Onoda - 10,000 Nights in the Jungle (2021) [Film Review]

Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle; or, Lonely Warrior
     They’d said, “We’ll come back for you.”
I have been aware of the real life story concerning Hiroo Onoda for quite some time, but I have never known all the details. If you have not heard about it, the phenomenon of the so-called Japanese holdouts refers to soldiers who were either uninformed or refused to believe that World War II had ended. Arthur Harari’s Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle tells the story of a man who kept on fighting until 1974 on a remote island.

Release Info

Directed by: Arthur Harari Starring: Yuya Endo, Yuya Matsuura, Kanji Tsuda, Tetsuya Chiba, Issey Ogata

Language: Japanese Original Title: ONODA 一万夜を越えて Runtime: 166 min

Synopsis
Young Hiroo Ononda (Yuya Endo) is an intelligence officer training at a special facility under the guidance of Major Taniguchi (Issey Ogata). In 1944, he was sent to Luband Island in the Philippines with a mission of limiting the impact of enemy attacks. Nevertheless, the Allied Forces liberated the island in 1945. While the rest of Japanese troops either died or surrendered, Onoda and three other soldiers continued to carry out their guerilla activities, waiting for the arrival of Imperial forces.

Left Behind
In my opinion, Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle is a gripping adventure drama which provides an insight into the life of a soldier who is perceived by many as the paragon of discipline and devotion to homeland. Still, it has to be acknowledged that the movie was not based on Onoda’s official autobiography but rather other historical accounts, such as Bernard Cendron and Gérard Chenu's Onoda, seul en guerre dans la jungle; hence, it is difficult to label the film as a biographical motion picture. The director himself was heavily influenced by the novels of Joseph Conrad and Robert Louis Stevenson (source: press book).

Nevertheless, the movie closely follows the major events from Onoda’s stay on the island. It is fascinating to see how he rejects the tell-tale signs that the war is over and proceeds to blindly believe that Japan will team up with China in order to “liberate” the Asian continent. This is a story of false presuppositions and delusions, but also of incredible sacrifice, especially in view of the fact that Onoda was not alone at the beginning of his crusade.

Although the movie lasts nearly three hours, you do not feel bored at all. I think it’s best to say that Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle is divided into two parts: the first one focuses primarily on young Onoda (Yuya Endo) and young Kinshichi Kozuka (Yuya Matsuura) trying to survive during the 1950s. In 1969, we see aged characters (played by Kanji Tsuda and Tetsuya Chiba respectively) as they try to stay in hiding, away from the local villagers. I appreciated this unconventional measure of double performance, but I believe that the movie would have worked better if there were two actors playing the characters consistently from beginning to the end.

That being said, I appreciate the onscreen performances as well as the supporting parts done by veteran actors like Issey Ogata and Kyusaku Shimada. Beautiful on-location cinematography by Tom Harari also cannot go unnoticed.

Recommendations
I suggest you watch the film back-to-back with Kazuo Hara’s unforgettable documentary The Emperor's Naked Army Marches On (1987) in order to get a full picture of what was going on in the Philippines towards the end of the war. Onoda: 10,000 Nights in the Jungle is going to be released in UK cinemas by Third Windows Films on the 15th of April. VOD/Blu-ray edition will follow appropriately on the 16th of May. The disc is going to include interviews with actor Kanji Tsuda, director Arthur Harari, DOP Tom Harari, and assistant director Benjamin Papin.

Overall score: 8/10

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The Last Kung Fu Monk (2010) [Film Review]

The Last Kung Fu Monk; or, The Teachings of Shaolin
     If something happens to me, I need you to promise me to take care of Michael. I just need to hear that!
Today’s review is going to be something slightly different because I am taking a look at the filmography of Peng Zhang Li, the real Shaolin monk-turned-actor/director. While initially spreading the gospel of Kung Fu in Europe, the martial artist moved to America and, in 2010, he wrote and directed his debut feature called The Last Kung Fu Monk.

Release Info

Directed by: Peng Zhang Li Starring: Peng Zhang Li, Kristen Dougherty, Hu Sang

Langauge: English, Mandarin Original Title: 最后的武僧 Runtime: 82 min

Synopsis
Li Long (Peng Zhang Li) is a monk from the Shaolin monastery who got separated from his brother when they were children. Years later, Li Long learns that his brother died in a car crash together with his wife, leaving their son Michael (Major Curda) completely alone. Li Long goes to America in order to look after his nephew. While adjusting to Western reality, he is aided by a social worker Sarah (Kristen Dougherty), for whom he develops romantic feelings. The monk opens a Kung Fu school which enjoys great popularity; however, Russian mobsters kidnap his students. In order to save them, Li Long has to participate in an underground tournament.

