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yitian
Joined: 06 Jul 2011 Posts: 413 Location: United States
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Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 7:27 pm Post subject: |
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Haven't found these pix before, thanks Ham . Particularly like his translucent eye in the last pic - heard something special |
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Jamaica
Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 419 Location: Lexington, KY United States
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Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 8:50 pm Post subject: Review: All Static and No Message |
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http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2012/08/review-the-silent-war-is-all-static-no-message.php
Shanghai, 1949. With the Japanese defeated, the Chinese civil war is heating up. The Chinese Communist Party has gained plenty of ground in rural parts of the country, but the Kuomintang stills cling to a number of urban strongholds. CPC Intelligence knows that the key to taking down the KMT is in tapping into their communication channels, but so far they have been unsuccessful. Special Agent Zhang Xue Ning aka "200" (Zhou Xun) is assigned with bringing in a renowned piano tuner to apply his fine ear to their radio frequencies, but she quickly discovers the real talent lies with his assistant, the blind He Bing (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), whose hearing is greatly heightened by his lack of sight. Bing is brought into the invisible 701 Unit and proves a resounding success, but his relationship with Xue Ning gets complicated and the strains of living in a country at war with itself begins to take its toll on all involved.
Writer-directors Alan Mak and Felix Chong have been enjoying a decent run of form, with Overheard, The Lost Bladesman and then Overheard 2 putting to rest initial doubts that the pair couldn't match the critical or commercial success of their Infernal Affairs trilogy. The Silent War marks their first foray into the enduringly popular sub-genre of the Mainland period political thriller, and reunites them with leading man Tony Leung. The film is adapted from the novel Plot Against by Chinese author Mai Xia, whose work also inspired Chen Kuo-Fu's 2009 film The Message, also starring Zhou Xun. However, while the Overheard films succeeded in turning surveillance into tense drama, and The Message made you care about characters who performed similar tasks for the CPC, The Silent War largely fails to recapture either of these essential elements.
It is easy to see why Tony Leung was attracted to the role of He Bing. Filmed during one of the many production breaks of Wong Kar Wai's still unfinished The Grandmasters, the role isn't at all physically demanding, and often demands little more of Leung than to sit at a desk twiddling radio knobs. His character never engages the enemy directly, nor does he have any dramatic scenes of emotional grandstanding. In truth, He Bing is not a particularly heroic or even likeable character. Raised in modest surroundings by his mother, he is plucked from obscurity to serve his country, which he does without too much persuasion. He has an odd sense of humour and a somewhat abrasive manner, which is often grating rather than charming, which appears to be the intended response. Performing for most of the film behind dark glasses or milky white contacts, Leung struggles to make Bing sympathetic, despite the actor's own inherently amiable personality.
As a result, the film's heroics fall to Zhou Xun, who acquits herself admirably in a sadly underwritten role. Xue Ning is above all else a Secret Service agent, proudly throwing herself in harm's way for love of her country, and on more than one occasion she must defend He Bing in hand-to-hand combat. Xue Ning must also work deep undercover when the mission demands, while juggling an are they/aren't they relationship with Intelligence director Guo aka "Devil" (Wang Xue Bing), and also her growing feelings for Bing. Zhou is easily the best thing in the film, and impresses in equal measure whether turning heads at a glamorous Shanghai function, or engaging in high-stakes mind games with the enemy round a mah jong table. It is a shame that the film isn't more focused on her exploits, by turn heroic and tragic, as Xue Ning makes a far more interesting subject than poor He Bing.
Mak and Chong clearly recognise that many of their film's most dramatic elements occur over the airwaves, with their hero sat on his own in a padded room, and ramp up the flashy editorial tics to give the audience some indication that exciting stuff is happening. They employ one particularly successful visual motif of flickering stenographers appearing and disappearing from the frame as Bing scours the airwaves for their transmission, but even when these devices work, there is no escaping the fact they are compensating for a lack of genuine onscreen tension. At the centre of The Silent War is a love quadrangle between Bing, Xue Ning, Director Guo and the unassuming Shen Jing (Mavis Fan), whose potentially fascinating backstory is quickly brushed aside and she is instead presented as a more down-to-earth love interest for Bing. Sadly, little drama is wrung from the romantic gridlock between these characters, as the film really seems committed to focussing on Bing's relationship with his radio.
The larger theme of the film is clearly that there is no greater love than for one's country, and the emotional yearnings and heartbreaks of the individual matter not at all when your homeland is on the brink of self-destruction. For much of The Silent War, I was thankful that the political ramifications of what was happening onscreen were largely left unspoken, in favour of telling (however poorly) a straightforward counter-espionage thriller, in which the heroes and villains could really have hailed from anywhere. That all goes out the window in the film's big finale, however, as the funeral of one of the film's major characters is intercut with an assassination attempt on the head of the PLA, during a speech of shameless rousing nationalism. As if they could hold it back no longer, the screen is suddenly awash with flags, starred uniforms and vast processions of precision grieving.
