The anticipation of the longer cut officially cancelled! - Qi jian (2005) Discussion

[–] stendhalsyndrome 18 years ago

I agree. The less is shown the better film is. This is one of the very few films that actually reminded me of the real beauty of the movie magic once again. In fact, and this is important for everyone who read this, Seven Swords demonstrates how exactly the filmmaking actually started!! This film is sort of a return to the very beginning of the last century. Almost no artificial lighting, in the method of silent films telling a story and evoking the emotions almost just by the images and music, very simple story, grounded action – all this just shows that it’s still possible to make such a simple film very intriguing in this period. The first word i would use to describe this film is... fresh! It's a film this world and time desperately needed. Throw away all the rules of the modern cinema: those CGIs, unnecessary wire work or other typical prerequisites: the acting where the viewer sees the actor speaking and doing only what the viewer expects from him to do. I don’t know about others but i grew up at the time when the actors were expected to be convincing first and foremost. And that’s what i saw in this film. I don’t want any tour-de-force perfomances, unnecessary visual tricks and lack of human interactions and themes.

"That b*tch is ugly. Hairy too. WOOOOOOOOEEEEEE! SHAVE THAT DOG AND TEACH IT TO HUNT!" (California)

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[–] Dangerous_Lee_Handsome 18 years ago

I agree. At one point, I began to yawn more than I probably should have. I personally thought the movie was too long to begin with and could have benefited from some minor cuts. An extended cut is totally unnecessary.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] fireyhope 18 years ago

leajohn vang... Yea, sure, who cares about those characters, right, just like in Seven Samurai there was practically no plot either.
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LOL Seven Samurai has some of the most deep charachters in any action movie. GO TAKE A FILM CLASS MORON

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[–] adreamy 18 years ago

Really sad when someone can not see the obvious sarcasm in that clever post, then it actually brings up the question who is here a "MORON" and who needs a film school or rather any school.

Anyways, i'm pretty much certain that there's very few films in history that had the characters exactly as spiritually deep as Seven Swords. And Seven Samurai it definitely is not. One character in this film represented millions of people and millions of ideas, but never their own personality. When come to think of it, it's completely opposite to characterization in Kurosawa's classic.

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[–] JoseBBl 18 years ago

Tsui Hark likes and is satisfied with this version!

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew there was not so much of a pressure by the distributors to cut this film down as rather Tsui Hark's own decision! This proves that he knew what he was doing. I'm extremely glad, but not like that fool who thought this should had been shorter, no, i'm glad because this film is perfect in every possible area. Just a little bit longer or shorter and this would lack any focus. Editing, music, acting, script, dialogues, action, directing... everything altogether forms one grand piece of masterful cinema that's very hard to come by these days. This film gave me something what can not be easily described.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] stendhalsyndrome 18 years ago

I sort of agree with you, "karateluke2000". This masterpiece should be NEVER EVER compared to Seven Samurai, NEVER(!) because as you suggested, Seven Swords is a TOTALLY different film that goes the opposite direction and highly superior in its emotional intensity. Where i strongly disagree is that the whole horse scene was NOT unnecessary, that's your problem that you didn't understand scenes like this, it's EXTREMELY integral scene to the whole story and theme of this film. I can not simply imagine how can be possible this film would've worked without this scene, which is what this whole film is about. Incredible how some daft people don't get it. Which irritates me at the same time. This is not a traditionally narrated film, it's even arguable that this film is much more profoundly meaningful in terms of the character development than any other film featuring the theme of 7 helpful warriors like here. In actual fact, there's really very few films that have so resonating characters with our society and human nature. That's exactly where Seven Samurai can be only scorned at, so it's better to eschew such comparisons between these films. Basically two different filmmaking methods that can not mesh or go together, and also should be judged this way.

"That b*tch is ugly. Hairy too. WOOOOOOOOEEEEEE! SHAVE THAT DOG AND TEACH IT TO HUNT!" (California)

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[–] Cryonaut 17 years ago

Dude, he wasted a good mount of time getting rid of a stupid horse. At this point in the film, little is known about any characters yet he takes (read wastes) the time to have one character say good-bye to a stupid horse no one cares abut. It boggles my mind that people try to excuse such rediculous film making like this. The characters got ver little development and the whole plot was incoherent and sporadic. Nothing about the characters resonates with society because there was nothing special about them. It was just a silly, ramshackle story with some empty characters posing as "developed," ones.

