For the benefit of those who don't know how to read those chinese words there, it literally means: "Ip Man: The Prequel", though the movie name itself has already been stated in smaller print there in English above the chinese one.
The movie premises has already been explained in the title. Well, almost. It highlights the earlier years of the Wing Chun martial arts master Ip Man, firstly as a child, then as a young man.
As far as it goes, the movie itself already sounds like just another biopic, but for those who have watched the first and the second instalments, this was the one which highlighted what made the master into who he was as shown in Ip Man and Ip Man 2.
As usual, I try not to give out too much, but if there happens to be a few spoilers, I apologize for being overly enthusiastic about discussing it. =)
Thoughts
Initially, I was somewhat skeptical. My mindset leaned towards doing other things I really, really wanted, like going to K or just practising the guitar at home. It just simply felt like there were better things to do than catch this one.
"It's just another biopic. What's the big deal? It's another actor, not Donnie Yen. Who's that guy? Can he really pull it off?"
But I went to watch anyway. Firstly, it was because a good buddy of mine had invited me. Secondly, I don't like to leave things hanging, and one half of my mind had the urge to just finish off the story.
So I went.
And it was better-no, it blew my mind away. Films do that to you when you have rather low expectations, but suddenly they rise up to exceed them, blasting your doubts into oblivion.
Now, having seen certain reviews about the movie, some of which considers the prequel less entertaining because of less fighting, I'd have to say that I'm thankful I don't completely believe in those things. Firstly, common sense tells you that the young Ip Man wouldn't have been so proficient in beating down his opponents that easily, nor would he have been able to take on many, many high level martial arts exponents just like this:
More than that, I became interested in the life, the story behind this man who was portraited as a virtuous, righteous, patriotic, upright and cultured martial artist who was ready to put his life on the line to fight for the pride of his country (Even though real history might not dictate as such).
What was he like when he was young? Was he impetuous? What did he do? Where did he study? What did he like? What experiences did he go through? What kind of love did he find, or what kind of love found him? What made him into such a confident, calm, cultured yet passionate man?
The prequel told most of that.
Sadly, they didn't concentrate much on childhood, though it probably wouldn't have been as exciting as his teenage years when he went to HK to study, meeting someone unexpected and going through the classical chance encounter (or as in many martial arts stories, the 奇遇) with a grand master, then returning to go through an interesting turn of events that changed his world.
I was impressed at the end, though being a somewhat judgmental person, I felt that the movie could have been better. There could have been more action. There could have been more time spent, maybe 10 minutes or so, before switching the heavy, heavy atmosphere right after the climax to the suddenly happy one at the very end.
Aside from these small things, the whole movie was great. Perhaps not every single viewer thinks so, because every individual has different benchmarks for different movies, but I thought the movie was good. They had great pacing, being able to transit from one scene to another easily. There were good fight sequences, making Ip Man more...realistic/human than the first two movies, where he was literally a demigod in terms of fighting. There was the ever-present humor, witty, dry and even classical jokes coming out from unexpected scenes. The added bonus here was the romance that abounded. While it certainly cannot hold a candle to romance comedies, romantic instances are usually welcome.
And of course, the drama and angst. While there was a little bit of it present in the first two movies, none were centered on the people who were really, really close to Ip Man, that it affects him directly. The prequel did just that, giving him a bigger spotlight and pulling him closer to the category of being a 'real' person who faces emotional turmoil.
Come to think of it, perhaps it was a trademark technique shown by the director here, that he loves simply to turn heavy, angst-filled moments into light-hearted ones right after that, so that viewers might be able to view the movie without feeling too down themselves. The scene where he was almost expelled by the eldest disciple of his late master because he had learned some 'unorthodox Wing Chun' while in HK spelt that out clearly, I think. Right after the part where he accepts punishment, the eldest disciple asks for the late master's advice at his grave by......
.....Tossing a coin, then subsequently thanking him for allowing the coin toss to be favorable.
It seemed funny at that time, but ultimately it also highlighted certain things about the culture then. Which I thought was good. With the opening scenes showing us a little history on the part of the Chinese people demanding for democracy, openness and the rejection of the Twenty-One Demands. I know most typical teenagers would go "BOORRRRINGGG!!!" when you mention history, and go off to play with their spanking new PSPs or iPhones, but it was a nice thing to add in. Let the people know a little more. Let the viewers be a little more curious, and be a little more knowledgeable instead of always facing their gadgets and failing to know even about the oil spill by BP, labeled as one of the 'greatest environmental crisis ever'.
