Wu Ming (2023)

An incredibly intense espionage thriller

Before getting into the review, here is some historical background for the film:

The film is set during the Second Sino-Japanese War and WWII. There are several powers in play at this time: the Chinese Communist Party, the Chinese Nationalist Party or Kuomintang, and Imperial Japan. Imperial Japan invaded Manchuria (located in northeastern China) in the early 1930s and established the puppet state of Manchukuo. It was here where they hoped to establish a base from where they would continue their expansion into Asia.

In 1937, after many years of conflict, Japan occupied Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing. The Nanjing Massacre occurred at this time. After the fall of Nanjing, which had been the capital of the Republic of China at that time, the Kuomintang moved the capital west to Chongqing, under Jiang Jieshi's leadership. During this time, the Chinese Communist Party and the Kuomintang formed a temporary alliance, suspending the years of civil conflict between them, although their vie for power continued.

In 1940, Wang Jingwei, who was once a member of the Kuomintang but had always been in opposition against Jiang Jieshi, collaborated with Japan to establish the Wang Jingwei regime. They claimed to be the leadership of the Republic of China, when in fact they were a puppet government of Japan, overseeing the Japanese-occupied territory in eastern China, under Japan's control. They established their capital in Nanjing and used the Kuomintang flag. The Axis powers recognized the Wang Jingwei regime, while the Allied powers still recognized Jiang Jieshi as the leader of the Republic of China.

From 1937-1941, Japan had left a few neighbourhoods in Shanghai unoccupied, because that was where the American-British joint settlement and French Concession were located. Many people fled to this area to live at that time. After Pearl Harbor in 1941, the entirety of Shanghai became occupied by Japan. Many cities were bombed during these years, including Guangzhou, which experienced bombings for 14 months in 1937-1938.

During this era of war, which is also called the War of Resistance in China, espionage networks were established to try to undermine the enemy. Hidden Blade tells a story about these individuals.

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Even without knowing the historical context, Hidden Blade presents a visual feast of vivid characters and imagery. Cheng Er uses a non-linear narrative approach to reveal the stories of these characters. The main characters, Mr. He (Tony Leung) and Mr. Ye (Wang Yibo), are both enigmatic and morally ambiguous. We meet Mr. He, the charming man who hides intimidation behind a pleasant smile, and Mr. Ye, a rootless man who does not shy away from violence. Tony Leung does not disappoint as the veteran actor that he is, as the man who can tell stories with just his eyes or a slight smile, and he delivers a charismatic performance that reaffirms why he is such a revered actor. Wang Yibo delivers a phenomenal performance to match. Mr. Ye is a compelling character who is mesmerizing, perplexing, suave, and incredibly human at the same time. Wang Yibo does a fantastic job of portraying this complex character with mysterious motives, who seems to hide much more than he lets on behind his cool and composed appearance. He excels at playing a character whose inner turmoil is silently repressed.

The cast of side characters are also worth mentioning, with memorable performances from all of the actors. I take half a star off only because I feel that the female character stories could have been explored further. Zhou Xun makes a special appearance as Ms. Chen, and although her part is brief, she captivates the audience from the moment she walks onto the scene with her package of pastries and she leaves an emotional impact on the audience even in the short time that she has on screen. Jiang Shuying (Ms. Jiang) and Zhang Jingyi (Ms. Fang) are both charming as well, however their opportunity to showcase their strengths is quite limited.

The cinematography is well-executed and the attention to detail is remarkable. In one interview, Cheng Er reveals that even the ties that are worn by the characters are all actual ties from that era that have been collected. The music also compliments the scenes beautifully, adding further to the tension which Cheng Er builds so skillfully throughout the film. The choreography of the fight scenes is also top-tier and will not disappoint.

As a movie depicting times of war, there are several scenes that are difficult to watch and Cheng Er does not shy away from showing the cruelty of what people may have experienced. General content warnings without spoilers include torture, suffocation, death of an animal, implied rape (not depicted), as well as genre-typical violence that one may expect from an espionage war thriller.

Overall, the cast and crew have created a incredibly intense thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you thinking about many scenes even after finishing the film. There are many parallels drawn throughout the film and it is a film that only gets better with rewatching as one lets the details marinate. At the end you're left with a lingering admiration for the individuals who struggled to free themselves from the oppression that they lived under. In doing so, they have sacrificed their own lives, their relationships, and even their own values in their effort to forge a path forward, towards a future where the nameless ones might once again stand in the sunlight.

