TIFF Report: SPL (Sha Po Lang) Review
I had heard enough about Wilson Yip's Sha Po Lang heading into last night's world premiere to assume that it would be the best film to emerge from Hong Kong since Andrew Lau's Infernal Affiars. This is not the case. That assumption sells Sha Po Lang far, far short. This is one of the finest films to emerge from Hong Kong ever. Period. We're not just talking about a return to the glory days here, we're talking about a distillation of everything that is good about Hong Kong and an expansion of the palette. This is powerful, visceral stuff. This had the impact of a virginal viewing experience, the same potency as my first viewing of John Woo's The Killer. High praise, I know, but I sincerely believe this film is immune to over-hype. It is simply not possible.
As with so much great Hong kong film Sha Po Lang is a gritty crime drama. Simon Yam is Detective Chan, the head of an anti-gang police squad intent on bringing down Wong Po, the powerful local crime lord played by Hong Kong icon Sammo Hung. While transporting a witness and his family to trial to testify against Po, Chan's car is broadsided, killing everyone in it with the exception of Chan himself and his witnesses young daughter. Though the head wound Chan suffers in the crash heals soon enough he is discovered to have a malignant brain tumor during the course of his treatments and, with nothing left to lose, he swears to take care of the young girl and bring down Po no matter what the cost. Jump forward three years. Po is stronger than ever, Chan's health is failing and he is due to retire any day. Desperation has driven Chan and his unit to the edge of corruption and the unit has been assigned a new commanding officer in Ma (Donnie Yen), a driven man known for once beating until brain damaged. Chan will do anything to bring down Po before his retirement and the two sides face off for the inevitable, bloody face off.
SPl is just a tour de force on every level. Yip is a stylish, assured director who gives his film a gritty noir edge. Moral lines are blurred as Chan pursues ever more extreme courses of action and Po tries to juggle his criminal activities against his love for his young family. Family is a major thread throughout the film, actually, as Yip gives all of his characters significant depth and back story and looks fairly seriously at the damage a policeman's life can do to his family. The interactions between the members of Chan's squad ring absolutely true and the entire cast is solid from top to bottom, but special attention needs to be paid to the four leads.
Simon Yam as Chan. Yam is just a hard, hard man. He perfectly captures the rage and desperation of his character in an intense, furious performance. Yam gets surprisingly few meaty lead roles and after seeing what he is capable of in this his lack of steady work just boggles the mind.
Sammo Hung as Wong Po. Not only does Sammo prove that he's still got the goods in the martial arts department - more on that later - but he gets a rare opportunity to prove that he's got some serious acting chops as well. Hung's crime lord is a treacherous, unhinged man, always on the verge of violence but also possessing a softer, caring side as shown by his devotion to his wife and young child.
Wu Jing as Jack. Wu Jing is one of Asia's rising action stars, and for good reason. He is simply magnetic on screen, a fluid and blazingly fast martial arts performer. He shares the same master as Jet Li and could very well end up being Li's successor to the China / Hong Kong martial arts throne now that Li is slowing down. Wu dropped the news that they're looking at doing a Sha Po Lang prequel to give Jack some more screen time and, if it happens, it can't come soon enough.
Donnie Yen as Ma. Yen is back. Big time. This is by far Yen's best work as an actor, choreographer and martial artist. After a long stretch working almost exlusively behind the camera it is easy to forget just how much Yen is capable of and every ounce of his talent is in plain view on screen.
How does SPL stack up as a martial arts film? Bloody well, thanks. The first thing to note is that Yip has cleverly built his script so that the bursts of martial arts violence rise directly out of the story and the characters rather than the other way around. SPL works as a story first, as a martial arts film second. This is a distinction too often missed but when someone gets it - as Yip very clearly does - it makes the martial arts action hit with that much more impact. The next thing to note is that the film aims for a startling degree of realism in staging the fights. Not only are there no wires or CGI used but the the fight styles themselves rise out of the characters and the character's needs. This is not an exhibition of fight styles, these are desperate men trying to take their opponents down as hard and fast as possible. The choreography is stunning and brutal - by far the best of Yen's career, and the most unique - not at all concerned with grace and beauty, focusing instead on speed and power and destructive force. The three martial artists involved - Yen, Hung and Wu Jing - are all fantastically talented which allows for a speed and inventiveness not seen in years. Apparently one of the best sequences - between Yen and Wu Jing in an alley - was largely improvised on the spot, the two of them directed to simply 'go after each other'. They did so, and did it so hard that Yen broke a metal baton over Wu Jing's forearms three times over the course of a night's shooting.
Hong Kong cinema has been in decline for years, that's no secret. Sha Po Lang may prove to be the last gasp of a dying industry, the last truly great film to come from that proud land, but to me it feels more like the start of something new. This is a film so intense, so powerful, that it should inspire Hong Kong film makers to new heights for years to come. Yip has thrown down the gauntlet here, "This is what we used to do so well, why have we gotten away from it?&" Here's hoping that he, and others, take up that challenge. Absolutely brilliant. Truly stunning. A perfect ten.
