The Lost Bladesman

When Cao Cao finds out Guan was once in love with Liu Bei`s future concubine, Qilan, he sets a trap to lead Guan to temptation and betrayal. Guan escapes with Qilan. But to get to Liu Bei, they must cross five passes. Guan, who is tired of killing, is forced to fight his way through, leaving a trail of corpses. At the final crossing, they fall into a deadly ambush. Yet Cao Cao treats Guan with respect; Guan is torn between emotional debt and righteousness.

Review: Luo Guanzhong`s historical novel, The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, is a national relic in China. The beloved epic has therefore seen itself reborn in many different incarnations: as graphic novels, as television series and its big screen cousin, film. John Woo`s triumphant Red Cliff stands as one of the most successful adaptations ever made, so comparisons between The Lost Bladesman and Red Cliff will inevitably surface. So how does the latter fare?

Remarkably well, I will say, because it does not attempt to micmic Red Cliff`s massive scale and sprawling narrative. The title of the film gives you an idea what this is about a man and his journey towards self discovery, even though he gets lost in his path along the way.

In late Eastern Han Dynasty, Cao Cao (Jiang Wen) eliminates many of his political opponents, soon turning his attention towards rival warlords Liu Bei (Alex Fong) and Yuan Shao. Liu gets attacked by Cao Cao and he escapes and joins Yuan Shao, but his family gets captured. Liu Bei`s sworn brother Guan Yu (Donnie Yen) conditionally surrenders to Cao Cao to preserve his honour. This early first act establishes him as a righteous character, and the smart casting of Donnie Yen accentuates this character trait, referencing Yen`s own iconography, tapping onto his string of roles as the Wing Chun master Ip Man, a man of wisdom and integrity.

Guan Yu soon finds out the whereabouts of Liu Bei and intends to find him, but since he serves Cao Cao so well, the latter is reluctant to let him go, especially after Guan Yu slays Yuan Shao`s general (Lee Min) when Yuan launches an attack on Cao Cao. Regardless, Cao Cao still gives orders for the defending generals at the various passes to let Guan Yu through, but his followers fear he may be a threat and so they plot to have Guan killed.

That writers-directors Felix Chong and Alan Mak chose to focus on the story of Guan Yu crossing the five passes (and slaying the generals) is a nimble move to differentiate it from Red Cliff. Though smaller in scale, this film is not lacking in heart. The visual poetry is stunning; the grace with which Guan fights symbolic of his honour and integrity. Donnie Yen, who also serves as action choreographer, together with Chong and Mak, have come up with beautiful action set pieces that while never outlandish, are visually arresting, fluid and coherent.

Chong and Mak also tone down the nationalistic sentiment in this film, instead choosing to focus on the strength of brotherhood and the attendant notions of personal honour (e.g. keeping to one`s bond, sacrificing oneself for the sake of the other), so The Lost Bladesman feels much more personal than other Chinese war films out there.

  Raymond Tan