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[–] DJ-Chojin 17 years ago

i just watched the region 2 dvd it ran at 135mins and i realy enjoyed it.i whould like to see a longer version or maybe a sequal because they off to see the emporer to lift the ban and the duke is still alive, he seemed just as bad,and the duke found that ancient sword what was the link there we didnt hear or see it again but the director put it in for a reason so i think a longer cut or sequal whould be good

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[–] 17 years ago

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[–] stones11 18 years ago

Are you completely out of your mind? that horse scene was the BEST out of the whole film!! Jeez, it’s unbelievable what i‘m reading here. Anyone who spouted such rubbish should be beaten down to the ground.

i’ll quote some true words from one Asian critic: One thing that I hate in American movies is exactly that everything is supposed to have a point! To the point that if they film a chewed gum under a table it has great implications to the movie's conclusion. Characters don't have lunches unless they are meeting the evil bad guy and so forth...

And that’s what i see in some idiotic comments here. read my words: EVERYTHING has some reason in this film one way or another!!! but certainly not according to some by-the-book standards of the popular Hollywood cinema.

NOTE: it is "you" who should "never" compare these two films when you understand only one of them.

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[–] mjazz1 18 years ago

Seven Swords is incredibly powerful movie unlike any i have seen in my life, and i’m not saying that Akira Kurosawa hasn‘t made as many masterpieces as Tsui Hark, maybe he did, but here it must be admitted that Seven Swords is really so much better than Seven Samurai, but as some of you already hinted, these two films are absolutely different and frankly speaking according to me it’s quite childish these nonsensical comparisons. Apparently some people like to do that. It's like comparing Seven Samurai with Magnificent Seven, both masterpieces but also both different genres directly aiming at two different mentalities.

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[–] laflic 18 years ago

First step. Please try to forget how the movies are supposed to be done because this film is intentionally breaking these barriers. Then to your comment:

The horse scene is unecessary due to the fact that Zhi Ban's character has not be developed enough to have such a scene. He is a simple stable boy trained in martial arts and in love with the chief's daughter. That's fine for a character sketch but when he discovers that Yifang has feelings for Chu, there is an opputunity to flesh out his character as he deals with this betrayal but they leave it alone and bring in his relationship with the horse for emotional impact when it should have focused on him and Yuifang hammering out there issues.

VERY wrong way judging this film, really! What i found out in your comment that you want so badly to see a totally different film. For Christ's sake, the film was not at all about Zhi Ban's break up with Yi Fang or that particular betrayal, not even about the relationship with his horse, it was all about growing of Zhi Ban's character, in particular, the way how he's abandoning everything what had anything to do with his past life. It¨s absolutely masterful progress of his slow growing throughout the film. Then at the end we see the ultimate closure to this character.

At first the film wanted to show how he's abandoning his girlfriend and then his horse, he was constantly finding himself and his way in the life through this. So now you can see how it absolutely doesn't make any sense what you wrote --- The horse scene is unecessary due to the fact that Zhi Ban's character has not be developed enough to have such a scene. He didn't need any development because he was actually developing and building himself through the scenes like the one you csee as unnecessary. I hope i've enlightned you a bit.

Now there is nothing wrong with these categories and there is nothng wrong with these actors. If the movie is 154 min. then Tsui Hark could have spent at least ten to fifteen minutes fleshing these characters out. Conversations, training sequences, swordsmen interaction, or even a sex scene can give those who haven't read the novel a good idea about why they act the way they act.

No no no, wrong, very wrong, the viewer is not supposed to be spoon-fed by these details, all these details about characters are hidden in you, in your imagination. If you want to see the film as any other ordinary one then this film is a total crap and failure and then Tsui Hark himself can come to you and tell you that he wanted to do a crap with bad character development. No, that's not as simple. The movie wants to challenge your mind in every possible way! And that's the "power" of this film!!! You have to connect all the details and certain parts in your mind.

These characters are swordsmen and they are also people to. You have seven swordsmen in this movie with seven unique swords that match there personality, but where is the personality?

