There’s a real satisfaction that comes with sweet surprises – for a critic, it disarms them momentarily, as they breathe a sign of relief with the realization that the film they’re committing the time to watch and write on isn’t a waste of time. Seventeen minutes into The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman, I was ready to throw in the towel, watching the grotesquely comical Chopper (Liu Xiaoye), a local butcher in love with a high-class prostitute named Madam Mei (Kitty Zhang), beaten to the punch by giant homeless man and sword expert Big Beard (Senggerenqin). Director Wuershan, making his debut here, falls into a trap early on of supersizing everything – we know he’s making a farce with a mix of slapstick and martial arts, but he wants us to know this fact intimately. Enter hyperactive editing, an eclectic sound mix and a variety of camera tricks that rarely feel inspired.
Then, 17 minutes in, after an impromptu rap sequence (yes), Chopper and his dimwitted, frequently hungry friend encounter a crazed Chef (Mi Dan), who wields an impossibly sharp cleaver. He sits them down and tells them a story – and the film suddenly and unexpectedly improves significantly. The Chef’s story is revealed gradually but features genuine heart in the face of all the movie trickery. There’s a genuine love of food on display and sharp comic timing, even if most of the performances are bug-eyed exaggerations. There are also sequences that are genuinely exciting – a flashback rendered as a crude child’s drawing is especially affecting given the violence on display, and a late third act battle rendered ala Street Fighter isn’t fresh, but definitely feels inspired just by nature of being in the film.
Butcher essentially presents three stories that, each building a deeper mythology – I suppose the best metaphor would be a Russian doll (at the moment, that’s the best I can do), layers revealed and a fuller picture unfolding before your eyes. The Chef’s sequence is the best the film has to offer but both the cook and a vile swordsman whose story illustrates the origin of the cleaver factor in. The humor is juvenile, the pace is frantic and the costume drama genre gets a film that equally pays homage to it while gently waving a middle finger at some stuffy conventions.
It’s a film that’s light as a feather and goes down easy after that unsteady opening – everything is spelled out for you via extended flashbacks and Saw-like cutting that shows you everything you’d already seen, now with new facts reveled that give new meaning to the actions. This works best in the story of the Chef – again, if this film was a long short consisting entirely of the 2nd half, it would be an excellent stand-alone piece. Alas, what we get instead is a casserole with a little bit of everything. Food is gorgeously presented and the act of cooking is giving a mythical sheen that never seems so serious as to sap the fun out of it all.
Characters are heavily made up and either fleet footed superman or chubby (and in one case, morbidly obese) comic foils. If there is a key criticism, it’s that the film features physical comedy but refuses to place it in a wide frame. The beauty of silent film was partially in the abuse taken by all time greats like Keaton, Chaplin, or Lloyd – their stunts picturesque exploits shown in a wide frame whenever possible. The hectic cutting in Butcher deflates several sequences – it’s understandable, given that most actors nowadays wouldn’t put themselves in any serious danger (and why should they?) but the masking is visible and disappointing. Aside from that, it’s smooth sailing and a pleasant surprise for this martial arts/slapstick/costume drama hybrid. Highly recommended, and probably best enjoyed on the big screen.
DVD Bonus Features
Sadly, only a theatrical trailer is included.
"The Butcher, the Chef, and the Swordsman" is on sale September 27, 2011 and is rated . Action, Comedy. Directed by Wuershan. Written by Short Story by An Changhe, Screenplay byWu Ershan, Zhang Jiajia, Ma Luoshan, Tang Que. Starring Masanobu Ando, You Benchang.
