Director Johnnie To said in an interview that he “didn’t want any antagonists” in the Hong Kong film, Throw Down (2004). This is intriguing to hear – no antagonists in a neo-noir martial arts movie set in the backstreets, gambling dens and smoky bars of Hong Kong? And that is specifically about the fighting form of Judo? How does that work? As you’re watching the movie, people appear who might seem to be antagonists, a surly criminal named Boss Savage (Eddie Cheung Siu-fai) or a stoic championship fighter (Tony Leung Ka-fai). Yet the way Judo is portrayed here, the movie is less interested in physical violence and action, which it still has plenty of, but more about Judo as a sign of respect or a form of communication between people. The plot starts with a cocky fighter named Tony (Aaron Kwok) walking into a karaoke bar to challenge the owner and band-leader, Szeto Bo (Louis Koo), to a match. Yet Szeto Bo is first seen four sheets to the wind, a shameless alcoholic and gambler, and completely uninterested in Tony’s challenge. Then there’s Mona (Cherrie Ying), thrown out of her apartment for falling behind on rent yet is dreaming about becoming a famous singer, angling for a job at Szeto Bo’s joint. As they circle around Szeto Bo and become his employees, a friendship emerges that eventually leads to Szeto Bo’s awakening to his own past regrets and strengths as a judo champion who walked away from it all – much to the disappointment of his mentor, Cheng (Lo Hoi-pang), who has a dementia ridden son, Ching (Calvin Choi) . Johnnie To dedicated this movie to Akira Kurosawa, particular his first movie Sanshiro Sugata, and it is invested with To’s personal philosophies, all of which are conveyed through a high sense of style. Neon signs in the background of night street fights. Purple and red hues in the karaoke bar lighting. Sequences where the fighting becomes background to the sweep of the camera, the impact of an edit and the emotion carried through widescreen long takes. The introduction of Tony Leung Ka-fai’s character during a barroom brawl, and his subsequent demonstration of his fighting style, has to be one of the coolest sequences I’ve seen in a movie. An unusual action movie that has a romantic dizzy quality in its melodramatic flourishes and its espoused values of honour within losing, and persevering against all of life’s obstacles. I was charmed. Streamed on the Criterion Channel. Recommended.
VHS Tracking 