[video=youtube;XKWXnNfAXfM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKWXnNfAXfM[/video]

What an epic. Never seen a martial arts film like it. Imagine Wong Kar Wai's languid tracking shots, beautiful set, sad 'love story' and the action choreography of Crouching Tiger / House of Flying Daggers set against the backdrop of the Japanese-Sino War, the film spans over 20 years.

Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Cheng, everyone is flawless. Cinematography, editing, sound design, faultless.

Do yourselves a favor and watch the original cut in Chinese, 130 mins vs the 108 min cut in American cinemas.

It's not an easy film to follow but so worth it. So beautiful and so sad. Wouldn't even mind if there is a longer 3hr version. Seen it twice already.

Re: The Grandmaster [2013]

[video=youtube;AuHWJDgrPj8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuHWJDgrPj8[/video]

Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen training for the film. I think they trained for 3 years.

Re: The Grandmaster [2013]

I've really liked Wong Kar Wai's other films - In The Mood For Love, Ashes of Time and Chungking Express were some of the most gorgeously shot films I saw in the 90's

I really liked this, but Wong Kar Wai needs to lay off the slow mo for some of the fight sequences. I really, really liked the fight at the train station, but sometimes his slipping into slow mo breaks the momentum of the action going onscreen.

Still, really good film, if a bit overdone on the slo mo framerate.

Re: The Grandmaster [2013]

I agree. I really liked the slo-mo during the opening fight in the rain with the rain flying off his hat and clothes. But slo-mo does get a bit predictable in action sequence these days.

Re: The Grandmaster [2013]

Two things I hate in action sequences nowadays: slow-mo and shaky cam. :(

Looks like an interesting movie!