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What a fulfilling movie this was - gorgeous cinematography, top notch cast and crew, brilliant storytelling and amazingly filmed.

Leung Chiu Wai never compromises on his acting quality. He is unrelenting as the indomitable Mr. He. He exudes total professionalism. When you see his name in the cast, you can be assured of stellar performances.

Wang Yibo, where do I even begin? Acting opposite a veteran, gold standard actor like Leung Chiu Wai can intimidate some young actors but not Wang Yibo. He more than held his own, he is the king of micro expressions but I never had a doubt about him since I first discovered him in The Untamed. His Mr. Ye is a force to be reckoned with, he is steel yet shows his completely vulnerable side. Every single expression is not wasted, translating his thoughts and channeling his intentions, present or future. Wang Yibo’s future is now, he never stops improving even when he’s already so good. He shone so brightly in this movie and I am so looking forward to his other upcoming movies this year. May I also say his multi-lingualism is so satisfying.

The fight scene between the two leads was breathtaking and just A+! Brilliantly sequenced, nicely done.

The ladies are just phenomenal, Zhou Xun as Ms. Chen is queen, she’s grace and beauty. Zhang Jingyi as Ms. Fang had small but impactful scenes, already loved her acting since Lighter and Princess. Jiang Shuying is gorgeousness herself.

I feel like director, Cheng Er didn’t waste any scene, everything has meaning or impact. The food scenes gave a lot of insight into the overall plot. The non-linear narrative was not confusing at all. The end tied everything up nicely. Lastly, if you haven’t heard the theme song sung by Wang Yibo, please do check it out, it totally suits the movie’s noir vibes.

Am already planning to watch it again, truly time well-spent the first time around!

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Beautifully shot, but hard to follow

Hidden Blade is a Chinese espionage film that takes place around the time of World War II in Japanese occupied China. It follows the stories of two men working for the Japanese government. Although it is a propaganda film, it doesn't feel as preachy as I was expecting it to be. It had a great cast starring some big names, such as Tony Leung and Wang Yibo to name a few. In my opinion, Tony Leung really stood out in his role compared to the rest of the cast. Before going into this film, it would help to have some historical context of this time period. Otherwise, the story is hard to follow as it is. The film drops you into the story and barely bothers to explain things. The main issue I had with this movie was the flow of the plot. There were a lot of times where the movie would jump back and forth to the same few particular scenes. It made it very difficult to follow the story and the timeline.

The musical score, though not bad, was a miss for me. There are some really great cinematic shots in this film. It is an art film after all. One thing I liked was the depiction of dogs in the film. There were various types of dogs featured that led very different lives. You can say their lives paralleled some of the characters in the film. If you've seen a lot of espionage films or dramas from this era, you might find the movie a bit predictable. Would I watch this film again? Probably not. Although it had some great shots and the climax was entertaining, the storytelling wasn't quite there for me since it was hard to follow. I also felt like there was a lot of subtext I might've missed. I knew a particular scene or moment was important, but couldn't quite put my finger on why. Even if I were to re-watch it, I don't think I will understand some of the hidden subtext unless someone explains it to me. It might be worth checking it out for the cast though.

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Amazing movie

Amazing movie👏👍
It's about Shanghai during trouble times Japanese Chinese war background nameless workers who worked hidden gems who fought hard for there country freedom
First thing that you notice is the cinematography wow every frame is so picturesque so awesome although dark but it's captivating
Then comes the plot story there is alot hidden here like layers peeled slowly but surely and it all ties together in the end a very satisfying end I must say
The dialogues are very amazing like each word is important here you can't skip a single line a single word
Kudos to all the actors bec they all were amazing uttering those soulful dialogue with great expressions
Tony Leung is as marvellous as ever his every move every expressions is worth watching Huang lei Da peng are also great in there roles
Zhou xun role is short but impactful and she is great as well Zhang jingyi character is imp and she does justice
But it's is young actors WangYibo that surprises you the most he is so talented his expressions are amazing very subtle but very powerful
He spoke multiple dialects in the movie and made them all sound believable
He was also great in his fighting scenes with others and Tony and yibo have a long fighting scene which is woww beyond amazing
A great watch highly recommended it's a movie which you will want to watch again and again bec every time you will find a new clue to solve the whole puzzle

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A Masterpiece of a movie that keeps you engrossed from start to finish

Having just watched Hidden Blade I can honestly say I haven't been so engrossed in a movie in a long time. The cinematography is exquisite. Storytelling by Cheng Er = amazing, love the non linear timeline. Tony Leung is top notch as always, his scene with Zhou Xun is chefs kiss. Honourable mention to Hiroyuki Mori.