I think you're starting to see that hidden magic in it. That's the trick, they are not developed as people that much, because in reality everyone of them functions as an inspirational "symbol". That's why most of the people don't know what to think of it. Basically you personally study all these characters rather than feel for them. Which can seem a little repulsive and grim experience watching this film but after some time it can also hit you as a truly genious touch.

I hope you'll watch the film again the way how the film itself wants you to see it. Because it's sad when some people are missing its purpose.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] mjazz1 18 years ago

"But as a movie watcher I have matured to the point of acknowledging a movie's flaws as well as its strengths."

See, that's exactly the reason why people have such reactions to this film. karateluke2000, there doesn't exist something like a flaw or perfection in films like this or even in general, and ironically that's what Tsui Hark doesn't believe in either. Maybe you don't even know but Tsui Hark wanted to do it very confusing, that's all the point!

All the characters' backgrounds will be resolved in the sequels. This is not the end to these characters.

"The scene when they are on Mt. Heaven seems very rushed. Characters are introduced in a span of four maybe five minutes and the next thing you know it they are rushing to the village and saving the day."

That's what i liked. The film is like a documentary that doesn't follow any filmmaking rules. It's really funny when you refuse to see how this film is blatantly making fun of what you consider a flaw or perfection. This film is literally throwing it all away.

Honestly, i don't believe Tsui Hark would not have made it confusing even if he had 8 hours of film. That is also why we like his films, don't we. Who would like to see a transparent Tsui Hark film anyway.

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[–] revolution21 18 years ago

"But as a movie watcher I have matured to the point of acknowledging a movie's flaws as well as its strengths."

This definitely grounded me. I have never seen more absurd tosh in my life. Dear poster, this is only good when you're recommending the film to the public but not in case you want to understand the film by yourself without relying on self-appointed bogus strengths or flaws. Do you know what i'm saying? no? fine. Definitely close-minded, well said, lalic.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] revolution21 18 years ago

Oh really? i was praising Tsui Hark to the heavens? I doubt anyone ever was doing that here. In fact, you must be a bigger fan than i do. But certainly not of this film.

Not to bust your bubble but all what's in the film is led only by ONE MAN, one director, this is only Tsui Hark's vision, he recreated this into his own vision and his own movie no matter what you're trying to believe. He was the leader in the costume department, art direction, script writing, music editing, leading of the actors, producing, his vision is perceptible in the first second. This is not Liang Yu Sheng's movie, many of the ideas in the film were already appearing in dozens of Tsui Hark's earlier films. Wuxia literature was not reflecting the social time and life in reality, those were more fairy tales, Tsui Hark's known for bringing these stories to reality. He's legendary for connecting the wuxia stories with our daily lives. You don't even know much about Wuxia if you're forgetting this.

I'm going to call this film a masterpiece as a few other critics because the script and direction is what made this film what it is. You are very close minded if you are neglecting the fact that the director is the most important figure in all this film process. And when it comes to it, i don't like this film because of the director's name, you really believe anyone does that? I love this film because i like this type of movies just like lots of other people.

I wonder what would you say if no one told you a fairy tale of some 5 hour long film. What i was reading here post after post how you want to believe this film was destroyed by the editing when it clearly is not true. Don't tell me that you expected a clearly developed understandable film. As someone already hinted before here somewhere, did you see Legend Of Zu or Time & Tide? All these films also looked to me like there's something missing. There appears some scene or character here and there out of nowhere, lots of that is clearly underdeveloped just like here. And now Tsui Hark refused to make his director's cut because he's absolutely satisfied with this film as it's perfect and highly sufficient. And in reality it is! Only overanalyzing close-minded people like you are not satisfied. I hope it makes you happy when you can track down some flaw. You know, other much much more reasonable people don't care about this. And that's what makes them a lot more valuable viewers who deserve to watch this film.

I hope Tsui Hark won't see he has such stubborn delusional fan, as i'm sure he'd be very ashamed.

Yep, i took notice of your similar silly remark on this thread.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] laflic 18 years ago

Your right the film is not about Zhi Ban's break up, yet you introduce this scene and leave it unresolved until the end of the movie.

