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Starring
:
Hsu
Feng
Shih
Jun
Tin
Peng
Pai
Ying
Roy
Chiao
Sit
Hon
Han
Ying Chieh
Cheung
Bin Yuk
Cho
Kin
Sammo
Hung
Action
:
Han
Ying Chieh
Poon
Yiu Kwan
Producer
:
Shiqing
Yang
Sha
Jung Feng
Director
:
King
Hu
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A
TOUCH OF ZEN (1971)
Reviewed
by Andrew Saroch
Some
films boast such an extraordinary reputation that I find
myself reluctant to watch them, let alone review them. The
reasons for this eccentricity are twofold: Firstly there is a
fear that the film cannot live up to expectations and will
ultimately disappoint - and I will feel 'guilty' about
criticising it; Secondly there is the overwhelming sensation
that, although it will indeed prove to be a masterpiece, I
will feel myself trying to revel against popular opinion. The
admittedly foolish reasons had barred me from watching 'A
Touch Of Zen' until now.
Naive
and occasionally self-righteous scholar Ku is content with his
humble trade as a portrait artist in an uneventful Chinese
village. Although learned and constantly entreated by his
mother to enter the lucrative government service, Ku happily
shies away from what he sees as lofty ambitions and pacifies
his mother with his glib use of proverbs. His Confucian
indifference to worldly affairs is tested when a beautiful,
yet highly secretive young woman takes up residence in the
supposedly haunted Ching Lu fort situated next door. Ku's
mother see an opportunity to play matchmaker and sees a chance
for the impoverished stranger to become her daughter-in-law,
while he seems happy to agree with the idea. Their neighbour,
however, refuses though she insists that she cannot give a
reason for her decision. Ku does not content himself with this
answer and the young woman eventually confronts him with the
truth. She is actually Miss Yang, the daughter of a magistrate
who was framed for sedition and publicly executed. With the
help of a few close allies, she was able to escape, but now
lives her life as a fugitive and has to lead a very different
existence to the one she is used to. This revelation turns
Ku's life on its head and the seemingly sedate villagers
around him begin to reveal their true colours; the local
herbalist is in fact one of Yang's loyal general as is the
supposedly blind family friend Shih. Ku also discovers that
his new acquaintance, Ouyang, is also involved in the intrigue
though his intentions toward Yang are far more sinister.
Though a lettered man rather than a physical one, Ku elects to
help Miss Yang and begins to use his intelligence against the
enemies' brawn. Drawing on his knowledge of military tactics,
he now plots a way for the hopelessly outnumbered foursome to
defeat the forces of the evil ruling eunuchs.
It
takes a special breed of film-maker to be able to use a
three-hour duration without losing the viewer's interest;
Kurosawa is an obvious example of such a talent, his 'Seven
Samurai' still remains a virtually unparalleled masterpiece.
Thankfully, King Hu is well-equipped with such abilities -
this legendary epic is worthy of its hype and I have no
hesitation in joining 'A Touch Of Zen's long list of admirers.
While I don't give it the maximum marks that many give it
(more on why later) it nonetheless warrants significant
praise. From the opening, carefully framed shots, it's clear
that King Hu is fully adept at create mood and atmosphere by
filling each shot with much to saviour. Importantly though,
whereas lesser directors find themselves obsessing with such
things at the detriment of the film's substance, King Hu
combines the two differing necessities supremely well.
As
with 'Seven Samurai', the asset that makes 'A Touch Of Zen'
worthy of its three hour duration is its characters; if this
department fails even a ninety minute feature becomes arduous.
Though the original credit for the characters goes to Pu
Songling - the writer whose work this is based on - King Hu
allows them to enjoy lengthy interactions, serving to flesh
out their nuances. The first hour is dedicated to the unusual,
yet absorbing character of Ku - by the time the main plot
begins to reveal itself, he successfully becomes the
audiences' focal point. The slight disappointment is that, in
later parts of the film, he seems to disappear from the film
completely; while there are reasons for this, it still means
that a strong link in the production is momentarily
sacrificed. Hsu Feng, though, steps into the spotlight midway
through the film and there's little doubt of here influence
over her films success. Her performance is subtle and at times
pleasingly understated, but full of the hidden emotion key to
her role. Shih Jun also deserves a mention for his very
sympathetic portrait of Ku.
The
slight niggle that prevents me from giving this full marks
(though I may being too fussy) is the final half hour of the
film. As the tension grows towards the conclusion, Hu
unfortunately drags the finale on a tad too long; though
in-keeping with the relaxed pace of the previous two and a
half hours, it nevertheless becomes confusing and therefore
less effective. King Hu weaves some strong symbolism into
these scenes, along with a very enigmatic final shot, but this
doesn't quite compensate for this overstretched section.
However, 'A Touch Of Zen' remains a historically important
masterpiece that is proof that the genre has much potential;
the fault of bad works is usually the director and not the
generic conventions. It is a film that deserves to be watched
by fans of all genres though and, alongside classics like
'Come Drink With Me', acts as a perfect portfolio for the
late, great King Hu.
Rating:
 
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