sulpher Reviews

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Many things are good, not many are great.

[9/10 · 29 October 2006]

I will limit my review to one scene as many people here have given very in depth and concise reviews of the film as a whole.

My scene of choice is "the blind lire assassin". (one of the two fighters that use stringed instruments)...

Firstly, there is a scene that primes you for the sort of skill these guys have. A man walks past one of the players as he tunes his instrument, what happens next is what I would class as one of the top primes for an upcoming scene ever. As the music plays you see various subtle interactions between the music and the power it holds. Twigs and leaves are cut, eves are disturbed and foliage is russelled. This ends with a fatal chord.

Let me just review this. The setting for this scene is awesome, the colours and lighting in combination with the CGI and camera angles are something to aspire to. The music is given a physical presence by the magic of film. Just the concept realisation that a musical instrument when played can be a deadly weapon is something the western world would never conceive of nor dare to use in a film, makes this scene and the main musical battle scene one of the best realised moments in film ever.

I have never seen 30 seconds of better designed film in my life unless i discount the main musical battle scene. The main scene I just will not describe. You will have to see it to understand how near to perfection it is.

Hollywood has a long way to go to match what HongKong is doing with CGI and 35mm now. The only difference is that Hollywood can out hype all other production communities in the world. Lets face it. What America produces in film, it has already sold by ramming it down our throats for the months leading up to the release.

HK will some day outstrip the US in the film world. It has only to master the English language. This film is a sharp poke in the ribs for all of those fat yanks raking in your money for "Any film, part 1 thru 8 the sequel"

Saviour of the Soul (1991)

A tight budget produces quality work!

[8/10 · 28 October 2006]

This film demonstrates to young and novice film makers what can be done if you have real talent. The composition of every shot in every scene is what many film makers can only wish to achieve.

The story apart as this is a corny movie, this film will show you perfect camera angles, superior editing and how to use light, shadow and colour like a master. Please bear in mind that this was all achieved using basic film techniques and no digital effects.

You will see great washes of colour and lighting to which the actors are set against and into, the use of water and lighting is seen to produce a magnificent feel and add great drama and movement to scenes.

Andy Lau, seems to have located or created locations that reflect the scene being shot by the colours and lighting used and plays on this by not being restricted to primary colours.

Too me, this film seems like a test bed for superior camera work and set design and succeeds to that end.

Also to note is the direction of the actors. Their movements are measured and seem to strive for perfection. It seems like the most minute actions were included to endorse the objectives of the characters, so that even the most impossible actions can be seen as plausible in the world this film is set in.

Listen for the "your the one that I want" line sung in engrish in the scene before the toilet fight. Travolta eat your heart out.