May 05, 2006
The Promise
Epic Mediocrity
Chen Kaige's latest film, The Promise, is the latest Asian action/adventure film which explores the age old male preoccupation with honor. Of course, that doesn't mean it doesn't also deal with another age old obsession for many men: girls. Or maybe I should say: girl. Throughout the entirety of the film there are two females and one is a goddess so she doesn't actually count. The one female in the film, the one that all the guys are fighting over, is Princess Qingcheng. Played by Cecilia Cheung, who I can't help but say is distractingly beautiful in this film, Qingcheng was cursed as a child to get all the riches she ever wanted but to forever lose any man that she fell in love with.
As the story unfolds, the princess gets rescued by a slave disguised as a general, then there's a case of mistaken identity, misplaced love, betrayal, and old grudges resurfacing. The film is a fairy tale wrapped up in what is apparently the the most expensive Chinese film ever. The prerelease buzz on the film was that it was going to be one of the most beautiful films of the year. Unfortunately, what should be epic landscapes stretching across the big screen and instead look more like glorified computer games on a really large monitor. The special effects are shoddy at best and laughable at worst. That's not to say that the entire film should be written off in terms of aesthetics. The costume design is wonderfully detailed and some of the landscapes, although typical of an Asian epic, are joy to behold.
What's most sorely lacking in the film is the balletic grace of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (A film this will invariably be compared to). Instead, the battles tear across the screen at a frentic pace. The beauty found in the high flying swordplay typical of wu xia films is undermined by the apparent necessity to show everything from 99 different angles. It doesn't help that you only ever care about one person in the film; and no, it's not the Princess. Like everything else that's beautiful in the film, she ultimately proves to be vapid. The one person with whom we identify and care for is a somewhat minor character and once he's done away with there aren't very many more reasons to stick around.
Kaige's direction is competant albeit a bit too reliant on computer graphics and outdated ideals. Although I haven't seen his previous films I'm led to believe that he is a talented filmmaker and am curious to see what he's capable of. As a result, I'll probably rent his most famous work, Farewell My Concubine, but I doubt I'll ever be revisiting The Promise. This isn't a horrible film; it's worse in some ways, it's mediocre. Had it just been flat out bad it might've been campy but the film held some promise (pun intended) and didn't deliver. If this film failed to shine on the big screen there's no way it'll fare any better on a television set. If you have to see it, see it while it's in theaters; otherwise don't bother. Your money is better spent elsewhere. I promise.1
NOTES:
1That last line was just shameful. I'm Sorry.