Um, No. I didn't leave it unresolved, you don't understand at all. Don't get me wrong, i'm trying to show you a better way to see this film. The break up alone was good only for Zhi Ban to get from one point in his life to another, it's ALL just the progress. At the end he realized who he is, he finally looked into himself, so to speak. He knew who he was and what he wants to do in life. Before that final closure he was just rambling around with being unable to choose his path.

I think that a possible problem with you is that you're too much sophisticated for your own good, you keep telling yourself this is a flaw or whatever and refuse to see what's there to be seen. You're obviously not open minded enough in my eyes. That's what's great about the film is not the search for the flaws, but the search for your own personal interpretation. I'm 100% sure that Tsui Hark wanted us to finish the film he couldn't finish, sort of (quite intentionally, i really think the longer cut would make it even more intricate and confusing), he wanted us to have our personal take on that what's happening in the film, and that's so beautiful, don't you see... Just try to use your imagination, try to be a story-teller yourself for a couple of minutes.

But when people sit down and watched Seven Swords a few might have that feeling that something is missing or edited out. The narrative is fine but it jumps around to much. The horse scene for example just jumped out of know where and through every one off. the movie is cut to much and as a result became confusing not just to me but to movie critics and movie goers, just look at the IMDB user rating and the external reviews. And its not because we didn't get the deep hidden message its because the movie is chopped up to a high degree. It seems rushed and because of that the film suffered. By reading you posts I see that you love this movie as it is and that's great for you.

No, you don't know why i love it as it is. I love it exactly because it's so chopped into pieces, it works much more this way than if it was narrated fluently and very clearly, that's not what i expect from a Tsui Hark film, defintely not after his Legend Of Zu, I got used to his abstract vision and style and this film is only following in this new direction of Tsui Hark's career. People don't know this because they are probably not ready yet. You should probably get back to his previous few films and start realizing that this is Tsui's own creative intention and stop apologizing him that it's due to the editing. Just wait for another several Tsui's films and you see that this is his new scattered narrative style.

And the reason why not many people don't like this film shouldn't bother me at all. Many other Tsui's best films were critical and financial failures (even much more than SS), Green Snake, Legend Of Zu, The Blade, Time and Tide, and now all these films are classics today. His movies were never for everyone and that will never change.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] laflic 18 years ago

What a perfect case of an extreme close-mindedness.

You want open ended movies that's fine I like them to, but they also give birth to people like you that are so close minded that you only see your view

And now a big surprise for you. The cinema functions as a highly individual medium, that's why what one sees as a flaw the other one doesn't have to see the same because people are always different. You'll never find a satisfying objectiveness. Everyone has a personal view just like everyone has a personal opinion.

I now see that Tsui Hark has some kind of cult following since many people including yourself are completely one sided when talking about his films.

Of course, not everyone is or wants to be a critic or wanna-be critic like you who's living by well-established social standards in order to watch the movies only the majority would watch. And THAT is a true nonsense to live like that. You can act as a critic for a while but at the end of the day everyone has to resort to their own personal feelings which you so desperately and nonsensically dismissing. That is a real close-mindedness and very sad life-style, my friend!

How can you say that I am trying to find a flaw when hundreds of other people picked up the same thing I did?

Because as i said before, those imaginary hundreds (that i don't know about) are living by today's established standard of quality and value. Yes, that's the problem of the film, it's either way ahead of its time as usual, or it doesn't aim at the masses, but the sensible individuals who are open minded enough to get from the film everything what they can.

The movies original intention was to be close to four hours long, but the producers and advisers agreed that it would be too long for people to sit through so they edited out a huge and probably important chunk of scenes so that it can be viewer friendly. It wasn't Tsui Hark trying to be creative or unique it was done because Tsui Hark is more than a director he is also a businessman who knows what will work and what won't work and what a surprise the movie did well in the box office.

Not true and never ever was as true as you want to believe! Tsui Hark admitted himself that he took the oppurtunity to experiment with this cut and make it his own vision and new conception. It's his new take on the film and that's why he's fully satisfied with this cut. The sequels will compensate for the missing scenes of this film.

You say that its a different style and method, well I'm sorry my friend but it is still a film and films have flaws. "Gone With the Wind" has flaws, "Hero" has flaws, "Crouching Tiger" has flaws, "The Godfather" has flaws, "Million Dollar Baby", "Seven Samurai", "Heat".

