The Warlords (2007)
The Warlords (2007) 7/10
Lensed in drab, dull colours, Peter Chan’s latest work comprises of 2 distinct parts. The first part is an action packed action film, while the second half is a dark, almost depressing tale of brotherhood and tragedy. Unlike other high profile period dramas which showcase vibrant colour schemes- think Hero, Curse of the Golden Flower, etc- Warlord’s muted colour scheme parallels the darker tone of the film.
The first half of the film sets up the background and is grounded in action, especially battle sequences. These battle sequences are not the best, and viewers should not expect a Lord of the Rings kind of visual artistry. Instead of giving the scale of a vast, warring armies, Peter Chan takes the action closer, using a frenetic verite camerawork to showcase the chaos of battle. The action is well done for a non-Hollywood production, although there isn’t anything here that is particularly spectacular or original. However, the actors do tend to be a tad overdramatic in some of the battle scenes, and the bravado can be overdone sometimes. In a sense, this is similar in look and tone to another of Andy Lau’s movie: Battle of Wits.
But it is in the second half that the film gains a lot of its emotional heft and the director seamlessly blend the action packed first half with a more emotionally satisfying and morally grey second half. It is when conflict drives the 3 protagonists apart that the film truly engages, and the easy black and white divide in the first half of the film (the 3 protagonists are the good guys and everyone else is the bad guys) fades to a murky grey. Complicating matters is a love triangle involving Xu Jinglei, Jet Li and Andy Lau which is unfortunately one of the weakest plot points of the film. Xu Jinglei plays the token flower vase role and does not have much to do other than preen and look like the damsel in distress. If a romantic subplot is superfluous, then it should be cut and the time given to better character development. There is no rule that states that all films must have a female lead. Luckily beyond this, the film and the drama becomes more engaging in the second half. Jet Li, better known for his action poweress than his acting skills, is surprisingly good in this film and puts in a decent performance. Indeed his character may well be the most compelling in the film. Both Andy Lau and Takeshi Kaneshiro are solid actors and they give strong performances despite the limited scope their characters provide. If there is any complaint, it is that by splitting screen time between 3 leads, character development invariably suffers, especially when a superfluous love triangle is thrown in.
It is the melding of politics, betrayal and moral ambiguity that gives the Warlords more emotional weight than a straightforward action flick. A pure testosterone-driven action flick such as 300 is technically well-crafted but soulless. Peter Chan understands this and brings something more than just action to the table. Jet Li fans may be disappointed that he has few action scenes to showcase his pugilistic skills, but the inner turmoil of Li’s character proves to be the more compelling hook. As a film, it sometime displays some excesses and overdoes the machismo, but its exploration of brotherhood, morality and righteousness makes it an enjoyable and involving film.
