The Great Wall; or, #MakeChinaGreatAgain
Here? This army?
Our flag? We fight for more than food or money. We give our lives to something
more. Xin ren is our flag. Trust in each other. In all ways. At all times.
Two years ago, the Chinese brought Matt Damon from Mars.
Now, it’s time to return the favour and stand together with an ensemble cast of
great Chinese actors in the first line of the humanity’s last stand. In this
“Legendary” China-US co-production by prominent director Yimou Zhang, Matt
Damon has to save the world from a horde of dragon-like aliens!
Release Info
Release Info
Directed by: Zhang Yimou Starring: Matt Damon, Jing Tian, Pedro Pascal, Andy Lau
Language: English, Mandarin Runtime: 103 min
William (Matt Damon) and his companion Tovar (Pedro Pascal)
are European mercenaries on the search for the mythical Chinese “black powder”.
Other members of their group are killed off during the raid on a desert. While
escaping, William and Tovar discover the Great Wall and surrender themselves to
the so-called Nameless Order. It turns out that the Order built the Wall and
every 60 years the army prepares itself for the battle against the Tao Tei.
These mythical creature came from space as a punishment for the Emperor’s vanity.
Each time the Tao Tei grow more intelligent in their fight. William resolves to
help Commander Lin (Jing Tian) and Strategist Wang (Andy Lau) in their struggle
to stop the invasion of the Tao Tei and kill their queen.
Wishy-washy whitewashing
The Great Wall completely passed me by when it came out in
December 2016. Apart from work and lack of time, I also wasn’t too keen on
checking it out due to the supposed “white saviour narrative” (The Last
Samurai (2003) seems the definite example). I’m convinced that Asian movies are
so good that they don’t need Hollywood shoving in its all-American hero.
Thankfully, when I finally overcame my resentment and
watched the film, I was pleasantly surprised. The Great Wall is nothing about
white saviour and whitewashing. The screenplay convincingly justifies the presence
of white characters in non-white environment and treats with respect Chinese
culture. It is not Tom-Cruise-turning-Japanese all over again. Granted, Matt
Damon is in the lead but he is not the white saviour. Rather than that, his
character is an outsider who discovers the awe-inspiring epicness of China. I
second Zhang’s statement against the libtard-y allegations:
In many ways The Great Wall is the opposite of what is being
suggested. For the first time, a film deeply rooted in Chinese culture, with
one of the largest Chinese casts ever assembled, is being made at tentpole
scale for a world audience. I believe that is a trend that should be embraced
by our industry. (source: Wikipedia)
Excluding racial concerns, The Great Wall is one huge
rollercoaster of entertainment. We barely get to the 15th minute of the film
and the spectacular assault on the wall ensues! Here I have to praise the
special effects. Many shots were done purposely for IMAX 3D (greater shame that
I missed it in the cinema!) and they look impressive even on standard FullHD
TV. The CGI creatures are fairly well made. Their only flaw is probably not the
digital execution but the creative design. I just feel they lack something distinguishing,
even though they look good on screen. Additionally, the battle scenes and
overview shots are simply great, because apart from CGI there’s a lot of real,
tangible scenography (all in all, it is Zhang’s movie), which only perfects the
visual effects. The music score composed by Ramin Djawadi neatly enhances the
viewing experience. If I hadn’t known that he composed it, I could have sworn
that the main theme was written by Klaus Badelt.
Focusing on performances, Matt Damon is more than believable
as a stranger-in-a-strange-land (up until the point when he shaves off a
beard...) Pedro Pascal is a wonderful addition as ruthless Tovar but he falls
victim of lazy writing in the movie’s third act. Willem Dafoe is always a joy
to watch, yet his character suffers the same fate as Pascal’s. Andy Lau does a better
job in a supporting role. It is Jing Tian as Commander Lin who deserves the
highest praise (A female in charge of an ancient Chinese army? Take that Hollywood!). She is determined, gracious, brave, and most importantly, treats
Damon’s character as her equal, not as a love interest.
Recommendations
The Great Wall is a safe choice. It is an entertaining, 90
minutes long, break from reality into the world of fantasy. Great direction,
awesome music score, wonderful cast, and harmless fun. Poor character
development may be the film’s only flaw. Don’t be afraid of whitewashing issue
and instead of Ghost in the Shell (2017) go ahead and check out The Great Wall
(2016). This movie provides the ultimate proof why the walls are great! Go
China!
Overall score: 8/10
