I'll level with you. I'm no expert on Asian cinema. I'm not completely ignorant, but I just tend to avoid films with titles like Honour Blade, Red Battle and the like. However, since White Vengeance plopped onto my desk, I thought I'd better give it a go, especially with the intriguing title, especially since the cover dispelled my initial theory that it was a Ku Klux Klan recruitment film.
Here's the thing, I sat through all 135 minutes of White Vengeance and I still don't know what the title is referring to. My best guess is that it's a reference to the board game Go which features in the film. According to Wikipedia: “the game is noted for being rich in strategy despite its relatively simple rules.” which makes sense from a thematic point of view.
White Vengeance is based on a tumultuous time in Chinese history where two brothers, Liu Bang (Leon Lai) and Xiang Yu ( the awesomely named Feng Shaofeng) end up in a power struggle, after it is decreed that whoever can subvert the Qin kingdom will be crowned Lord Qin. I honestly couldn't tell you more because that's basically all I understood. White Vengeance was confusing from the off. From what I understand, the film focuses on the Feast at Hong Gate, a notable period in in Chu-Han Contention phase of Chinese history. I gathered from the film that it was a time full of betrayal, intricate schemes and second-guessing strategies. The film isn't a history lesson, but it relies so heavily on prior knowledge of these various battles that I quickly got lost amongst the epic battles and overly verbose characters. It certainly doesn't make allowances for n00bs. Reading up on it, this particular bit of history does seem fascinating and has made me want to know more about the various dynasties. However, this film does not give you the information you need to become invested. No film should require prior reading or research.
Whilst huge chunks of the story were lost on me, I can tell you it all looks very nice. Director Daniel Lee definitely has a decent eye for shots and some of the battle scenes are well done. Not knowing his previous work, I guessed part way through that Lee was an action director at heart as the action scenes were the most confident and accomplished, with plenty to keep sword fans happy. It's a shame the rest of it doesn't match up. The film is overlong, way too talky and, as mentioned before, completely impenetrable to newcomers. I wanted this film to be my introduction to a new world of historical epics as I'm pretty sick of seeing the American Civil War and the two World Wars played out over and over again. Through internet research, I have found there is a budding interest for me there, it's just I couldn't get on with this film. If you're up on your Chinese history and familiar with this sort of flick I daresay it's probably a pretty solid entry to the genre. As a gateway film, it doesn't work at all. Still, it's made me think twice about blindly ignoring films like Honour Warrior: The Legend of Q'in Dinn or whatever.
Ben Browne
Rating: 15UK Release Date: 20th August 2012
Directed by: Daniel Lee
Cast: Shaofeng Feng, Leon Lai, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang,