Full River Red (2023, Zhang Yimou) (Patreon)

56/100

Took me a while to grasp that this is meant to be, at least in part, a comedy—something that's presumably tipped for homegrown audiences by the presence of beloved (in China and environs) comic actor Shen Teng in the lead role. He's an engaging presence, and gets to execute a long, slow metamorphosis from panicked doofus to gallant mastermind; of the largely male ensemble, I was also tickled by Yue Yunpeng as its most shameless schemer, forever ready to take unfair advantage and deflect blame onto somebody else whilst sporting a shit-eating grin. There aren't really that many laughs, though (in subtitles, anyway), mostly because this sucker's 96% labyrinthine plot, with alliances shifting and new twists emerging frequently and rapidly enough that even 2½ hours doesn't provide much breathing room. I was a bit restless during the lengthy setup (during which what seems like four dozen characters get introduced, complete with onscreen text providing full name and title; few of them stick around for more than a few minutes), got more interested as the movie went along and certain individuals' secret agenda became evident. Then, as an American, pretty much shrugged at the intensely earnest, patriotic finale, which hinges on a beloved (in China and environs) 12th-century poem (from which the film takes its title). Confined to a single admittedly sprawling location, Zhang shoots more functionally than usual, sticking to waist-up compositions and a steel-blue nighttime palette, allowing himself occasional release (the other 4%) in the form of robust traveling shots along corridors as Zhang Da and assorted others scurry to the next verbose confrontation, accompanied en route by anachronistically abrasive music that sounds like Chinese death-metal rap. I'd hoped that Shadow might be the start of another visually dazzling phase in a career that I've been following for more than 30 years now, but this film and Cliff Walkers (which I liked quite a bit more) suggest a penchant for staid intrigue.