Notable Cast: Tony Leung, Wang Yibo, Eric Wang, Zhou
Xun, Huang Lei, Chengpeng Dong, Maggie Jiang, Zhang Jingyi, Hiroyuki Mori
Although the Japanese occupation of China has been the topic
of umpteen-million Chinese films throughout their cinematic history, many
different genres approach the subject in unique ways so that it still can feel
fresh… with the proper execution. Hidden Blade, the latest film from
director Cheng Er, leaps into the world of Shanghai in the late 1930s and early
1940s during the Japanese occupation. It’s not a wholly original concept, in
fact, Cheng Er dealt with similar subject matters in his previous effort The
Wasted Times, but it’s an artful and tensely executed espionage film with
an overt style that slices through each moment.
While the big draw of the film will be Tony Leung doing his
thing in a nifty period setting, which we will get to momentarily, the most
fascinating aspect of Hidden Blade is its almost dream-like narrative
structure. While the first act features some stunning visuals and tense key
moments, it practically drifts in a fluid manner through each sequence in a way
that thinly draws some connections but never solidifies the ‘why’ or even
‘when’ they are occurring.
This allows Hidden Blade to play games with its
audience. The film is inherently about the Chinese men and women who are
working with the Japanese during the occupation of its time frame, but it’s
immediately known that each one carries ulterior motives. Like the characters,
who hide, reveal, or manipulate one another, the narrative does the same. As
allegiances shift, the characters bounce through their navigation of multiple
alliances and it’s just damn good espionage. It’s toying with the audience and
it’s entertaining in that manner.