tjebi Review of Seven Swords

Seven Swords (2005)

a good mix of action, story and character (very mild spoiler)

[10/10 · 10 August 2005]

Movies that are purely action based are exciting for a time, but ultimately unsatisfying for me. This film is different, Tsui Hark has included enough back-story for the main characters to explain their motivation. I felt like I understood what was behind their actions and that allowed me to be part of what they were going through. The action sequences were exciting and sometimes brutal but they were only there to provide jeopardy for the victims and motivation for the heroes to act and overcome the dangers. Constant danger is also the context for the final climactic fight scene. Honglei Sun who plays Fire-Wind is a superb bad guy with an arrogant sense of humour. I found myself understanding that he too had some sadness and tragedy that was driving his cruelty. Something else that strikes me about this movie is that I felt I was in amongst the action - rather than watching it from a distance. Zhang Yimou's Hero and House of Flying Daggers were very beautiful but more like theatre where the audience is definitely separate and a little distant from the action. Seven Swords is more immediate and that makes it a stronger film I think. In short, it is an epic story set in an unforgiving landscape, a struggle where courage and integrity fight against greed and brutality.