Shaolin

Set in China in the early years of the republic, when the warlords were dividing the country between them. Hou Jie is a powerful commander. He is merciless wherever he wins and removes his rivals. Then his own deputy betrays him; he loses his family and, wounded, takes refuge in the Shaolin Monastery. The second half is the transformation he goes through there. The monks accept him but do not try to make him forget his past; he is expected to learn to live with what he did. The narrative has a political background too: foreign companies are taking the region's resources, the warlords cooperate in exchange for weapons, and the people are caught between. The monastery becomes a place of refuge. Andy Lau plays Hou Jie and Nicholas Tse the deputy who betrays him. Jackie Chan appears briefly as the monastery cook, a character who behaves as though he cannot fight. The fight scenes were shot with the participation of real Shaolin monks. A solid example for anyone who likes Chinese martial arts cinema and historical epics. For a viewer looking for restraint, the film raises the feeling markedly in its final section and delivers its religious message plainly.