You
have to admit an indictment written in blood simply carries more weight. Rumor has it a former eunuch scrawled just
such a document detailing the Dowager Queen’s crimes. The survivors of two families she almost but
not quite wiped out doggedly seek it in Victor Vu’s Blood Letter (trailer
here), the
first wuxia-esque martial arts historical produced in Vietnam, which screens
tomorrow as part of the 2013 Vietnamese International Film Festival in Orange
County.
Nguyen
Vu is the grandson of a highly respected but profoundly unlucky court
official. Hoa Xuan and Hoa Ha have more
common roots, but their family also became rather inconvenient. While the sisters lived by their wits, Nguyen
Vu found shelter in a monastery. In
their formative years, they all learned how to lay down a martial arts
beating. As fate demands, his path
crosses that of the hot-headed Hoa Xuan at a critical juncture.
Just
as he starts snooping round the royal palace Crouching Tiger style, Hoa Xuan makes an ill-conceived attempt on
the Dowager’s life. It is game on from this
point on, except not really. As
alliances are forged, some start to question whether personal vengeance is
worth the widespread chaos that will surely follow. Indeed, Blood
Letter is not unlike many Chinese historical epics (such as Hero and Detective Dee) that rather openly suggest maybe a little
authoritarianism is not so bad if it establishes stability. Of course, for a film produced in a country
with an authoritarian government that is a handy takeaway to tack onto a film.
Regardless,
the action choreographed by Johnny Nguyen (so awesome in Clash) is spectacular.
Strangely, Huynh Dong is a bit stiff as a leading man, but he is
credible enough in the fight scenes. As
Hoa Xuan, Midu also handles the martial arts choreography like a natural and lends
the dramatic proceedings a dynamic screen presence and a whole lot of verve. However, the most memorable works comes from
Khuong Ngoc as Tran Tong Quan, the Dowager’s reptilian enforcer. All kinds of creepy, he is up there with Yayan
Ruhian’s Mad Dog from The Raid [Redemption].
