The Great Wall at first glance may appear as a historical film but in actual fact is a horror that explores the idea of the Great Wall Of China being built to keep out an invasion of horrific monsters.
Set in the times of Song Dynasty between 960–1279 Mat Damon plays a mercenary from Europe who after escaping a group of bandits discovers the great war and the soldiers who defend it. The film has was first released in China and the US and has been a box office hit making over $302 million already.
It’s the mood that takes you when the first scenes roll. Thick mists curl around the ancient wall whilst soldiers guard against the imminent threat of danger. A sense of foreboding is in the air and we see a glimpse of something monstrous rising up out of the depths and snatching one of the guards before disappearing back into the gloom. The enemy is an unknown quantity. Even the most hardiest and courageous soldiers have fear in their hearts and danger looms at every corner.
The film received some criticism for ‘whitewashing’ – ie using a white actor in a Chinese film. However Director Zhang Yimou strongly defends the casting choice and maintains that Matt Damon’s role was never meant for a Chinese actor.
Zhang Yimou stated “For the first time, a film deeply rooted in Chinese culture, with one of the largest Chinese casts ever assembled, is being made at tentpole scale for a world audience. I believe that is a trend that should be embraced by our industry.”
As a huge film fanatic, this is extremely encouraging and it’s inspiring to see films being made that explore other cultures and bring something new to the table. Here at Mens Stuff we are very excited about this movie.
Check out the trailer to see more of this exceptional film. Showing in Cinemas across the UK now.
By Kaz B