Living in America
Although the film is an American-Chinese co-production, one can clearly notice that it bears the marks of an indie flick with big aspirations limited by tight budget. Peng Zhang Li is evidently a fan of good old kung-fu action films, as The Last Kung Fu Monk repeats the “fish out of water” story pattern of Bruce Lee’s The Way of the Dragon (1972) and Jackie Chan’s Rumble in the Bronx (1995).

Given the fact that Peng Zhang Li is a martial artist, it comes as no surprise that the fight sequences are decently choreographed and they evoke the feels of Jet Li/Tony Jaa pictures. These scenes are definitely the strongest aspect of the film.

However, the movie suffers from a number of shortcomings as well. The plotline is very incoherent due to tons of flashbacks and off-the-wall pacing. It is only halfway through the picture that you realise who is who and what is the main goal of the protagonist. In addition, some lines of dialogue, or abruptly cut conversations, will certainly make you think about Tommy Wiseau’s The Room (2003). Yet, I believe that under the layers of questionable scriptwriting, there is some decent story to be told. Unfortunately, it was buried by less-than-professional editing.

Interestingly, the production was not trouble-free, which made the filmmaking team shoot the majority of scenes on location in China rather than New York (which is the main setting of the story). Still, the outdoor scenes do not really give away the feeling that the location is not America.

With regard to performances, Peng Zhang Li is obviously not much of an actor, but he also does not give the kind of so-bad-it’s-lovable performance of Tommy Wiseau. He is just there, trying to portray a peaceful monk. Kristen Dougherty, on the other hand, is a major disappointment as the female lead (this film was her only acting gig ever, according to IMDb). Still, I enjoyed the supporting parts of Hu Sang as a student in distress, and Johan Karlberg who played the Russian mafia boss. It is a shame though that his voice was dubbed over in post-production. In addition, I think that his character could have been given more screen time, especially in the finale which is a bit overwhelming in its itself.

Recommendations
If you would like to check out a very niche kung-fu movie cooked up by a Shaolin monk, then The Last Kung Fu Monk is waiting for you. Treat the whole thing with a grain of salt and keep an eye out on weird editing transitions. In this way, you will get enjoyment from watching well-made fights and embarrassing conversations. You can check out the film on YouTube.
Overall score: 5/10
Note: My thanks go to Johan Karlberg for sharing pieces of trivia about this film. You can check out his interesting making of featurette here.

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Game of Death (1978) [Film Review]

Game of Death; or, A Movie Too Far
     Don’t you understand anything? Everybody looked at him, but there was no person to see anything!
I have heard a great deal of positive as well as negative opinions about the controversial Game of Death movie, the “final”, we could say, Bruce Lee’s movie. Although Bruce had shot a considerable amount of footage before he was approached with the offer of making Enter the Dragon, due to his untimely death in 1973, Game of Death remained an unfinished endeavour. However, producer Raymond Chow and director Robert Clouse joined forces in order to complete Bruce’s last movie and bring it to the big screen. However, their vision vastly differs from Lee’s original script… Please Jesus, give me strength on this one. Let’s take a look at Game of Death.

Release Info

Directed by: Robert Clouse Starring: Bruce Lee, Kim Tai Jong, Yuen Biao, Albert Sham, Gig Young

Language: English, Cantonese Original Title: 死亡遊戲 Runtime: 103 min

Synopsis
Billy Lo (Kim Tai Jong, Yuen Biao, Albert Sham) is a Hong Kong superstar, churning out such hits as Fists of Fury and The Way of the Dragon. He is stalked by a vicious syndicate which wants to organise some kind of an illegal martial arts tournament. Billy refuses to participate and, as a result, he is shot in the head by one of the henchmen on a film set. Miracuously, Billy survives and, with the help of a friend (Gig Young), fakes his own death and changes identity. However, the syndicate is now interested in Billy’s girlfriend, Ann Morris (Colleen Camp). Billy has to act fast and stop the gangsters.

For A Few Dollars More
Right from the start, you should get an idea that you are not in for a Bruce Lee flick. The intro sequence, albeit incredibly well-done for the 1970s, makes you feel as you are watching a James Bond movie. In addition, the presence of the legendary composer John Barry only reinforces this feeling whenever music cues kick in.

