Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In

I didn't make it to Hong Kong til 1994 so this famous Kowloon walled city had already gone but it's legend hadn't. It was the equivalent of a large block of properties, within properties - a mass of alleys, corridors and tunnels in which the law was enforced in a very different way from the outside. This story starts with a battle that sees control pass from "Jim" to "Cyclone" (Louis Koo). There's now a truce of sorts that exists between the bosses and the outside world, but that's about to be thrown into turmoil by the arrival of "Lok" (Raymond Lam). He works hard to get an official ID card but is fleeced by "Mr. Big" (Sammo Hung) and escapes with a bag of his cocaine into the walled city. That's where he encounters it's ruler and his sidekick "Shin" (Terrence Lau) and where his willingness to work and his fortitude ingratiates him with the boss. On the outside, "Cyclone" has a business relationship with "Chau" (Richie Jen) who has really only one purpose left in life. That's to avenge the murder of his family by the now dead "Jim". The focus of his revenge is that man's own son - but nobody nows what happened to him. Well, swiftly you can add two and two and get "Lok". Loyalties are now tested, friendships challenged and forged whilst the fragile peace is soon in tatters. With battle lines drawn and ambitions clear, it's all out war and the action mounts up. This is a sold end-to-end martial arts film with plenty of nimble and lithe combat; acrobatics and bodies that must be made of skin-clad tungsten steel. It's got a little bit of mysticism and embodies human nature, whether benign or not, quite entertainingly and by not just throwing itself about, but by at least trying to create and develop the characters. The denouement takes it's time and does become a bit repetitive, but as a quickly paced drama it really does fly by for two hours. Honour amongst thieves - but always sleep with your back to the wall.

I remember flying over the Kowloon walled city when I first visited Hong Kong in 1987. I distinctly remember the drab cramped spaces and the washing fluttering like multi coloured flags, hanging from grimy windows. Until then, I had no idea people could and did, live like this. Twilight of the Warrior: Walled In takes its cue from the graphic novel to re-create the environment inside the walled city. A city which was, in essence, a self governing city, withing Hong Kong city. Unsurprisingly, criminal gangs vie for supremacy in the walled city. This story focuses on internal conflict within the controlling gang, triggered by the arrival of a newcomer with a past shared by the gangs leader. A situation taken advantage of by an external gang, who want control of the city, for their own benefit. This tale capably mixes fantasy, martial arts and social commentary. It's a detailed story, that you need to pay attention to or it can become a little hard to follow. Not helped by the fact its probably in Cantonese (Hong Kong's primary language), not English. That said, its a decent back story that's worth your time, highlighting the hardships but also the comradeship, of the walled city's residents. Action sequences which dominate the film, mix martial arts and parkour within the confined city spaces, in a way that's frenetically entertaining, if, at times, a little unbelievable. There is a profusion of respected, Hong Kong acting talent on display. too, which adds real depth and polish to this production. In summary, Twilight of the Warriors deep dives into a period of Hong Kong history that's been forgotten, in a way that's nostalgic, at times raw in its social commentary and extravagant in its martial arts set pieces. Perhaps the only downside, the complex story, that can be difficult for non-Chinese speakers to follow.