedy performance in Lebowski is magnificent you should check out his drama performance here.Rossellini looks ravishing and delivers a wonderful and subtle performance.Perez does very well interpreting a difficult role of an ordinary someone not too bright (as Del Toro does also doubled) trying to understand what is happening around her.Hulce does a lovely comedy turn as the archetypal ambulance chasing lawyer.Turtturo does a fine underplayed turn as the company hired doctor engendering sympathy.Even the child actors do very well, obviously everything clicked in this film in what is a very difficult subject matter to get across.This is an art film for adults, a film that looks at the meaning of existence, the journey from life to death, the randomness of chance accidents, the "bullet with your name on it", religion, atheism, the value of psycho therapy, the pain of loss, coming to terms with the insignificance of individual life in a huge universe, and the value of relationships.It can have the same type of emotional effect as reading The Catcher In the Rye when an adolescent...
This movie definitely has flaws- the major one being that there are points when the story does not seem to be heading in any particular direction- but excellent acting, some intensely profound and uncommonly well thought out character psychology (especially for a Hollywood film)and the scariest/loveliest air plane crash ever dramatized makes this movie worth seeing.
Yes, I gave it a 10 -- but that's my vision of the End.And Director Peter Weir, after stumbling over the Apocalypse in films like "The Last Wave", finally got it right.As we discover in "Fearless", life has its disappointments, even its tragedies.
I always liked Jeff Bridges and Isabella Rossellini but could never stand Rosie Perez until this movie!
The film that analyses the after effects of a plane crash on a previously nervous architect, Max Klein (Jeff Bridges).From the opening shot we see Klein looking pale or lost and in fact somewhat angelic, as he surveys the scene of the plane crash, removed and seemingly almost above the chaos and commotion that surrounds him.The film not only gives a deep insight into the psychological trauma attached to a life threatening accident, perhaps portrayed more clearly through other characters then Klein, but also meditates on the impact of overcoming a terrible fear, shown through the sense of invincibility that Klein conveys throughout the film, constantly facing and surpassing one fear after another, be it walking across a busy motorway or standing at the very edge of a skyscraper, (see poster).In feeling this tremendous sense of empowerment, Klein draws varied and interesting reactions from the other characters around him, making him a hero to fellow crash survivors, Byron and Carla but estranging him from his wife and son, who long for the pre- crash Max Klein to return to them.The film itself was adapted by Rafael Yglesias, from his novel of the same title and has lost none of its characters potency or varied interaction, (although the novel's Klein character is more sexually charged, sleeping with both an old school friend and Carla), but is further enriched by Peter Weir's direction using the mise-en-scene to great effect, painting Klein's mental landscape using stark blue, white and silver colours.The supporting cast all do well especially Isabella Rosellini who conveys the shock at effectively loosing and then struggling to regain her husband and Rosie Perez who shows herself torn to pieces by an old world Catholic guilt.All in all a fantastic and essentially meaningful film with strong direction and a unique and clever plot backed up terrific performances from leading man Jeff Bridges and the rest of the cast.
After surviving a terrible airplane crash, Max Klein (Bridges in arguably the performance of his career) finds himself in a state of near nirvana as he assumes he's untouchable in the realm of death, until he learns of another survivor (Rosie Perez in her Oscar-nominated poignant role), nearly catatonic due to the death of her infant in the aftermath.
The crash sequence, which is among one of the most realistic, haunting and emotional from any other film, give some interesting insights that are later 'contradicted' by Max. The way he sees it: he's already a ghost, God can't touch him, he shares the little secret with Carla, a Hispanic mother who lost her child and can't recover from the guilt of not having held him more tightly in her arms.
This film is carried by his performance as a man who survives a plane crash and his the following life he lives in which his complete sense of existence is changed.
FEARLESS is a great film with many low-key scenes that tells a story thoroughly and thoughtfully, but it always escalates into joyous wonder, and that's where director Weir and Bridges truly captured me as a viewer.
Peter Weir who has directed many great films like WITNESS,DEAD POETS SOCIETY,THE TRUMAN SHOW,and MASTER AND COMMANDER:THE FAR SIDE OF THE WORLD.But in a way noting can catch the greatfulness of FEARLESS.A film that made me like Jeff Bridges even more.A plane has crashed,killing hunderds except for a couple of people.One of those people is Max(Jeff Bridges).Max is known to many people as a scaredy cat and absoultly afraid of death.But something has changed in him,not in the mind,but in his sprit.Max is no longer afraid of death or anything.Max is living his life like it's he's last and helping fellow survivor Carla(Rosie Perez)coupe with her lost child.Max is FEARLESS.This film makes me cry everytime I see it for some reason.The acting is brillant and the story is shocking when it revoles.The crash of the plane is unwatchable,but you still drawn to watch.And Jeff Bridges has gave his best performance of all time.He should have got the oscar and golden globe for this baby.Don't you want to be just like Max.I know I do..
This is the story of airplane crash survivor, Max Klien (played by that sexy bitch, Jeff Bridges), who is revered as a hero for having pulled survivors from the wreckage and walking away without a scratch.The experience is a life-changing one as he becomes so very pacified (kind of like Motorcyle Boy, upon his return in 'Rumble Fish') and tests his potential for invincibility.
Another one of Peter Weir's great movies portrays everyman Max Klein (Jeff Bridges) surviving a plane crash, and becoming a completely different person thereafter.
However, this does become 'A Must Watch' film due to the strong performances by it's lead cast.Academy-Award-Winner Jeff Bridges stars as a man's who's personality is dramatically changed after surviving a major airline crash.
Director Peter Weir gets an exceptionally solid performance out of usually-hammy Jeff Bridges, here playing survivor of a horrific plane crash who feels that, since he has now cheated his death, he may be immune to all dangers.
Jeff Bridges has by far the best performance in the film, and showed much of the needed emotion to keep the movie afloat.
This film is an interesting character study of a man dealing with fear and death.I watched it because I'm a big fan of Jeff Bridges work as "The Dude" in The Big Lebowski but I was a bit letdown.
Max Klein (Jeff Bridges) survives a plane crash and emerges a changed man.