I watch 投名状

Ok ok.. I know I am tres tres tres late ok.
And many people probably reviewed this show already.. and either love it or hate it.

I happen to really love it.
I caught this film on the flight in and out of Ho Chi Min and I came back to rent the flick and finished watching it with hubby this week..


One of the better Chinese films recently..
Throughout the show.. I cannot decide where my sympathies lie, who is right and who is wrong..
And I love this ambiguity. It is disturbing, thought provoking and brings me outta my comfort zone..

I feel it reflects life, like it is in the real world.
Is there a real truth out there? Is there a real right way of doing things?

Jin Chen Wu repeated "大哥(Jet li) 是对的.." twice to Any Lau.
He is an idealist. But he has strong faith in his ideals. Which should be good,.. right?
But what happens if the ideals/ the person you have such faith in are wrong/ are corrupted?
What determines the right and the wrong? Is there an absolute right or wrong?

Jet Li says "有一天, 你会明白我这样做是对的" to Andy Lau.
To have such a powerful vision that one strives towards, it should be admirable, ... right?
But what if the actions one needs to do to contribute to the end goal or vision, are wrong?
Does the merit and grandeur of the vision make the wrong deeds right?
What vision is so great that it makes one susceptible to greed, to corruption?

And, Andy Lau - he believes in ethics and humanity and in loyalty - "言而无信连畜生都不如" . In living up to one's promise, in peoples' right to live and to repent, he believes in those he love and trust, not once thinking that they will betray him.

The crux is all three great men exhibited admirable traits which are all "correct", on their own merits.

However, when they all come together, it is a challenge to decide who is right, who is the one who deserves our pity - the Disillusioned? The Blinded? or the Betrayed?

There is no one dimensional answer and to even begin to sort it out is impossibly hard.

And I feel life is exactly like that.
This film reminds me that..

Even if we are very sure we are right, we could be wrong. Others could feel we are wrong. Others have a right to believe we are wrong.

Yet, we need a point of view, without so, we are nothing. We do not have a belief that will sustain us, a cause worth fighting for, a meaning to our lives.

Yet, by taking a point of view, we may have chosen to forsake many others - the opportunity costs. We have chosen a path with consequences we need to live with.

I hope my 2 boys will grow up capable of handling the complexities of life such as these.

I am not confident I can teach them to make the right choice all the times.
I cannot assure them that there is even a right choice, sometimes.
But those should not deter, nor make us fearful to have a point of view, to fight for what we truly believe in, and to embrace our beliefs with passion and yet to moderate it with an open mind for alternatives.

It is one of the toughest challenge in parenting..
But it is a battle we have to win.
Because we, and our loved ones have a lot to lose if we lose this battle.

This is one film i will watch time and again, as I am sure I learn more of myself and the world each time I watch it...
And i need the reminder of how grey this world can be...