The Dragon from Russia
Director: Clarence Ford/Fok
Year: 1990
Rating: 7.5
This 1990 film version
of Crying Freeman is often credited for ringing the final death knell for
Cinema City. It looks as if the production company threw a lot of money and
resources into this film, but it fared very poorly at the box office (HK$
11 mm). To a large degree that is understandable. Though this film directed
by Clarence Fok is full of his trademark splashy style, breathtaking camera
movement and has some truly amazingly clever wire work/action choreography,
the plot is nearly incomprehensible at times and the film holds little emotional
resonance.
After a while it is almost not worth the effort of trying to make sense
of it all - because there is little sense here - instead it is best to sit
back and watch the spectacular wire choreography and four of Hong Kong's most
beautiful actresses on the screen. Think visual - and this film is full of
visual treats. One has to wonder whether miles of this film had to be left
on the editing floor because otherwise there is little explanation for the
leaps of logic, time and place.
Sam Hui (perhaps a bit old for this role) and Maggie Cheung are two orphans
in love brought up together in Russia by Snooker (Dean Shek) who was once
a member of an assassin organization - the 800 Dragons. He escaped that
life with his daughter (Sara Lee) and went to live in Russia, but his past
is finally catching up with him. Years later the organization - now riddled
with betrayers - are concerned that Snooker knows the identities of other
assassins and might reveal them to the enemy. The leader - called The Master
of the Dead (and played by Yuen Tak - though in the train scene he clearly
looks to be played by Yuen Wah!) has two missions in mind - silence Dean
Shek and kidnap Sam Hui.
Hui is kidnapped and brought back to the assassin training facility where
his memory is erased and he is trained to be a master professional killer.
At the camp also is a junior trainee, Pearl (Loletta Lee), - who clearly
doesn't have the heart to be a killer and finds herself having feelings for
Sam. Once the training is completed and Sam has learned to kill in every
conceivable way (and after being sensually tattooed by Nina Li), he is ready
for his first assignment - to kill a Hong Kong businessman. This is carried
out in thrilling style in front of the Peninsula Hotel - but as he escapes
Maggie catches a glimpse of him.
Nina Li is another member of the 800 Dragons and is Sam's controller. She
is simply stunning in this film whether dressed in a seductive kimono, a
nun's habit or a stylish aviation outfit. She gives Sam orders for another
kill - a top Yakuza (Lau Shun) - and at this point the film begins
to spin completely off the tracks in confusion. Protecting the Yakuza is
Carrie Ng (also looking lipsticked spectacular) and her husband (Pai Ying)
who were both members of the 800 Dragons. It begins to get completely mixed
up as the film loses the viewer as to who is on who's side and where all
the action is taking place as it jumps all over the place from HK to Russia
in the flash of an eye.
Sam also gets orders to kill a witness - Maggie of course - but somewhere
in the deep recesses of his mind he has faint memories of her and can't
bring himself to kill her (and who really could kill the Magster!)
- and soon they are on the run with everyone trying to kill them. The last
twenty minutes of the film in particular are a muddled mess as we lose complete
sense of where we are and what is happening.
Even with the cluttered and mystifying storyline at times (for example
why doesn't Carrie recognize Nina in the nun's garb), I would recommend
this film for the style, the action and the sense of fun it is aiming for.
This film has an action scene it seems about every five minutes and without
a doubt some of the more imaginative fast wire action I have seen in a HK
film. That along with these four actresses rarely looking more beautiful
than here make this film a sensory feast for the eyes if not the mind.
