Du Qifeng's new film "Exile" is another Du Qifeng film that failed to pass the inspection in the Mainland after "Underworld - Peace is Precious". However, Lao Du is still quite influential in the mainland, and the number of fans is huge, so the dealer will naturally not let it go. So there is the ultimatum version of "Exile" that we can see now. I don't know if there is any deletion or modification in the plot. The subtitles at the beginning and end must be added after "the good ones", and Ren Xianqi's sentence "come back and surrender together", how boring and boring it is. The same goes for "Underworld". Going forward is "Big Man Has Great Wisdom". Some magazines have done a comprehensive and detailed comparison of the mainland version and the Hong Kong version. The mainland version has changed the theme and core of the film beyond recognition, which is extremely important to both the creator and the audience. Big disrespect. Thinking of how Lou Ye and "Summer Palace" were banned not long ago, we can't help but sigh about how those in power treated movies. As an art movie based on the premise of free creation, there will still be movies in China. What is the development? !
Let's not say much if it is a disappointment, or if it is helpless, let's take a look at the elements and symbols of Johnnie To in the movie "Exile". The film combines many elements of To Qifeng and Yinhe Impression movies in the past, the group play of a group of men, the struggle and friendship of the gang, the fate and impermanence of the characters' fate, the ridiculous and helpless of the little people, and of course, they can be compared with John Woo's double guns and white doves. Comparable DU style shootout. From it, you can see the shadow of "Gunfire", "PTU", and even "Dark Flower", "Very Suddenly", "True Hero" and "Birth of a Word".
Whether such a movie is a masterpiece or a hodgepodge is a matter of opinion. I still like it. There are two passages that stand out throughout the film. The first part was at Zhang Jiahui's house. The shootout came to an end. After the bullets were fired, Zhang Jiahui suggested that everyone sit down and chat. Huang Qiusheng stuck his head out and looked at the living room, spread his hands and said, "Where to sit?" So a group of people helped start the move, then cleaned up, replaced the broken mirror, repaired the gun hole in the door, and then did Cooking rice and cooking until the end of taking a group photo. Among them, Huang Qiusheng drank a bullet while drinking soup, which was a humorous response to the previous shootout. The whole paragraph, four minutes up and down, is natural and warm, full of life and humor, and is similar to the boring and interesting performance of the bodyguards in "Gunfire" who are bored kicking paper balls.
The other part is from when Zhang Jiahui died and the four started running again, to the accidental acquisition of that ton of gold. The whole paragraph is relatively relaxed and full of interest, but the humor is much darker than the previous one. Several people escaped from the black market clinic, but did not know where to go. It turned out that Zhang Jiahui, who was dead, was also annoyed by them and stood up straight and said "go home". Old Du here is really a big black, which is not only ridiculous, but also reflects that there is no home for these gangsters, and it also sets the tone for their final outcome. In the process of running in the future, no one still has an opinion, and every time he has to flip a coin to decide his future. But when Zhang's wife and daughter were in danger, they threw away the coins and decided to die. This is also one of the themes that the film wants to express. Through the contrast of subtle points, the image of the theme is enlarged.
There is something special about the female characters in the film. In such films of Lao Du and Yinhe, women are often in an absolute supporting role, and the characters are very symbolic. This movie is no exception. But these female characters are not bystanders or victims in this man's world, but instead are beneficiaries to a certain extent. In the film, one is Zhang's wife. Although her husband died, she finally survived and got gold, making other men the victims. The other is a prostitute, who absolutely grabs her own interests. She not only survives the many battles between men, but also gains windfall money.
It is the above interesting points that make "Exile", compared with previous films of this kind, lose its interest without standing still. The application of many elements does not appear boring and wordy, and these wonderful paragraphs make the film self-contained and unique. (In the film, the elements and shadows of other films are not described in detail in the above text. When you watch the film, please search and taste it yourself.)
View more about Exiled reviews