The task with which Raymond Chow and Robert Clouse had challenged themselves was not building a coherent story around Bruce Lee’s existing footage, but rather, how to make a Bruce Lee action film without having Bruce Lee in it. As a result, we get to see three stuntmen (voiced by an English actor) impersonating Bruce Lee… Had only the editing been more skillful, but it is not! You can see Bruce’s close-ups taken from his previous productions intercut with stuntmen in heavy make-up or cardboard cutouts…

To be honest, I can understand that back then the team behind Game of Death tried to make something which today Hollywood easily does with top-of-the-line technology (Paul Walker in Furious 7, Peter Cushing in Rogue One). The shortcomings of blending new footage with that of Bruce Lee’s are more than noticeable, yet they do not constitute the main disadvantage of the film.

In my opinion, the shoddy screenplay completely takes away the entertainment factor of this flick. We get a generic crime drama about the bad guys trying to kill the main protagonist, but the most disrespectful thing this storyline does is as follows: All Bruce Lee’s films exist in the universe of Game of Death. These are, quite rightfully, fiction… and Bruce Lee is fictional as well… Hence, this is not a film about Bruce Lee, but about a certain Billy Lo (supposedly played by Bruce Lee, which is not true) trying to act (and look) like Bruce Lee. Steven Moffat would not have been able to come up with a better cringefest, Robert Clouse!

Don’t even get me started on the dialogue! A 5-year-old could write more meaningful lines than “If we’re stopped, don’t do anything that will give them an excuse to hurt you!” or “Where’s the Doctor?!!!!!!” Also, the incorporation of the same battle cries into Billy Lo’s fight scenes is just so off the mark.

However, I have to give justice to Bruce Lee’s footage. When we finally get to see the pagoda showdown (which functions in the context of the film as confrontation in a restaurant), it feels like a breath of fresh air. Just these 10 minutes of Bruce Lee kicking ass with his maverick demeanour are definitely worth watching.

I think I should also mention the most controversial aspect of Game of Death. As mentioned in the synopsis, Billy Lo fakes his own death, and… lo and behold the movie features an actual shot (from the funeral) of dead Bruce Lee lying in an open coffin... Talk about a whole new level of graverobbing.

Recommendations
Without any doubt, Game of Death was made as a blatant cash-grab, riding on the wave of Bruceploitation trend of the late 1970s. My respect goes to Karim Abdul Jabaar who refused to take part in this abomination (he’s still credited though due to the pagoda footage). If you want to get the feel of how Bruce Lee’s Game of Death was supposed to look like, then grab the awesome documentary Bruce Lee: A Warrior’s Journey (2000) instead.Overall score: 3/10
Pagoda footage: 10/10

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Enter the Dragon (1973) [Film Review]

Enter the Dragon; or, Blood and Steel

     Don’t think. Feel. It is like a finger pointing away to the moon. Do not concentrate on the finger or you will miss all that heavenly glory.

Enter the Dragon is a 1973 co-production of Warner Bros. and Concord Production Ltd. which is regarded nowadays as the greatest martial arts film of all time. This was the fourth (and the last complete) movie with Bruce Lee in the leading role after his major breakthrough in Hong Kong in the early 1970s. Even though the film’s aim was to introduce Bruce to Western audiences; unfortunately, Bruce’s untimely passing disrupted the plans for his future films in Hollywood. Nevertheless, Enter the Dragon is still perceived as the paragon of a classic kung fu actioner, so let’s take a closer look at this motion picture.

Release Info

Directed by: Robert Clouse Starring: Bruce Lee, Shih Kien, John Saxon, Jim Kelly

Language: English, Cantonese Original Title: 龍爭虎鬥 Runtime: 102 min

 

Synopsis

Lee (Bruce Lee) is a professional instructor of martial arts from the Shaolin Temple. His services are recruited by the British authorities who order him to infiltrate the private residence of a crime lord known as Han (Shih Kien). Lee attends the martial arts competition that is organised on Han’s island and meets other attendees, such as Roper (John Saxon) and Williams (Jim Kelly). All three come into contact with the elusive Han who actually deals with drug trafficking. Lee takes it upon himself to stop his criminal activity and also settle the score with Han’s bodyguard, O’Hara (Bob Wall).