As for Wang Yibo, he was absolutely riveting, I couldn't take my eyes off of him. His duality, the strength and vulnerability he showed brought his character to life in a way know one else could. At parts he was absolutely chilling and made my blood run cold, someone please give him a purely evil role. He held his own against the legend that is Tony Leung and that says it all.

I will watch it again as there are so many little things that I know I missed out on.

Cheng Er did a brilliant job with all the foreshadowing, I love his mind and I will go check out his other works.

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Highly recommended - very enjoyable

Beautifully executed cinematography. Anybody who likes movie as a form of art would really enjoy watching Hidden Blade.

Watching this movie is like playing a puzzle. The first hour of the movie contends many 3-5 minutes scenes that were not presented in the order of time so it can be confusing to start with. But wait, everything started to make sense and all came together in the second hour and became super fun to watch. The fighting scenes are amazingly done - very realistic and shot with perfect pace and lightings. Best fight scenes I have seen in years.

The cast is the best. Tony Leung and Zhou Xun, both have won numerous awards globally, are as excellent as always. However, the core of the story lies on Mr. Ye, played by Wang Yibo. Yibo did a fantastic job playing with audiences’ feelings by switching from cruelty to innocence, submissiveness to domination, and his performance carried a very complicated role throughout the whole movie. I am impressed.

Definitely will recommend this movie to everyone. This is THE movie you go to theaters to watch. Don’t miss the chance to watch it in the theaters.

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Hidden Blade best art house film

Hidden Blade is noir film artistic beautiful film.
Cinematography of hidden blade is amazingly outstanding and aesthetic!!!! There have plot-twist!!
Legendary Actor Tony Leung and Zhou Xun is so worth to watch. Young Actor Wang Yibo’s still get along with Tony Leung perfectly when he face-off with Tony on track scene, which is great performance exceeded audiences expectations!!!

Some people who gave 1 star or 2 star to film is obviously gave by anti because of they hate yibo a lot.
Even though anti hate yibo a lot, they should know and Google first who is Cheng Er and those legendary actors (Tony Leung, Zhou xun, Huang Lei ) willing to participate in this film.
Cheng Er’s Level is not cheap !!!
Those anti personally and obviously attack to yibo without watching Movie!!!
I accept some people may not like Cheng Er’s style but this is not bad film!!!

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Espionage thriller

The movie goes from slow compelling conversation to fast and furious. The fighting scenes will leave you breathless. Tony Leung amazing. Wang Yibo compelling and mesmerizing. Hiroyuki Mori was such a force to reckon with. Jiang Shuying is very pretty in here. The shots for her are stunning.

What’s amazing in here is that Wang Yibo‘s language skill as an actor. Portraying a character that you can’t tell which side he is actually on. Certain point, you’re starting to question if he’s the real villain.

This is a story paying homage to nameless underground spy during WWII. It is is spy thriller with two big action scenes. Very thrilling!!!

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It's exactly what it says on the box. If you like the packaging, the movie will satisfy.

The movie trailer for this pretty clearly implied what it was about. Basically, it's about a small faction of people working together trying to gain the advantage to win a war/battle for their side. So that's on point. This particular genre is not for everyone, you either like this kind of story or you don't, so my review will not focus on the genre of film.

THE GOOD:
- The acting of the cast is very suitable to the style of the film. For example, one of the first scenes in the beginning, in the restaurant, did a great job of immediately showing the viewer the desensitized nature of the two men when it comes to violence by way of the conversation they're having. It was a good way to set the tone for both of the characters going forward, considering their violent actions in the film thereafter.
- The cinematography is also good, there isn't an excess of music either and the director and actors did well using nuance of facial expressions, pauses, silences, looks and some props in the scenes to maintain the tense, somber aura of the film content. The wardrobe department also did well.
- The dialogue is minimal but fairly intense in most scenes and is delivered well, which again, suits the film style.
- The fight scenes were pretty well choreographed and the cinematography also did well to make it seem more intense. The second fight scene was probably the highest 'action' point in the movie. As someone who enjoys fight scenes (action content), I enjoyed it.

