Lifeline
Reviewed by YTSL
At the risk of sounding overly chauvinistic in
my championing of cinematic offerings from that part of the world, I will
state that: Although it was made with a budget that was but a fraction
of "Backdraft", it really is a disservice to this Shaw Brothers film that
it has been referred to as the Hong Kong version of that American work.
For beyond both these movies having firefighters as their focus and featuring
some really spectacular scenes of fire which not only blazes but looks like
it really is malevolently alive, they really do not have that much in common.
For this (re)viewer, the different emphases and
perspectives of "Backdraft" and LIFELINE are not only representative, telling
and illustrative with regards to Hollywood and "Eastern Hollywood" products
in general but also provide clues as to why despite the former industry's
greater marketing and distribution skills, I tend to find the latter's offerings
more appealing. More specifically: While the Kurt Russell vehicle
had a macho-jock as well as rugged individualist "take" and focused on fraternal
rivalry and love, this 100 minute length ensemble piece features a female
second-in-command (who is amazingly well portrayed by (then) newcomer, Ruby
Wong) of a station – whose presence is accepted without much comment (other
than to a curious visiting parent of a new recruit) or dispute -- and goes
out of the way to stress that firefighters have family (be it a spouse, parent
or child) as well as careers, principles and feelings. In doing so,
IMHO, a much more well-rounded, humanizing (not just female-inclusive or
feminist) portrait is created, and a better drama results.
I am aware of criticisms by some (not coincidentally Western male?) reviewers
of LIFELINE's being too soap-operaish for the first two thirds of the film
(N.B. These same individuals tend to then go on to heavily praise the amazing
"action" sequences of the last forty minutes or so of the movie). My
own perspective -- and I do get the sense that it's as shaped by my personal
background as theirs -- is that what I see as the detailed outlining and
fleshing out of the story's protagonists (who come in the form of the ever
capable Lau Ching Wan and sturdy Alex Fong along with the aforementioned
Ruby Wong) ensures that the viewer really does care about the (main) characters'
actions and fates in the later (as well as other) portion(s) of the motion
picture. For those who have seen it, it may help to think of this 1997
local film awards' best picture nominee bearing similarities in this and
other regards with another Hong Kong movie which came out a year later, the
equally commendable "Task Force".
Within this kind of context, the emotional doctor played by Carmen Lee is
not just a superfluous adjunct player but does have a genuinely supporting
role which merits viewer attention and screen time. Not only that but
I found the exchanges about how to deal with a car accident victim as well
as that which takes place on a ledge between her professionally hard-nosed
-- yet personally vulnerable -- character and
Lau's quixotic, dedicated firefighter to be quite
emotionally affecting as well as thought provoking.
With regard to the fire(fighting) scenes (notably those that take place in
the textile factory): They truly are visually impressive. What
makes them stand out though above that of others (including that of "Backdraft")
is the realization that the fire is real -- not special effects or computer
created -- fire! As it is proclaimed in the Hong Kong Film Critics
Society website: "It is said that the best special effects the HK film
industry can offer is NO special effects. No film proves this more than Lifeline.
Those are REAL people trapped in REAL fire. Only 10% of the film is made
with special effects. Or, look at it another way, 90% of the film is special
effects, HK style"!!
Director Johnnie To is on the record (in such as Miles Wood's "Cine East")
as saying that he wanted to make a realistic movie about real life heroes.
He not only succeeded in doing so -- to the extent that the film often feels
like a docudrama -- but also appears to have found some other real life heroes
along the way in his cast and crew.
My rating for the film: 8.0