That aside, the drama at the end was backed up by the ominous signs at the very beginning. A storyteller, or even just an avid moviegoer who's seen all kinds of films and techniques used to tell the story should know immediately when disaster strikes, leaving a man dead and the suspense to slowly set in. It builds up some flavour for the end result, the climax, and the little nightmare Tin Chi had at the start was actually not just a story build-up to how they met the girl, but also how things ended up in a tragedy.
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More personal thoughts here.
I know the movie is based on Ip Man and his experiences, but his elder brother was the one that got most of my attention.
Yip Tin Chi.
As the elder brother, he showed nothing but love and care for his younger sibling. He ultimately got embroiled in a love triangle of sorts with a girl who likes his younger sibling even as he continues his pursuit of the girl with various signs of his own love language being displayed (watch the movie to know more!).
It was painfully obvious to see that the girl was not into him, but into the younger, more suave, more talented, more charismatic Yip Man (though he's actually a blockhead when it comes to love). Hearing sniggers coming from some sections of the movie theatre made me feel even more sorry for him. That guy wasn't bad looking himself (Yes, actors need to keep up appearances, but it's a good comparison), was rather talented, second to none except Yip Man, had a promising future...But a dark secret that threatens to destroy it all.
In the end, the girl came to him not out of complete willingness, but because her own heart was broken. Even then, he seemed extremely awkward while attempting to ask her out one on one.
Even as he managed to get married, the happiness was short-lived as the dark secret caught up. Tin Chi was found out and eventually beaten, only to recount his own circumstances in desperation and despair, with things ending up in the worst possible scenario.
So many things to learn from this...
-Firstly, I feel for him because I've been in a similar situation many, many, many times. Not same, of course, since I don't have a younger brother (Heck, I am a younger brother). Always being overshadowed by someone else despite working hard, despite being able to have certain talents. There's always something lacking that ultimately makes you feel like you fail, that you're always out of the loop.
-Yet I admire his frankness, the kind that would be considered outdated. Some might even consider it being "pushy" or being plain "creepy" in the modern and 'civilized' society. Yet he still did it, with earnestness, with passion, with hard work as best as he could, despite being obviously socially awkward and despite knowing it was obvious that the girl didn't like him (i.e. always being concerned about the younger brother whenever there's a mention of him, always ignoring or just placating him), despite holding a burden heavier than anyone else's, he still forged ahead, trying to grasp happiness.
What tenacity. What strength.
The ending for him stung my heart. Why do some people struggle, do their best, try their hardest, yet fail to find happiness? Because of that one big blemish in his life? Why is it there are others who don't need to try as hard, yet are so much closer to their goals because the circumstances favour them?
Yet even in death, at least he found comfort, knowing that he has fulfilled a purpose. Despite being second best throughout and having short-lived happiness, at the very least, he fulfilled some part of his life.
I guess God simply has it all arranged, and I believe he doesn't have a tragic ending for us all.
-Aside from that, there was the fact that he was so open, so loving, so brotherly that he harboured no ill feelings towards his younger brother or tried to make him look bad, or make himself look good. All he did was concentrate on what he could do, and what he was doing, while staying as close as he could to the girl he loved, as well as the goal he had to accomplish. You really need an insanely strong self-control in today's society to be like that.
What's going on in his mind might be different, but that's where self-control kicks in. That's where love kicks in, because love, be it for the sibling or for the most precious person, ultimately never fails.
-His tragic end, of course, got to me, and brought to the question of whether every single Japanese shown fighting the war really wanted to fight the war for the Land of the Rising Sun. Did they see things they didn't want to see? Go to places they didn't want to go and were left there to survive on their own as little children, that those who could not make it will simply die and those who failed should just...commit harakiri ?
I'm thinking that you (if anyone is reading this looooong post seriously at all....Haha...) might be thinking that I'm overthinking the thinking that the directors are thinking we should be thinking.
But seriously, I wonder if I ever overanalysed it. Maybe you feel that too, but perhaps it just means that I prefer thinking deeply and looking into things that can bring revelation instead of just pure entertainment.
Maybe that's why I'm overly sensitive to many, always seeking some meaning in certain things. But hey, that's a positive trait sometimes too, isn't it? Being able to seek out a deeper meaning.
But more than that, I feel for the characters in the show, just as a reader should feel for the characters he read about in a good novel, and I'm really thankful that I'm one of those characters in God's novel that he's reading and writing to some extent and editing.
And as far as I can believe it, I'm a diamond in the rough that still needs plenty of polishing. Maybe I won't have many polishers aside from myself as compared to others, but what's important is that I'm a diamond, waiting to sparkle and shine. If there aren't many to help me polish, guess I'll just have to keep trying harder, won't I?
For everything. For my walk with God, for relationships, friendships or otherwise; For my own dreams and talents.
Yeah, I'm nearing my mid 20s, but there were many great men and women who started out late too.
And it's never too late to start.
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