THE (not so) BAD:
- I'm not a fan of non-linear story lines in movies. So the back and forth, out of sync sequence of events wasn't great. I can understand sometimes jumping back to show events that were intentionally meant to be misinterpreted or happened at the same time as other important moments, but sometimes it's not necessary and it has never appealed to me. This movie unnecessarily used it in some places.
- The fight scenes had some exaggerated hitting and impact sounds, which is very on brand for a Chinese film I suppose. However, it unfortunately sounded a bit silly because fighting doesn't sound like that and it's 2023 and everyone knows that.
- The film was predictable. It became obvious quite quickly that the small main cast group were infiltrating an enemy camp undercover, and even toward the end, despite the fight scene with his 'colleague', WY's character was obviously a double agent.

THE (possibly) UGLY:
- I don't like how genuinely 'stray' the animals used in the film appeared, and I can't read Chinese so if there was some notice to say no animals were harmed in the making of the film in the credits (like in western films), someone let me know.

HIGHLIGHT:
- No over all highlight in this one for me. Although, perhaps the fact that the characters constantly had me wondering if they were going to start killing each other was a highlight to the acting, they all felt like they were on the verge of violence in some form or another in almost every scene.

PERSONAL HIGHLIGHT:
- As a fan of Wang Yibo, I think he acted well in this. It's not to be overstated, he's not breaking any moulds, but it's also not be understated, because he does very well in his physical scenes and he also manages to emote intimidation and anger really well. His 'reaction' scenes and his fight scenes were enjoyable and I would definitely prefer to see him in more films like this, where he does more acting, tests his range and where he wears less make up. And let him play a bad guy/villain ffs, he has the face and demeanor for it.

Not bad. If you like this genre, I'd say try it,

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Hidden Blade: A Visually Stunning Noir Masterpiece with Superb Acting and Direction

Director Cheng Er's Hidden Blade is a cinematic gem that captures the essence of Chinese noir cinema with remarkable precision. Set against the backdrop of a small Chinese town during the 1930s, the film tells the story of Mr. Ye (Wang Yibo), a skilled martial artist who finds himself caught in a web of political intrigue and personal turmoil.

One of the most striking aspects of this film is the visual style employed by Cheng Er. Every shot is composed with exquisite care and attention to detail, evoking the moody and melancholic atmosphere of classic film noir. The use of muted colors, soft lighting, and long takes all contribute to the film's overall aesthetic, creating a sense of timelessness that draws the viewer into the story.

The acting in Hidden Blade is equally impressive. Wang Yibo gives a standout performance as Mr. Ye, conveying both the character's physical prowess and emotional depth with remarkable skill. His interactions with the other characters are nuanced and complex, bringing a sense of authenticity to the film's intricate web of relationships.

The fight scenes in Hidden Blade are expertly choreographed and executed, with a realism and brutality that is both thrilling and visceral. The final confrontation between Mr. Ye and Watanabe (Mori Hiroyuki) is a masterclass in cinematic combat, showcasing the talents of both the actors and the fight choreographers.

While some viewers may find the film's non-linear timeline confusing, Cheng Er's direction is so deftly handled that the story flows seamlessly from one scene to the next. The film's pace is deliberate but never slow, building to a satisfying and emotionally resonant climax.

In the end, Hidden Blade is a film that demands to be savored and appreciated. It is a beautiful and haunting work of cinema that will stay with you long after the credits have rolled. If you are a fan of noir or historical films, this is a must-see movie that showcases the best of both genres.

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A movie masterpiece honoring of the unsung heroes of China during WW II

The acting is superb, everyone in the cast giving a nuanced performance that adds to the tension and overall intrigue of the film. The editing and cinematography is top notch with every frame seemingly poetic with how Director Cheng Er juxtaposed both light and shadows for ultimate effect. There are a lot of notable scenes in this movie and Wang Yibo especially shined. The final confrontation between Yemi and Watanabe was so gripping, that one can almost feel the palpable tension and dread in the air. I highly recommend this movie. A must watch, although I highly doubt you’d be satisfied seeing it only one time.

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