Dragon (2011 film)

Dragon

Hong Kong film poster
Traditional 武俠
Simplified 武侠
Mandarin Wǔ xiá
Cantonese Mou2 Hap6
Directed by Peter Chan
Produced by
Written by Aubrey Lam
Starring
Music by
Cinematography
Edited by Derek Hui
Production
company
Distributed by
  • We Distributions
  • Lark Films Distribution
Release dates
Running time
 116 minutes
Country Hong Kong[1]
China[1]
Language Standard Mandarin
Sichuanese(CN/TW)[2]
Cantonese (HK)[3][4]
Budget US$20 million[5]
Box office US$29.1 million[6]

Dragon (Chinese: 武俠; pinyin: Wǔ xiá) is a 2011 Hong Kong-Chinese martial arts film directed by Peter Chan, and starring Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tang Wei.[7] Yen also served as the film's action director. It premiered on 13 May 2011 at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival in the Midnight Screenings category.[8] Donnie Yen and Peter Chan presided over the lighting of a billboard for Dragon that broke the Guinness Book of World Records for its size, 3591 square metres, previously held by a poster for a Michael Jackson album.[9]

Plot

In 1917 Republican China, Liu Jinxi and his wife Yu are an ordinary couple with two sons, Fangzheng and Xiaotian, living together in Liu Village, Yunnan. One day, two bandits enter the village and attempt to rob the general store. Liu happens to be in the shop, and he fights and kills the robbers when they turn violent. During an autopsy, the detective Xu Baijiu, who is sent to investigate the case, discovers that one of the dead bandits was Yan Dongsheng, who is among the government's ten most wanted fugitives. The local magistrate is pleased, and his fellow villagers regard Liu as a hero.

However, Xu becomes suspicious because he does not believe Liu could accidentally defeat such a formidable bandit. Xu notes signs of brain hemorrhaging due to an injury to Yan Dongsheng's vagus nerve. From this and other evidence, Xu concludes that Liu is in fact a highly skilled martial artist who conceals his talent through misdirection. Investigating further, Xu discovers that Liu's true identity: Tang Long, the second-in-command of the 72 Demons, a group of vicious and bloodthirsty warriors. Liu admits his past but states that he has reformed. Xu, an uncompromising lawman, does not accept that people can change, but he is perplexed when Liu fails to kills him when they are alone.

Xu immediately returns to the county office to obtain an arrest warrant for Tang Long. The magistrate delays issuing the warrant, citing lack of evidence while actually soliciting a bribe from Xu. Xu eventually obtains the bribe money from his estranged wife, who blames him for causing her father's suicide. After issuing the warrant, the magistrate informs the Master of the 72 Demons of Tang Long's whereabouts, hoping to receive a reward. Offended, the Master reveals that Liu is his son, and he kills the magistrate. The Master sends his henchmen to Liu Village to capture Liu and raze the village.

While Xu and the constables are on their way there, two henchmen reach the village and kill a villager to force Liu to acknowledge his identity. Liu kills one of the two assailants and runs away. The other assailant, the Master's wife, chases Liu and fights with him in the buffalo shed, where she is crushed in a stampede and nearly falls into a river. As Liu attempts to save her, she tells him that he is still Tang Long. She falls to her death, and the remaining villagers flee to a fortress for safety. Xu's deputies decline to save the village, preferring to wait for Liu and the 72 Demons to kill each other.

Using his knowledge of physiology, Xu devises a plan to fake Liu's death. However, the ruse continues too long, and Xu is forced to revive Liu in front of the 72 Demons, who have assembled to pay respect to their fallen comrade. As a sign of his dedication, Liu severs his left arm, announcing that he has broken all ties with them. The 72 Demons accept his statement but tell him that he must speak with the Master, who is waiting for him at his house. After a tense dinner in which the Master has taken Liu's family hostage, the Master announces that he will allow Liu to leave the 72 Demons, but Xiaotian's (Liu's son) blood is forfeit.

Enraged, Liu attacks the master with a broadsword, but the Master uses qigong to protect himself from the blade. Xu infiltrates the house through a hatch and, from underneath the floor, weakens the Master's defense during the fight by piercing his heel with an acupuncture needle. The Master incapacitates Xu and proceeds to overpower Liu. Before the Master can kill Liu, Xu attacks the Master with another acupuncture needle to the neck. The Master fatally wounds Xu, but the needles act as a lightning rod and earthing wire, and the Master is killed by a bolt of lightning. With his dying breath, Xu announces the case closed. Liu returns to his home, where he lives a normal life.

Cast

Production

Dragon began as a remake of One-Armed Swordsman, but, according to Twitch Film, these plans were "quickly abandoned".[10]

Release

The film topped China's box office and grossed over 100 million yuan (US$15.6 million) in its first opening week.[11]

Reception

Justin Chang of Variety describes the film as "a satisfyingly sinewy fusion of martial-arts actioner and brain-tickling noir from busy producer-director Peter Ho-sun Chan. Channeling David Cronenberg's A History of Violence by way of 1917 China, this clever if over-amped thriller tackles themes of identity, honor and the latent killer instinct with a playful spirit that's never at odds with its underlying seriousness."[2] Maggie Lee of The Hollywood Reporter describes it as "an exhilarating martial arts entertainment that modernizes the genre while re-emphasizing its strong points."[12]

Awards and nominations

31st Hong Kong Film Awards

References

External links

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