Would
you feel confident throwing your conspiratorial lot in with something called “the
Eunuch Clique?” Maybe not now, but the late Ming Dynasty were far different
times. Senior Eunuch Wei Zhongxian was thought to control seventy percent of
court officials, the so-called Clique. The new emperor is determined root out
the eunuch’s influence, but that will be easier said than done for the three Jinyiwei
imperial assassins in Lu Yang’s Brotherhood of Blades (trailer
here),
which Well Go USA releases today on DVD and BluRay.
The
trio of Jinyiwei are so scruffy, their new commander Zhao Jingzhong is
confident they have not been corrupted. It also means they could use a
windfall. Shen Lian yearns to buy the freedom of Zhou Miaotong, a courtesan he
has long visited, but it is unlikely to happen on his Imperial salary. The older
and gaunter Lu Jianxing covets a promotion, but that will require bribes beyond
his means. Meanwhile, the consumptive rookie, Jin Yichuan makes regular
blackmail payments to an older associate from his criminal past.
Since
they all need money, Shen Lian makes an executive decision to strike a deal
with Wei. In exchange for a considerable sum of gold Taels, the Jinyiwei assassin
lets Wei escape, delivering the charred body of a servant in his place. The
three are hailed as heroes, but Wei’s followers are already conspiring to eliminate
the only witnesses who know the powerful Eunuch is still alive. Unbeknownst to
them, Zhao is part of the cabal. It turns out he is Wei’s secret foster-son. As
the leader of the Eastern Depot, Zhao will give the three assassins assignments
specifically intended to silence them permanently. When they manage to live
anyway, things really start getting complicated.
In
a way, Brotherhood is like a gangster
movie decked out as a wuxia epic. Everyone is on the take to some extent. The
question is how morally compromised are they? Like a good Triad or Yakuza film,
it a heavy with themes of loyalty and betrayal, with personal allegiances
frequently trumping concern for corps, dynasty, and nation. Of course there is
also plenty of hack-and-slash action, featuring more crimson blood splatters
than typical of the genre.
Taiwanese
superstar Chang Chen, whose credits go back to Edward Yang’s masterpiece A Brighter Summer Day is perfectly
suited for the tightly wounded Shen Lian. He broods hard and when he loses his
cool, it is serious business. Frankly, it is one of his best performances in
years. Likewise, Wang Qianyuan is appropriately world weary and a bit vinegary
as old Lu Jianxing. However, Ethan Li largely fades into the background as the
young, sickly Jin Yichuan.
Brotherhood is fully loaded
with colorful supporting turns, but it strangely shortchanges Dani Zhou’s
screen time, even though she seems quite promising as Wei’s butt-kicking
daughter, Wei Ting. On the other hand, Cecilia Liu totally looks the part and
delivers the aching tragedy in spades as the more-substantial-than-you-expect
courtesan.