What a nonsense. The flaws like these are only determined by the time and social values that form our thinking. What i'm trying to say that all this is constantly changing with the time, not to mention that the quality concerns mainly the majority of the public. But not all films are aimed at the majority and definitely not Tsui Hark's experimental films. In other words, the film's flaw is what mainly the critics care about. But then again, we all know that Tsui Hark is never making films for the critics. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if he was consciously making these so-called flaws in his films just to make fun of the mainstream and today's standard. Actually he's pretty known with these gimmicks.

What I am saying is that a longer cut should be released for those who want to learn more about the seven swordsmen and their personalities.

The sequels! Or they can try use their head. That doesn't hurt. And the mainstream can call it the worst film ever made, for all i care, i can only laugh at them because some people have their own mind and insight that can easily convince them that this is the biggest masterpiece ever, and possibly Tsui Hark's best.

I find it really sad when you can not form your own opinion and only live as the society tells you, wow, what a boring life you must have. Gee, how open-minded you are too.

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[–] sam-lam 18 years ago

Wow, i must applaud you, "laflic". Very good points.

I'm already tired of what the mainstream wants to see on screen. This film gives them exactly what they don't want to see, and i like that! Now eat me.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] laflic 18 years ago

I see that you had this nicely prepared as the end of your pompous pseudo-intellectual rant. Well done.

Only your timing was bad. I didn't resort to any name calling or insulting at all. I was actually very honest to you. Whereas you did enough to insult me without not even knowing it. I was just trying to help you or understand your view, instead of that you sir just couldn't see any other different point of view except for your own. Then i think no one will be certainly missing you on this board.

I'm sure if Tsui Hark reads this, he will be ashamed to have you as a fan.

I'm sure he'll be very glad to have generous honest people with their own insights and interesting point of views and deep understanding of his work. Instead of people who see only their own guff or what is determined by the critics.

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[–] JoseBBl 18 years ago

laflic, don’t listen to that ineptly pretentious know-it-all. Reading all your amazing comments made you a real man on here. I just wish Tsui Hark had more people like you. Keep on, man.

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[–] laflic 18 years ago

laflic, don’t listen to that ineptly pretentious know-it-all. Reading all your amazing comments made you a real man on here. I just wish Tsui Hark had more people like you. Keep on, man.

No no. Actually, i listened to him, and i gladly listened to his comments, but he turned on me for no justifiable reason. He was more interested in the insulting and name-calling of others because they probably didn't equal to his elevated level of arrogance.

I was just showing my way how i’m enjoying this film in a chance he’d take something from it, and guess what he did next, he turned against me insulting me that i’m trying to look like an expert or something, unfortunately by this he only exposed his unbearable arrogance when he was not able to be more insightful to my responses. Which tells a lot about his intellect and intelligence. What's that good for telling me this as opposed to what i was saying to him. I was just explaining that he’s maybe too much sophisticated for his own good, and that’s not name calling, i was trying to advise him that he should look into himself and start enjoying movies differently and not so critically. I was helping him. And what he does, once again, he turns on me. I hope it makes him happy to insult others. Whatever. The cruel reality is that he was more immature than anyone else here.

btw, do you know why he deleted all his posts? As if he figured out what intellectual rubbish he was spouting here.

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[–] karateluke2000 18 years ago

laflic how I missed thee. My intention was not to turn on you or insullt you, I originally posted on this topic due to the fact that someone made an unfair comparison to Seven Samurai and Seven Swords which is wrong since they are two totally different films and different genres. But when I mentioned the horse scene and how I thought it was unecessary I was attacked by posters calling me a moron immature, and unintelligent. Even now you insulted by calling my posts rubbish after I have left this board for a few days.

The reason I deleted my posts is simply because no one was actually reading them. I have posted time and time again how I love Seven Swords and how I think it ranks up there with Hero, CTHD, and HOFD, yet you remained focus on something that I posted days ago and respond to that. I own plenty of Tsui Hark movies: Zu Warriors from Magic Mountain, Once upon a time in China I-III, Time and Tide, Legend of Zu, Lovers, A Chinese Ghost Story and The Blade which are all excellent movies in my opinion, so I am familiar with Tsui Hark's work.

