Reviewed by Sheila Cornelius

Wuxia fans will be delighted by the recent DVD release of Chen Kaige’s The Promise. This stunningly beautiful film belongs to the genre of commercial martial arts fantasies from China which include Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Zhang Yimou’s Hero.

Set in an ancient land where cruel tyrants are resisted by lowly-born heroes, it’s a mythical love story. The international cast of actors, designers, musicians and technicians, led by Chen Kaige (who also directed Farewell My Concubine), have created the most expensive film ever made in China, at 350 million RMB. Filming took three years, six months of which was spent on location in Yunnan and Zhejiang Provinces where even the local military were roped in as extras for the crowd scenes. Filming at 4,000 feet took its toll on cast ad crew, as described in the comprehensive backup material on the disk. Shown on location and in studio rehearsals, the cast offers fascinating comments about their experience working with Chen Kaige.

A starry assembly of Chinese, Japanese and Korean actors play larger-than-life characters in desperate situations. In the lead roles, charismatic South Korean actor Don-Kun Jang is the slave Kunlun, who kills a king for love of the beautiful Princess Cheung, played by award-winning actress Cecilia Chueng. The General of the Crimson Armour, who is played by Hiroyuki Sanada, wears a spiky halo-type helmet resembling the rays of the sun. The director’s wife, Hong Chen, plays Goddess Manshen, a Tang Dynasty vision trailing ribbons. Korean actor Ye Liu is the mysterious Snow Wolf, whose natural element is air, but, unlike the gently floating goddess, he’s an assassin who flies faster than the eye can see and grimaces behind a veil in a way that recalls the Phantom of the Opera. Hong Kong actor Nicholas Tse gives a blood-chilling portrayal of the sadistic Duke Wuhuan, his sinister wand tipped with a golden hand.

The visual motifs combine symbolic meaning and visual impact. A petal falls into a pool of blood, a humming bird sips nectar and a grimy child pulls boots from a hanging corpse. While at times the plot seems overly complicated, this is no slow, art house piece. The brilliantly choreographed martial arts epic involves a compelling element of suspense, whether the heroic Kunlun is dodging stampeding cattle, rescuing a princess or witnessing the slaughter of his clan. Interwoven digitalised images and camera work create stunning action sequences that work seamlessly to enhance the fantasy element (although, for me, the king’s palace was a disappointment – a minor flaw in a film of visual splendour).

Incorporating themes of romance, treachery, heroism, kinship and destiny, The Promise is, as the director says, “a deeply human story” about flawed characters and redemption. It’s also very enjoyable.

The Promise (Wu Ji) (2005) directed by Chen Kaige
DVD Release 27th April, 2009 in Blue-ray and DVD format by Momentum Pictures