Bruce Lee: The Crackdown

After Big Boss (1971), Fist of Fury (1972), and Way of the Dragon (1972), Bruce Lee exploded in popularity across Asia. However, he was still unknown in the West (his biggest role there being that of Kato in The Green Hornet (1966-1967) series). Producers Fred Weintraub and Paul Heller approached Bruce about the possibility of making a movie with them and, after Golden Harvest approved the deal, Enter the Dragon received the green light.

The movie is very distinct with its style and aesthetics. Rather than being a faithful depiction of the East, it is more like a fable influenced by comic books. However, one has to appreciate the film for its simple storyline and lavish execution. There is a secluded island, martial arts tournament, and an over-the-top bad guy with an underground lair (he is just a Bond villain but without Bond). Enter the Dragon instils a unique feeling that Asia is a strange and exotic land with tough guys and beautiful ladies where everything is possible.

Interestingly, from the interviews from the American crew, it can be inferred that they just winged it and everything was awesome, but Linda Lee Caldwell contradicted that. She stated that Bruce was actively involved in numerous rewrites of the script, he brought onboard his own crew of martial artists, and choreographed his own stunts. Clearly, if it had not been for Bruce, the movie would not have achieved such success as it did.

With regard to performances, Bruce Lee is as great as in all of his previous films. There are also very good supporting performances of John Saxon and Jim Kelly who do a bit of fighting in the film. Shih Kien is deliciously campy as the main villain (but unfortunately his real voice was not used in the film). Sammo Hung and Angela Mao also have small but noticeable parts. If you pay attention to the action scenes, you can also spot Jackie Chan and Yueh Wah doing some stunts.

Recommendations

Highly recommended to every enthusiast of kung fu flicks. Enter the Dragon is a well made motion picture with great fights and an exhilarating finale. It is a real shame that we never got to see more films with Bruce Lee (I'm not even counting Game of Death from 1978).

Overall score: 8/10

Samurai Marathon (2019) [Film Review]

Samurai Marathon; or, What Samurai Talk When They Talk About Running

     If there is a turbulence in the atmosphere, you need to report immediately back to us. Have no hesitation... And don't be found by others.

Samurai Marathon is the latest jidaigeki, directed by Bernard Rose and based on a 2014 novel by Akihiro Dobashi. This period picture focuses on the origins of marathons in Japan at the end of the Edo period.

Release Info

Directed by: Bernard Rose Starring: Takeru Sato, Nana Komatsu, Mirai Moriyama, Shota Sometami

Language: Japanese Original Title: サムライマラソン Runtime: 104 min

 

Synopsis

When American troops led by Commodore Perry (Danny Huston) arrive at the Japanese shoreline, this causes quite a commotion among the officials. Local leaders are afraid of potential attacks from foreign invaders and, one of them, Lord Itakura (Hiroki Hasegawa), announces a 60-kilometre marathon contest in order to strengthen his samurai. One of the loyal warriors, Jinnai Karasawa (Takeru Sato), is actually a spy working for the shogunate. Jinnai misinterprets his lord’s intention as a call to arms and sends a wrong message to the capital. As a  result of this, a squad of assassins is dispatched in order to suppress the presumed uprising.

 

The Hidden Blades

Samurai Marathon may have a bit of a confusing introduction in view of many characters and plotlines interwoven with each other, but the further the film goes, the better it gets. The story greatly reminded me about such classics as Hideo Gosha’s Three Outlaw Samurai (1964) and Kihachi Okamoto’s Kill! (1968). There are multiple perspectives focusing on the characters who participate in the marathon. Eventually, everything comes together when the assassins arrive and the samurai have to race against time to save Lord Itakura.

 

Additional advantage is the beautiful cinematography done by Takuro Ishikaza. The atmospheric forest setting and smooth camera work really evoke early films of Akira Kurosawa. Also, the music score composed by Phillip Glass gives a breath of fresh air and emphasises the gravity of the difficult situation the samurai have found themselves in.

 

The all-star cast cannot go unnoticed as well. Takeru Sato’s portrayal of a conflicted samurai became his second nature (*Rurouni Kenshin flashbacks*). His performance is aided by those of Nana Komatsu, Shota Sometami, and Mirai Moriyama in supporting roles. Surprisingly, Naoto Takenaka has a small but great part as a retired mentor.

 

Recommendations

If you like historical movies, then you can safely check out Samurai Marathon. It is a well-made drama which provides nods to the golden age of samurai flicks. It will certainly keep you entertained. I wish more historical dramas like that could be made nowadays.

Overall score: 8/10