Fortunately for me I have garnered a tough skin from countless debates on other films. And if I insulted you on this subject then I apologize once again for my posts. I don't want to turn this topic into a flame war. We both like the film and Tsui Hark for our own reasons and we agree that Seven Swords is one of the best Wuxia films to come around this century. So can we end this thing on a good note one fan to another?

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[–] laflic 18 years ago

Fair enough.

Anyway, thanks for the stormy discussion. It was quite memorable.

ps: I don't believe anyone called you "moron immature, and unintelligent" because of that scene.

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[–] Cryonaut 17 years ago

The only thing challenging about the film is its' incoherency. Leaving out details about characters and plot is not challenging, or requiring the viewer to use his imagination; it's just plain lazy story telling. All the characters got rushed through introductions and action pieces and when there was actually time to give these characters personality, it was neglected so one other extremely undeveloped character can say good-bye to a horse. You can see what you want in it but just because he got emotional over a horse does not mean he is "developing." In order to develop, he has to start from somewhere. I simply did not know enough about this character, or any of the characters for that matter to feel like there was anything genuine happening. The whole film was basically a bunch of extras being treated like 3 dimensional characters which just does not work. Hark tried to spread the development too thin and, instead of getting 4 well developed characters, he got about a dozen mediocre ones which is a real shame because there was a lot of potential here.

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[–] laflic 18 years ago

And the best version of this film is the UK version. That version cuts out a few things that needed to because the movie lacked focus (like that stupid scene where they let the horses go). The UK version centers it and makes it a better film.

What a tool. You have nothing valuable to say from now on i guess. And then it doesn't surprise me your nonsensical words like --

Anyway, if you are referring to the scene where they let the horses go as a deception, then yes....that scene is stupid and had nothing to do with the rest of the film.

No, buddy, i'm afraid that you are a bit stupid. That scene was very important in fact. It was for the development of the Han character. Especially his growing and abandoning of his past. It's a very romantic and idealistic scene and out of question one of the best ever in the film. The ironic is that people like you are not capable to see the film in its true light, and that's very sad.

"Throw away all the rules of the modern cinema: those CGIs, unnecessary wire work or other typical prerequisites: the acting where the viewer sees the actor speaking and doing only what the viewer expects from him to do."
How utterly ironic. Seven Swords has CGI in it, the fighting is filled with wire work, and the acting was all post dubbed.
It's comments like this that show how over the top pretentious people can get and they go off on tangents that have nothing to do with reality. Only what sounds nice to their ears.
Good job buddy.

Nah, i actually understand what that guy was stating, even though he didn't express himself very clearly, because it had a LOT to do with reality. If i remember correctly, this film didn't rely on CGI (even if there was some, which is very neatly done) or on wire-work, the action here is extremely realistic. The main objective of the film was the realism and simplicity. If you don't see the same then you're quite deluding yourself. Or maybe your guff sounds nice to your ears. Who knows.

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[–] Thespin 18 years ago

The UK cut is an atrocity and criminal outrage to the artist's original vision and effort.

This is a cinematic masterpiece and probably the best HK/Chinese film i have ever seen and no other disgraceful cut won't change that. Every minute is perfect for its own purpose. Seven Swords is one of those rare films that are not based on action sequences but on the immensely beautiful development of the characters.

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] laflic 18 years ago

" If i remember correctly, this film didn't rely on CGI (even if there was some, which is very neatly done) or on wire-work, the action here is extremely realistic"

I started with this quote as one of the first for a reason. To demonstrate how "out there" you are. Everything you write here has no weight because you are obviously going on tangents that make no sense are just posts of gush towards a film that you love but don't know why.

Who are you talking to? That was my first post here. Not only you absolutely have no idea what you're babbling about here but you don't even know who you are responding to, jerk.

The action in Seven Swords was "extremely realistic"?? Are you MAD???? It didn't rely on wire-work??? What film did you see??

Wrong! You ask yourself what film did you see. This film is realistic nearly according to everyone reasonable who saw this film except for you. The film has moments of surrealism like The Blade but otherwise the film is bloody realistic, sonny.

