Wa dong ren (2002) Reviews

• Languid and quieter movie in Pulp Fiction vein

  gmwhite2005-03-22

  I find it hard to believe that this film has received such a poor average rating. I can only assume that such an opinion is based on a single viewing. Had I only seen the film once, I might have agreed, but having just seen it again a year or so later, I think it deserves more. The two films that instantly spring to mind to compare with this film are Pulp Fiction and Amores Perros: interlocking stories, playing with chronological sequence, a penchant for graphic violence. Where 'The Rules of the Game' differs - from Pulp Fiction at least - is its more laconic, casual style, typical of many Taiwanese films, so different from the brash, confident theatricals from the American continent. Holes are left for the viewer to fill in. Points of significance are picked up on reflection rather than signposted and highlighted for the unreflective spectator. And the acting itself is quite understated, quite naturalistic, even in the case of Turtle and Chewy, whose mundane conversations (on how long it takes to dig a hole big enough to bury someone etc) I found highly entertaining in yet another reflection of the conversations of Pulp Function. SPOILERS AHEAD As for the plot, or plots, these revolve around a recently-married ex-hood, Ox, taking was it seems is one last job. He is married to a diner waitress and they have a young son. His 'job' over, he is placed on the back-burner, and enter Turtle and Chewy, two low lives planning to kill Little Xiao, who had done them out of some money. Since digging a grave does it seem take a significant amount of time, they have decided to do that first before taking their revenge on Xiao. Their digging expedition takes them past the diner where Ox' wife works. Enter also Little Xiao's wife, who with her lover, plans to kidnap her own husband and run off with lover and ransom. DISCUSSION OF PLOT DETAILS ENDED These trajectories cross each other cross each other, though they don't all intersect at a single time. The individual sections aren't as jumbled in time as in Pulp Fiction, though I did benefit greatly from a second viewing. Overall, I found this an entertaining film, with a vein of dark humour running quietly underneath. Characters were well drawn, though far from exhaustively. The acting was typically restrained and suited the film very well. I'd recommended as an interesting movie to watch, especially to someone interested in Taiwanese cinema. Not as serious as Hou Hsiao Hsien, nor as commercially attractive as Ang Lee, it offers a pleasurable dip into the unique world of Taiwan.

• 2 stars (out of 4)

  mweston2003-01-11

  Turtle and Chewy are two dim-bulb lowlifes who plan to kill someone. In preparation, they find a secluded spot and dig a deep hole. They are constantly arguing with each other, sometimes humorously. Meanwhile, Will is a rich man whose wife plots to have her boyfriend kidnap Will in order to steal some money. The two stories eventually intersect. I found it hard to keep the characters straight at times, and while the film has some good moments, on the whole it is fairly forgettable. Seen on 11/4/2002 at the 2002 Hawaii International Film Festival. Note: This is *not* a remake of Renoir's 1939 film with the same English title, although you could argue that there are some upper class and some lower class characters. But I don't buy it.