介绍:
7 years ago when Beijing staged the Opening Ceremony of the 29th Olympic Games, I was moved to tears thinking this grand event could be an opportunity for the world to understand the friendly Chinese people and their culture. Now seven years later, Chinese historical action film "Dragon Blade" also calls for understanding and friendship in the same spirit, it made my eyes moist again, but failed to create the same emotional ripples that resonated in my heart 7 years ago.
Hong Kong director Daniel Lee's "Dragon Blade" stars Jackie Chan and tells the story of a Roman Legion that found its way to the northwest border region of the Han Empire. Roman general Lucius, played by John Cusack, clashes with Jackie Chan's character Huo An, a commander of a Silk Road Protection Squad. Circumstances push the two sides to a truce, before both sides face annihilation by the usurping Roman Emperor Tiberius and his overwhelming expedition troops.
Director Daniel Lee is most commonly known for the chic, UFO-shaped helmets in his historical films. According to some Chinese critics, this excess of originality amounts to a lack of respect for history. The mistake regarding the location of Yumenguan, or the Wild Geese Gate, in "Dragon Blade" suggests he is not very well informed about China, although he does show some knowledge regarding Western culture. His 2011 movie "White Vengeance" was a Gothic retelling about the life of first Han Dynasty Emperor Liu Bang, which bore much resemblance to the Shakespearean story of King Lear. In "Dragon Blade", he's done a good job highlighting the engineering prowess of the Roman Legionaries and offers remarkable display of the Roman shield wall technique.
The visual aspect of "Dragon Blade" exceeds the standard of a Chinese blockbuster production, and the story would have developed smoothly, had Daniel Lee been able to rein in the ill-placed enthusiasm of producer Jackie Chan. Over his entire career, the Hong Kong martial artist has built and maintained an upright profile with consistency and resolve, and lately he has developed a habit of using movies as a venue for expression. Of course movies, like other art forms, are a body of expression by nature, but among all the media available to filmmakers' discretion, putting ideas in an actor's mouth is perhaps the laziest and most awkward choice, albeit the most explicit.
In "Dragon Blade", Jackie Chan takes upon his character to voice his longings for peace and mutual understanding. His wishes are not unwelcome in the wake of recent unrest in Northwest China where the story is set. But time and time again, he interrupts the pace of the film with empty speeches without actually reaching the audience. In fact, the 7-year-old actor Jozef Waite has better chance of winning people's heart with a touching song than Chan's sincere words.
So, now comparing the similar emotional encounters, I recognise the changes in my own thinking over the years. No longer the innocent idealist who thought the simplest manifest of good will was enough to deserve a good turn, now I've realised that action speaks louder than words and nothing promotes mutual understanding better than common interest. The most effective way to foster understanding and promote stability in the border region is to bring prosperity to the locals, and to achieve that we'll have to rely more on investment in the "Silk Road Economic Belt" project than on Jackie Chan's honourable persistence in the movie industry. Anyone can be a willing member of the Silk Road Protection Squad if they have a stake in the joint venture.
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