The Silent War must be considered a step back for Alan Mak and Felix Chong, regardless of how well it performs at the Mainland box office. Technically the film is a slick and accomplished, yet soulless, exercise that largely squanders its big name cast and potential for palm-sweating spy-based thrills in favour of good lighting and not much else. Hopefully this production was simply "one for them", after which Mak and Chong can return their focus to present day Hong Kong and continue making exciting dramas about our current socio-economic climate, or crime thrillers, or even tackle a comedy (as Chong proved capable of with Once A Gangster), because The Silent War is mostly just dead air - bland, uninspired and instantly forgettable. _________________ "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx |
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hamberger362
Joined: 22 Oct 2004 Posts: 599 Location: Thailand
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 9:14 am Post subject: |
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Jamaica
Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 419 Location: Lexington, KY United States
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 11:24 am Post subject: |
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Thanks for the new images, Ham! _________________ "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx |
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In The Mood For Leung
Joined: 13 Jan 2010 Posts: 237 Location: State of Nirvana, USA
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Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 12:49 pm Post subject: Re: Review: All Static and No Message |
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[quote="Jamaica"]http://twitchfilm.com/reviews/2012/08/review-the-silent-war-is-all-static-no-message.php
"It is easy to see why Tony Leung was attracted to the role of He Bing. Filmed during one of the many production breaks of Wong Kar Wai's still unfinished The Grandmasters, the role isn't at all physically demanding, and often demands little more of Leung than to sit at a desk twiddling radio knobs."
It is easy to see why the author is a writer or a blogger and not an actor.
TL himself has said that playing a blind role is technically/methodically challenging. Obviously, the reviewer is ignorant of the techniques an actor employs to compensate for the constraints of his role.
I think he is very naive to suggest that the weight of a movie role is based on its physical demands.
Thanks Jamaica and hamberger |
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Tony
Joined: 01 Apr 2005 Posts: 426
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 1:44 am Post subject: |
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to criticize is always more easy than to appreciate ~ |
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Jamaica
Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 419 Location: Lexington, KY United States
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 3:09 am Post subject: |
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To destroy is easier than to create. _________________ "Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx |
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yitian
Joined: 06 Jul 2011 Posts: 413 Location: United States
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nancix**
Joined: 06 May 2005 Posts: 230 Location: New Territories,Hongkong
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:07 am Post subject: |
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THX a lot, hamberger362!!
I don't understand in why, I love the figure in which Tony wore classic style glasses so much. Japanese call "Lloyd glasses".
Harold Clayton Lloyd is a famous film comedian, but Tony isn't like the comedian, like an intellectual or a creative thinker
And yitian, THAX a lot! I love this Main Theme Music.
That composer Comfort Chan("Infernal Affair"series, "Confession of Pain") challenge many category's music of every time. This time, he composed like Russian music, stirring military music, e.t.c. But I most love this pathetic ballad.
Many Chinese career soldier don't show his(her) feeling, But only Tony don't disguise his sorrow... Because he don't the super Hero, He is a civilian, and He is a flesh-and-blood character.
In general, Japanese don't like crying man, but I love this movie's crying Tony.... _________________ From Hongkong with Love |
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Safran
Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 1322 Location: Austria
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Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2012 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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Thank you dear fellow fans for posting the stills and the "article" of "The Silent War". No matter if it is said to be a "good movie" or not so succeeded....."Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"....and I´m convinced you´ll find (and hopefully post also) - the positive critics/reviews, regarding our idol´s performance.
Has anybody else of you Asian fellow fans already watched the movie ? what´s your opinion ?
I do not know if we westeners will ever get the chance to see this probably China focused film in our cinemas ?? (guess, we will have to wait for the release of a DVD with Engl. subt.)
Special thanks to you Tony, for your attentive taking part - here ....and I really hope this arrogant critic/article doesn´t harm you in any way. We fans always appreciate your work ! |
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yitian
Joined: 06 Jul 2011 Posts: 413 Location: United States
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:18 am Post subject: |
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Pix @ Box Office Celebration
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francisc4
Joined: 12 Jun 2008 Posts: 249 Location: Beijing, China
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 8:59 am Post subject: |
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Hi Helga,
yesterday nite i've just finished watching "The Silent War" with HK fans at Langham Place. and i think its really interesting... i really like Tony's characters in the movies as a blind man who uses his extraordinary good hearing to his advantage and falling in love with Zhou Xun his mentor. And the most important things is... he really can make us laugh and cry in that movie.
BTW I also love to see all the costumes of all the actors n actress, its really vintage and classic. And the posters are also very good. Two thumbs up !!!
I hope I can watch the mandarin version in Shenzhen by tomorrow. Since I know that it won't be released in Indonesia..
Fyi today I attended The Silent War event in GZ with HK fans and GZ fans.. Feels so happy to see Tony again, although I don't have a chance to talk to him.
I know that he's still very busy with the "never ending story". Hope it will be finished soon.. so he can have a good rest n holiday... |
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yitian
Joined: 06 Jul 2011 Posts: 413 Location: United States
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 9:37 am Post subject: |
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Nice to read your viewing report, thanks Cisca
Really envy your opportunities to be able to watch the movie (in both Cantonese and Mandarin) and attend GZ box office celebration event
Based on my readings of various websites from China, I know this is an unusual spy movie with interesting twists, and both Tony and Zhou Xun gave superb performances
Waiting for DVD to be released.
PS, did you catch this moment Cisca?
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Safran
Joined: 22 Mar 2006 Posts: 1322 Location: Austria
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Posted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 10:26 am Post subject: |
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Hi Cisca, you lucky girl !
Thank you very much for your friendly reporting us .....I´m very glad for all of you ( and a little bit envious )
Dearest greetings.....have a great time ....and: Enjoy !
Thank you for the pics , Yitian
"Superb performances" - That sounds well ! |
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yitian
Joined: 06 Jul 2011 Posts: 413 Location: United States
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