Today was the last day of gymnastics for the kids. Today was also the last day of JJ's visit as he returned to Richmond. But he wasn't the only one that went to Richmond, Catherine has gone down to visit Grammy and Pop Pop for the weekend.
We actually had a really nice (and needed) rain yesterday and last night that left lots of picture taking opportunities.
So last night JJ and I watched Fearless. It's the latest, and if you believe the marketing, last Jet Li martial arts film. As always with Jet Li films the fight scenes are a thing of beauty. The story isn't the strongest I've ever seen, but it's a vehicle for fight scenes. For the most part the fights are realistic (meaning no people with mystical superpowers flying around like in Crouching Tiger or Iron Monkey). I won't bore you with the plot, but it involves a fair amount of hubris and it's eventual toll and the self discovery journey back. What I found much more interesting was the undertone of the movie. It's a set in China around 1900 and the "West" is depicted as expanding their influence and power into China. Now as I was watching it I was disturbed to notice a couple of scenes that had throwaway lines that were almost completely unrelated to the plot of the movie. The lines were driving home a theme about how the West was without honor and unduly expanding their influence. None of which is overly surprising in today's day and age I suppose, but during those couple of scenes they would actually comment on how China is it's own worst enemy, but they can be triumphant over the West if they learn from them and country unites to use the West's own tactics against them. It felt more than a bit like propaganda to me. Kind of scary stuff when you consider some the moves China has been making in the global arena recently. Anyway, overall the movie was pretty good, but it had a typical Chinese film ending (meaning much like the ending to Crouching Tiger, I have no idea what happened or what they were trying to get at, but it's an ending). Overall, good martial arts movie if you like that sort of thing.
1 comment:
Loved it. And yes, I totally like that sort of movie!!! I will agree about the tone of the movie. I took a girl that I work with and she totally didn't catch on to that theme at all, but wow. Yep, little scary.
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