R E V I E W :   A Fighter's Blues

Reviewed 2/27/01 | Background | Movie Review | DVD Review | Recommendation

Background 

Mei Ah / 2000 / 105 minutes
Directed by Daniel Lee Yan-Gong
Written by Cheung Chi-Sing and Daniel Lee Yan-Gong

Daniel Lee Yan-Gong first came to prominence when he directed Black Mask, the Tsui Hark-produced Jet Li vehicle in 1996. Previous to that he had worked as an art director on several films. His directorial debut was the little-seen martial arts film What Price Survival in 1994. Subsequent films include the romances Till Death Do Us Part in 1998 and Moonlight Express in 1999. Co-writer Cheung Chi-Sing's recent efforts include writing and directing Love and Sex Among the Ruins in 1996, producing Love and Let Love! In 1998, and directing I Do, a romance which was released to little fanfare a few weeks before A Fighter's Blues.

The film received its Hong Kong theatrical release in December 2000.

Movie: plot, performances, production, rating

Plot: Mong Fu, known in the boxing ring as Tiger, is released from prison and goes in search of his lost love, Pim. He discovers that Pim died several years before and that they had a daughter, Ploy. He contacts Ploy, who is living in an orphanage run by Sister Mary, and they tentatively try to develop a relationship, aided by Sister Mary. Still hanging over Tiger, however, is the shadow of the crime that sent him to prison for 13 years.

Performances: Andy Lau as Tiger looks downcast most of the time (as if the director were whispering "You've got the blues" in his ear) and rarely seems to interact with the other players. Takako Tokiwo is relentlessly upbeat as the hip Sister Mary. Inthira Charoenpura provides able support as the elusive Pim, and Apichaya Thanatthanapong does well with the thankless but touching role of Ploy.

Production: The first 80 minutes are fairly effective. Director Lee intersperses footage of scudding clouds, filmed in black-and-white, along with freeze frames from Tiger's earlier boxing days of glory to set off the modern day color footage. The overall pace and tone convey the idea that Tiger is down and depressed, but struggling to overcome his past and come to grips with the reality of his daughter and the possibility of a romance. The musical score (by Ridley Tsui Bo-wah and Lai Wan Man) is evocative, and the editing (by Chung Wai Chiu) superb. The plot does not always make sense but the ride is enjoyable. Where the film falls apart is the final fight sequence. It is poorly shot (it is nearly impossible to figure out what is happening) and directed as if it were an MTV video (with quick cuts, odd camera angles, etc.). To add insult to injury, and without giving away the ending for masochists who wish to push through to the end, let me say the resolution of the film is confounding and irritating in the extreme, as well as being utterly unconvincing.

Rating: Category IIB, mainly for the extensive and bloody concluding boxing sequence.

DVD: look, sound, subtitles, and features

Look: The letterboxed (1.85 to 1) presentation looks decent but hardly enthralling. The black levels are sufficient, the colors are washed out, and the fleshtones are monochromatic.

Sound: I listed to the Dolby Digital 5.1 Cantonese audio track (featuring Cantonese, poorly dubbed English, and Thai) and it sounded good. Use of surrounds was expansive. The other audio tracks provided are DD 5.1 Mandarin, DD 2.0 Cantonese, and DD 2.0 Mandarin.

Subtitles: The English subtitles are white with a thin black backing. Many mistakes in spelling and grammar are obvious. Other subtitles provided are traditional and simplified Chinese.

Features: Eight chapters are listed with full-motion video in the chapter menu. No other features are provided.

Buy, rent, or pass?

Rent. My recommendation is to stop the film just before the final fight begins. This will result in a much more satisfying viewing experience and leave you less likely to throw things at your television. Up to that point, the direction and moody tone are used fairly effectively to make for an interesting if predictable drama.

 

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