By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Leon Yang Shupeng
Starring: Hiruma Yoshinori | Huang Xiaoming | Sun Lei | Wang Lie | Zhang Xinyi | Zhang Yi
Original language title: Pi fu
Country: china
Year: 2013
Running time: 105
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2400407/combined
Kyle says: “AN INACCURATE MEMOIR (dubbed EASTERN BANDITS upon streaming release) received its North American Premiere at the 12th New York Asian Film Festival. Comparisons to director Sam Peckinpah and the violence of his films such as THE WILD BUNCH (1969) are inevitable, but generally, comparisons to the works of Sergio Leone, Corbucci, Sollima, and other masters of the Spaghetti Western are more apt. Scenes of bandits on horseback, verdant valleys dwarfing humans, gaudy military uniforms, extreme violence, impossible odds, and twanging guitars reminiscent of soundtracks by the great Ennio Morricone — all make comparison to Spaghetti Westerns unavoidable. Perhaps Chinese/Japanese resistance drama is a better genre label than Western or martial arts programmer.
“Set somewhere in Northern China in 1942, brave bandits are trying to esist the barbarous Japanese invaders. The astonishingly complicated plot focuses on various archetypes: the tomboy, the sexpot, the explosives expert, the one who’s good with knives, the one who knows how to build underground, the engineer who understands electric generators, and of course the two male leads — undercover soldier Dong-liang (Zhang Yi) and bandit leader Fang (Huang Xiaoming), each with differing motives for the conflict, some clear, some less so. Action highlights include an underground battle between Japanese and Chinese, a pinpoint-planned jail break, a failed bank robbery that turns into something altogether unexpected, a gigantic Buddha being dragged by slaves and set up simultaneously with the planning of an assassination of a member of the Royal Family. And of course the climactic battle between opposing forces, bodies, bullets and bombs flying in all directions. The wanton brutality of the Japanese aggressors is comedic at times, but those caricatures are likely mandated by the Chinese censors. Among the more eccentric end title credits are numerous ‘Assistants to Talents.’ 3 cats”
“Sunday, July 7, 2013, New York Asian Film Festival at the Walter Reade Theater, Film Society of Lincoln Center, New York.”