The long-lost martial arts movie, "The Rise of the Deadly Sword" (hereinafter referred to as "The Death sword"), although all the characters are played by newcomers, but with sophisticated production standards and eye-catching story experience, in this impetuous commercial market, it can be regarded as a clear stream.
It is an indisputable fact that martial arts movies have been declining for a long time. The reason is very simple, feng shui takes turns, any genre of films after a burst of popularity, naturally will gradually cool down, because the same type of similar model of works to see more no one can stand, just like Hollywood Westerns, our martial arts movies, even martial arts novels, the trend has passed. Among them, in the 1990s, if it were not for Xu Ke's "new martial arts films" to continue the life of martial arts films, this genre is estimated to have collapsed with the discontinuation of Shaw films.
"Deadly Sword" is a "new martial arts" movie, the word "new martial arts" is actually more entangled, in the field of literature and film respectively refers to works of different periods, such as jin yong, Gu Long led by writers, whose works are very different from the old era of martial arts, leading the trend, these works are called "new martial arts novels". The martial arts films such as "Oriental Undefeated" and "New Dragon Gate Inn", which were led by filmmakers led by Xu Ke in the 90s, are different from the antique martial arts of the past and are also known as "new martial arts movies".
So is "Death Sword" such a "new martial artist"? Not quite, we can see it in the story of the film.
Twenty years of martial arts "eight masters" encountered black hands one after another, and all died under their own unique skills, a small catcher of six doors, using their reasoning ability to track down the murderer, the cause of the story is roughly like this. If we put aside the martial arts background of the movie, from the perspective of the beginning and closing of the story, this is a crime suspense movie. Although we have similar suspect lines in works such as "Tianlong Babu" and "Laughing Pride of jianghu", the difference between "Death Sword" is:
The feud between the jianghu, the dispute between the portal, and the love between men and women are all involved in the movie, but it is not the theme of the movie, the conflict between people and the big times, the sincerity and betrayal of feelings, and the moral reflection and dialectic are the main themes of "The Sword of Death". In order to distinguish the style of this film from the "new martial arts" movies of the past, we call the "new" of "Deadly Sword" "new era martial arts" here.
Since it is a "new era", it is natural to have a "new" appearance. So let's see where the "new" of this film is.
The protagonist Duan Xiaofeng's martial arts are not worth mentioning, but has a very meticulous reasoning ability, usually like to brag, but to do things belong to the curiosity to kill the cat type, he and the mysterious cold-faced beauty Non-Smoke and Hanging Er Lang Dang's small are not composed of partners, tracking down the eight masters of the case, and the three characters are each inextricably linked to the main story, such as Duan Xiaofeng's master is one of the eight masters Ye Wuji, he is for the safety of the master to secretly track down the case; non-smoke is the adopted daughter of one of the slain masters, In addition, the little is also secretly instructed by mysterious forces to find valuable clues.
The three characters have three mentalities, and they don't fight or don't know each other. There are not many clues in the movie, but along the main story of the deeper layer, a massacre of many years ago surfaced, and the plot advancement is embellished with light humor, making the story of "Deadly Sword" very "full" and fascinating. It can be said that the story of this film is similar to some of the martial arts novels we are familiar with, in terms of story mode, but in different styles.
Although the traditional plot of this film's martial arts fighting and the love of children and daughters in the jianghu can still be glimpsed from time to time, it deviates from the vision and standard of traditional martial arts works, and has a popular comic texture. The jianghu described here, although fictional, is such a real and realistic jianghu. It is different from the old school of xianxia Xuanxuan headed by the lord of the Huanzhu Lou; it is also different from the historical background of the new school of martial arts led by Jin Yong, Liang Yusheng and others. The story here, in the twists and turns of the bizarre jianghu story, pays special attention to the sense of reality and complexity.
It is very simple to say, that is, to wrap a fashionable theme with the cloak of martial arts themes, just like "Death Sword", combining various fashionable elements of current suspense films and action movies with traditional martial arts movies to bring a movie viewing experience that keeps pace with the times. Unsolved cases and fights are intertwined, revenge and love overlap, such a style of work, in fact, in the new century, can not only meet the needs of young audiences, but also find a new way to solve the problem for martial arts movies. For example, Xu Ke's "Di Renjie" and Lu Yang's "Embroidered Spring Knife" series are exactly like this, and this film is no exception.
Then again, "The Sword of Death" is still a martial arts film after all, and the word "chivalry" is still reflected, such as the protagonist Duan Xiaofeng, just like Di Renjie in the "Di Renjie" series, compared to many authentic martial artists who carry the hopes of countless people, they can only look at the world with a sigh, but they can't help but throw themselves into the love and hate of power and conspiracy.
Duan Xiaofeng's "hero" is at least a small hero for friends, lovers, and the weak. He was born in the midst of a turbulent era, and it is not easy for him to have this utopian chivalrous spirit, but he still has not escaped the entanglement of emotions and the chaos of reality.
When everyone in the movie is fighting to the death for power and interests, Duan Xiaofeng is a small catcher, has no martial arts, could have stayed out of the matter, and turned a blind eye to what chaotic world. But what he pursues is a chivalrous life full of utopian fantasy spirit, he only wants to come and go like the master, punish the adultery and hoe the evil, so he has to throw himself into this chaotic and strifeed world, but in the end he finds that the so-called chivalrous spirit can only be transformed into a beautiful hope.
Because in "The Sword of Death", the chivalrous cannot change all this, and in the jianghu struggle, they cannot be invisible to the world, far from the land of right and wrong. As Xiaofeng said in the opening paragraph, the life-killing sword in his hand, "This sword is quite fierce, as long as it is sheathed, it will drink blood", which is a symbol of himself, as long as you step into the jianghu, you can't leave, and your chivalrous spirit can only be a utopian fantasy.
Fortunately, this film is not too pessimistic, or left a hopeful ending.
Finally, mention the fight of the play, but in line with the style of traditional martial arts films, ethereal and realistic fusion, with a realistic brush to show the martial arts scene, personal favorite is the three-way battle in the deserted village at the end; and this film also uses freehand style to describe the martial arts charm, Ye Wuji and Shangguan Hong's old friends for many years, followed by the fate of the characters who cannot escape, which makes people feel mixed. Such a style reversal is more like a comic, and in the contrast, it has a different meaning.