For
the aboriginal peoples indigenous to Taiwan, decapitating an enemy’s head in
battle was an essential rite of manhood.
In the early Twentieth Century, the occupying Japanese began the
systematic suppression of aboriginal culture.
It would cost them a whole lot of heads.
Originally well over four hours long, Wei Te-sheng’s Warriors of the Rainbow: Sediq Bale (trailer here) in its more theatrical booking-friendly two and a half
hour international cut opens this Friday in New York.
Mouna
Rudao was one of the fiercest Seediq warriors ever. When the Japanese confiscate his collection
of skulls, they are duly impressed.
Unfortunately, as chief he must watch as the old ways atrophy under
their oppressive rule. The tattoos of
manhood are becoming scarce. However,
this will change during the 1930 Wushe Uprising.
It
started with a misunderstanding between Mouna’s family and the local Imperial
authorities, snowballing from there. The
Seediq forces strike first, ambushing the Japanese at a major sporting
exhibition. Things only get bloodier
thereafter. Frankly, Mouna knows their
revolt is doomed to fail, but at least the young Seediq men will die as
warriors, crossing over the Rainbow Bridge to their equivalent of Valhalla.
Submitted
by Taiwan as their most recent official foreign language Academy Award
candidate, Rainbow was released as
two films in most Asian markets.
However, the edited and cobbled together international version makes
perfect sense from a narrative standpoint and includes plenty of Braveheart style action. One suspects the axe fells disproportionately
heavily on the female cast, including the great Vivian Hsu, who are rarely seen
in the 150 minute cut until an emotionally devastating scene late in the
picture.
It
is too bad Mel Gibson went more or less insane, because he would have been the
perfect celebrity “presenter” for Rainbow,
executive-produced by John Woo, no less. There are death-scenes that will make you
exclaim out loud. Yet, despite the
frequent references to the Rainbow Bridge, there is little that could be deemed
mystical or New Agey about the film, at least in its international configuration. It also resists the temptation to glorify
Seediq traditionalism, unequivocally suggesting tribalism undermined their
efforts to defeat the Imperial Japanese with a united front.
Lin
Ching-Tai is all business as the steely old Mouna. He might just the best middle-aged action
hero since the Eastwood of decades ago.
Yet, young Lin Yuan-Jie might be the most engaging member of the ensemble
cast. There is absolutely nothing cute
or cloying about his riveting work as Pawan Nawi. Japanese actor Sabu Kawahara also somehow
manages to elevate the role of the stereotypically severe General Kamada Yahiko,
while Chie Tanaka is memorably vulnerable as the wife of a relatively
sympathetic Imperial officer.
Rainbow parallels the
pronounced trend in current Mainland and Hong Kong films depicting Japanese
characters in explicitly villainous terms.
Indeed, the impulse to constantly refight WWII is becoming rather
suspicious. Be that as it may or may not
be, there is no denying Rainbow delivers
the epic action goods. This is a big,
bloody picture, serving as a perfect example of the bold filmmaking fostered by
Fortissimo Films. Definitely recommended
for fans of large scale historical action films, Rainbow opens this Friday (4/27) in New York at the AMC Empire.
