Film: Seven Swords
Release date: 22nd January 2007
Certificate: 15
Running time: 135 mins
Director: Tsui Hark
Starring: Donnie Yen, Leon Lai, Charlie Yeung, Liwu Dai, Liu Chia-Liang
Genre: Action/Drama/Martial Arts
Studio: Contender
Format: DVD
Country: South Korea/Hong Kong/China
Given Tsui Hark’s lengthy CV, expectations are understandably high for any of his films, and Seven Swords is no exception. An explosion of unlikely influences, a celebration of genre, a clash of cultures, it should be a multifaceted film wrapped up in layers of meaning. But whether Hark satisfies the challenge that he has set himself remains debatable.
In true Oriental blockbuster style, Asia’s astounding natural beauty is showcased in mountainous snow scenes that awe and amaze. Like a local tradesman in a tourist hotspot, little effort is made to conceal the stitches that tailor this opening to impress naïve Western viewers, but visual magnificence redeems that.
Obligatory sweeping camera angles out of the way, Hark’s priorities are instantly revealed. As if to cover up his initial indulgent imagery, he guiltily rushes straight into the plot.
Seven Swords recounts the age-old story of gentle village folk struggling against the hedonistic powers that be. In this case, ruler Wind Fire has imposed a ban on martial arts, with a punishment of death for those who defy him: or, it predictably turns out, for those that simply don’t fulfil his glamorous urban ideal. With a weighty cash prize on each of their heads, the people of imaginatively named Martial Village are driven to moral and righteous action...
The rather stilted plot is presented to viewers in a brief flashback that proves more dedicated to special effects, stunning cinematography and slick editing than basic storytelling. It even crams in the stereotypical martial arts fight to fulfil those Eastern cravings of Western newcomers to the genre. Although flimsy, this crude approach does maintain value through its refreshingly direct approach. Audiences at least know exactly what is driving the dreary journey ahead. For added comfort and accessibility, English names and unfussy script replace traditional Mandarin names and audiences are spared dialogue that resembles a string of riddles more than a film.
In its consistently disjointed fashion Seven Swords sees West destructively crash into East by way of the bad guys. Dusty rags of the poor protagonists collide with funky and futuristic hairstyles, war paint, weapons and tattoos. With the addition of ‘fire-stars’ and a dodgy attempt at an over-budget 33MM ‘handheld tremor’, a misplaced parallel to Star Wars is completed by contrived Yoda-esque words of wisdom that could have been written by an imaginative 12-year-old - an American twelve year-old. Momentarily stepping well and truly into the script of a teen comedy, it doesn’t come much more Americanised than “such a cute chick in this shabby village.” There are certainly plenty of cringe worthy moments to entertain: regrettably, they wear a little thin after an hour or so and become tiresome after two. Ruthlessly combined with bland plot and a repetitive overall structure, most viewers are likely to lose interest long before the film’s conclusion.
A single point of interest may lie in the bizarre combination of genres. Seven Swords is not simply an overdone martial arts film. It is a fantasy, a period piece, science fiction and, most prevalently, a Western. In terms of genre as well as culture, all of John Ford’s criteria are met. From the very first stand-off, the enemies are even physically positioned ala cowboy caravan meets Indian tribe. To reveal that the last shot involves heroes on horseback gives nothing away. Yet Hark courageously flashes shiny space swords, silken pantaloons and a few mentions of a Dynasty, as if to complicate genre where script and story fall short.
So extreme is this massive broth of genre, culture, frankly awful style and awesome imagery, it remains a mystery as to whether Seven Swords is one big parody or one big accident. Is there some sort of juxtaposition-based joke that the viewer is meant to be in on, or was the budget bigger than Hark could handle? With titles like the Once Upon A Time In China series under his belt, Hark should be the last person to be overwhelmed by sky high funding, yet this effort comes across as utterly amateurish. Nothing flows and nothing is seamless. Cumbersome blocks of film with a single rudimentary purpose stack upon each other in a Great Wall of Clichés. Subtext and meaning are nonentities. Without a doubt, visual quality is impressive, but this makes the lumbering construction of the overall effort all the more frustrating.
Seven Swords is an admirably accessible beginner’s guide to Eastern cinema, but for most, it has opened the doors far too wide and the substance has fallen out. Perhaps original and bold for fearless genre experimentation, and certainly striking for its imagery, it offers nothing to challenge the viewer or even engage them. Placing audiences in an ambiguous position, it makes for uncomfortable viewing - is Hark sharing a story with them, or just patronising them? In either case, more fool him: boredom is inevitable in this painful and over budgeted mess. RS
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