Uh hu....right. An entire drawn out sequence where a character lets horses go free, while the music playing is totally inappropriate. The scene was not needed. It was silly and drawn out and Hark ruined it by playing wrong music. Besides, the film already establishes him growing and abandoning his past right at the end of the film which was far more "romantic" than that stupid scene was.

Well, you see it very wrong way. I repeat, the scene (along with the relevant ending of the film) is the most important in the film. The end already showed him as a different man. The film needed to show the progress of the elevation of his spirit. At the end it would be already too late. It wouldn't make any sense. Believe me, the film is perfect as it is. And you don't see your own drivel as usual.

And the only thing that is sad is how much of a mindless fan you are by calling this movie "perfect" and so forth. That's too funny to take seriously.

The truly sad thing is when you have no idea what film you are actually talking about. Please, do us all favor and take a fresh air and try to watch the film again to see how wrong you are. If you didn't notice everyone is laughing at you here.

What's more, is that you find the best moments to be the ones cut from the UK version. Then you must have found this to be a pretty boring, flawless film.

WOW, now you convinced me. Now i wouldn't be even surprised if you told me this is an action film driven by the action, not the romantic subplots. lol.

They should cut out all the action moments and let's see how many daft western audiences would like or understand this film. ROFL. You dear sir are already decent hilarious example.

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[–] stendhalsyndrome 18 years ago

Wrong! You ask yourself what film did you see. This film is realistic nearly according to everyone reasonable who saw this film except for you. The film has moments of surrealism like The Blade but otherwise the film is bloody realistic, sonny.

Amen to that. Seven Swords is perfect, no doubt about that.

"That b*tch is ugly. Hairy too. WOOOOOOOOEEEEEE! SHAVE THAT DOG AND TEACH IT TO HUNT!" (California)

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] Wareagle2485 18 years ago

There are very little wires. It was confirmed that around 15% of the whole film was consisting of the wires. People stay on the ground and don't gravitate upwards, if that is what you mean. Tsui Hark explicitly did not want to use too much wire works because he thought it is overused nowadays. He wants the fighting to be at least credible.

That's what he said during interviews.

Doesn't surprise me when even the critics were stating that this is one of the most realistic martial arts films ever made. There was also broken lots of grounds on these aspects.

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[–] HKblues 18 years ago

The folks who did the cut for the UK release should be murdered on spot! Tssui Hark made such a wonderful and yes, utterly perfect concoction of film and these bitches damaged even this cut. That's madness. The fact which scenes were put out made them look like they haven't seen any Asian film before.

ps: that jon bon insanee should take a chill pill and wake up from his own fantasy dream. How can anyone respond to such an obviously absent-minded crazy fellow is really beyond me.

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[–] fireyhope 18 years ago

LOZ IS today usually critically recognized as a masterpiece and also one of Tsui's best.
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FUNNIEST THING I EVER HEARD A TSUI HARK FAN SAY!

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[–] Tenebrael 18 years ago

"LOZ IS today usually critically recognized as a masterpiece and also one of Tsui's best."

Sure, it had its critical acclaim even despite the poor box office but what's quite staggering to me that this film had so many and much better reviews than Seven Swords. Both these films are highly different, indeed, but i thought Legend of Zu was too much complex and hard to follow for the critics' positive reception in contrast to SS. It should be on contrary.

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[–] fireyhope 18 years ago

the critical acclaim is only for special effects... nothing more and the special effects aint even that good to begin with.

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[–] adreamy 18 years ago

The critical praise was not just for those revolutionary special effects. You should watch the film again or try to read more of the international reviews. The whole film was simply much better than Seven Swords. The film was supposed to look like a painting in every single frame which was mostly helped by the special effects, it was a highly stylized film, not a realistic film. In such a manner it was totally unprecedented and set the very high standard in the advanced CG Imagery for the world cinema.

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[–] ohmss006 18 years ago

are you lot refering to the 4 hour long version of the film?

if u are, i am hoping that they will release it, or does anyone know where it can be found at all?

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[–] fireyhope 18 years ago

In such a manner it was totally unprecedented and set the very high standard in the advanced CG Imagery for the world cinema.
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wrong totally wrong, tell me where any famous critic can even claim that.

i don't see the CG effects pioneering for american nor japanese CGI.

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[–] 17 years ago

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