Let’s just lay it all on the table: Legends Of The Condor Heroes: The Gallants is two and a half hours long. In a world where much discourse of late has been about whether big blockbusters are going for quantity over quality, director Tsui Hark still believes he can do it all. And perhaps he does. Whilst his newest offering has only just hit North American shores, the film has already been a success in China, as the highest grossing Wuxia movie in Chinese history.
The film itself is roughly based on chapters 34-40 from the novel the Legend of the Condor Heroes by Jin Yong (also known as Louis Cha). It is not a word-for-word adaptation, but to many, that won’t matter at all.
In part, this is thanks to the fantastic performance of Xiao Zhan (also known as Sean Xiao), one of the most famous actors in China, and best loved by audiences worldwide thanks to his skillful turn in 2019’s The Untamed. Here, he plays Guo Jing, a young man who was taken in the by Mongols, who searches for a woman, Huang Rong, whom he fell in love with in the two years he spent away from the Central Plains to hone his martial arts skills. Simultaneously, the Mongols are raging war against the Jing Dynasty, and trust in general is in short supply. Here, Guo Jing is also set to play a vital role.
When Guo Jing’s masters are found slain, suspicion is laid on Huang Rong’s father, and Guo Jing turns his back on her as a result. When he finds out the truth, Huang Rong is long gone, and thus Hark’s epic tale spins its yarn: lovers yearn to unite, and war and misunderstandings throw obstacles in their way, threatening to destabilise both the land and the hopes of our protagonists.
Those used to Xiao Zhan’s bright acting chops will find themselves enjoying one of the actor’s best roles to date, as a leading man haunted by his decisions. He strives for a better tomorrow and yet remains conflicted at his core, embodying multiple facets of his character within the stoic yet conflicted veneer that he displays.
The two women that hold significant positions in Guo Jing’s life are as much, if not even more, captivating to watch. Mongol princess Huajun (Zhang Wenxin) positively eats the scene every time she shows up on screen, whilst the quiet and gentle Huang Rong (Zhuang Dafei) is perhaps the heart of the film. Although we root for Guo Jing to hopefully save the day (and get the girl), the journeys and conflicts of both women, especially Huang Rong, feel like vital grounding forces in the epic and is one of the reasons the film comes more into its own in its second act.
Hark has built up a steady reputation for how enjoyable, intricate and gasp-worthy his fight sequences can be, and The Gallants is no different. Actions sequences are beautifully shot, and magnificence of the life of the Mongols is captured in splendour. One almost feels that if the movie were split into two parts, audiences would have even more time to enjoy the various storylines at play, as well as allowing the various fight scenes to have even more pride of place.
In some ways, the Legends Of The Condor Heroes: The Gallants, feels almost mythical in its storytelling. Of course, this is a fictional tale, with Guo Jing as the same kind of classic hero that will resonate with those who love the stories of Odysseus, Rama, Hercules, King Arthur and their peers. The sweeping score, and several of the expansive (and slow mo) shots, evoke a dreamy, otherworldly quality across the entire film in a manner that Homer himself would’ve appreciated, and characters fit into their predestined narrative roles in a manner that feels familiar to the audience, yet played charmingly enough by all the actors to not feel prescriptive.
For those that are familiar with Chinese cinema, the film will feel like a call home, standing tall on the shoulders of some of legendary Wuxia movies that have defined the genre. It is an ambitious film that taps in deep to the love of great historical epics that both Chinese and international audiences enjoy so much.
However, despite its long long runtime, the film also moves forward at a dizzying pace, one that raises questions as to whether it might be an overwhelming watch for those unfamiliar with the genre. Storytelling in Wuxia films is often very distinct and heartfelt; it that attempts to pull you out of your current reality and have you empathising deeply with characters a whole world way. There are many moments in the film that deserve a little more breathing time to allow these emotions to sit before Hark quickly pulls us along into the next set piece, and for those less familiar with the original story, such breathing space might be deeply appreciated.
Ultimately, the Legends Of The Condor Heroes: The Gallants is an enjoyable watch, especially for those that have missed watching a great, sweeping historical epic. It is a project that genuinely feels like an experience, as though Hark is doing everything he possibly can to push the boundaries of his own creativity and artistic ambition. Many films these days struggle to justify being worth the cost of a ticket in the cinema, but Tsui Hark’s newest release does a fine job justifying that his epic battles and fight scenes need to be seen in a theatre so that one can truly enjoy the grandeur of it all. With a reported sequel on the way, it’ll be fascinating where how he builds on his work here.
Legends Of The Condor Heroes: The Gallant is a film that sincerely advocates for why and how cinema – and true theatrical experiences – should still stand separately from even the most expensive prestige cinema. If the box office receipts are anything to go by, millions of movie-goers agree.
Legends Of The Condor Heroes: The Gallants is out in select cinemas now.