Zest of Zhang! (The Grandmaster Review)

Remember Ziyi Zhang?

Her.

My first time watching her onscreen was in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I was pretty young, so I couldn't' grasp all the deep messages the movie was trying to portray. What I could grasp was the fact that this young, innocent looking girl who was quietly sipping tea  one moment could then put on pants, pull out the Green Destiny Sword, and knock out any male competition who dared cross her. I remember watching Michelle Yeoh go through five different weapons to try and defeat Zhang'z character in that infamous scene between the two. I remember replaying every fight over and over again. Of course, I saw Zhang in other great movies, like House Of Flying Daggers and Memoirs Of A Geisha. But I never got to see her get into action in the theater. Until last week.

I wouldn't have even known about this movie if I wasn't casually checking for movies one lazy afternoon. "The Grandmaster," according to wikipedia, "is a Hong Kong-Chinese martial arts drama film based on the life story of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man." (insert joke about Grandmaster Flash?) 

After being dubbed the Grandmaster by his predecessor, Ip Man has lived a charming life with his family, until the Japanese Invasion forces him to go to Hong Kong to support his family through teaching. Then circumstances force him to remain in Hong Kong, without his family, and navigate the rest of his life, teaching young students in the day, taking on challenges by other martial arts masters at night.  This was a man who taught BRUCE LEE. None of this I knew walking into the movie. I didn't even know the plot of the movie. 

But I saw Zhang's name and knew I would be going, whether it was good or not.

Well, it wasn't good. It was exquisite. 

As part of his final test, Ip Man battles different masters, including this one.

The plot itself was wonderful. Whether it was based on a true story or not, it was amazing. It was more than simply beautifully choreographed fighting. It wasn't solely an action-based movie, with a weak storyline. Like Crouching Tiger, it was a story with philosophical undertones, embedded even within the high kicks and sharp blows of the fight scenes. Every challenge brought to Ip Man, whether by the "barber" or the "Bagua" artist, or even the quick demonstration  of Wing Chun that Ip Man shows a skeptical colleague--they are all linked together by one thread: respect. Both opponents show a respect for their differences in craft; for the most part, the fights are not even fights as much as a friendly sparring. It magnified what I believe the movie was trying to convey--Martial Arts is an art first, not merely a kick-ass form of attack or a bloody means to an end. The beauty of watching it outdoes the bloodlust, at least for me. 

Of course, there's still the usual rush of watching two skilled master duke it out, and that's where Ziyi Zhang comes in. 

This scene....I have no words. But no spoiling!

Zhang plays the daughter of the former Grandmaster, Gong-Er, who challenges the new master, Ip Man, to a duel, as she feels the passed torch is a blow to the Gong Family Legacy. She is a master of the "64 Hands." The clash of two different arts results in two of THE most amazing fight scenes I have ever seen her in. The cinematography assists in creating a surreal and captivating scene as Ip Man and Gong-Er move as dancers do in a battle of wits and moves. It is their first and last duel.

64 Hands versus Wing Chun

But I can't spoil it for you. It's too elaborate and amazing to try and explain here. But I'll tell you this; a line that stuck out to me wasn't any of the usual one-liners you hear before a fight, or a line off a philosophical monologue given by the narrator himself; it was during a conversation between Gong-Er and Ip Man, ten years after their duel.

"Whoever says life has no regrets is fooling themselves. How boring life would be without regrets."

Yeah, if you have a chance to see this movie, I would highly recommend it. It is worth every dollar. 

More To Come On The Autumn Treats!

- CDM