Summary
A mainstay on the world stage,Hong Kong cinema has always carriedits singular identity proudly despite the political changes it has undergone. The neo-noir martial arts filmTwilight of the Warriors: Walled In, from Macau-born director Soi Cheang, is both emblematic of what audiences love about the country’s cinematic art while also opening the door to a new generation of talent. Based on the novelCity of Darknessand also adapted into a popular manhua, the story has been in the works for years before landing in Cheang’s capable hands.
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled Inboasts a stellar cast of top-notch Hong Kong talent, including Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, Richie Jen, Raymond Lam, Terrance Lau, Kenny Wong, Philip Ng, Tony Wu, and German Cheung. The movie takes place during an era of uneasy peace in Kowloon Walled City, the underwork that serves as a safe haven for outlaws and refugees. But when one fighter runs afoul of a powerful Triad boss, he must escape the bounty on his head as they upend the city’s delicate truce in their bloody search for him.
Director Soi Cheang Breaks Down His Approach To Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In
Screen Rant: This project has been in development for some time. What first stood out to you when you came on board, and how did you plan to leave your mark on it?
Soi Cheang: There were already a few versions of scripts written prior to my being attached, and when I was approached for it, it wasn’t an immediate yes. I wanted to see if there was something that would appeal to me, and it was through research of the Kowloon Walled City that I discovered a different relationship to what this walled city meant. That was the entry point for me.
And in terms of trademark, I didn’t want to impose any personal style from my films. I felt that, as the film evolved, it would create its own trademarks. I didn’t want to leave any specific imprint that people might consider from my previous work onto this film.
What was the biggest challenge you had to overcome while filmingTwilight of the Warriors: Walled In?
Soi Cheang: The challenge would be the setup. Could we create the same essence of the space? The other thing was the action. I wanted it to be a little bit different from the action that we are generally kind of accustomed to.
The good thing was that the story was also adapted into a comic book, and so looking at that, I saw it had a very specific vision for the action. We used that as a tipping point to then go into creating a new kind of action choreography that made reference tothe old Hong Kong stylebut also allowed for it to be a little bit new in the process.
This has become Hong Kong’s second highest-grossing film, which is so impressive. What do you think sets it apart from other projects in the genre?
Soi Cheang: I think one of the reasons the film has done so well in Hong Kong is that it kind of reflects the relationship that Hong Kong citizens have to Hong Kong. Because the Kowloon Walled City is not around anymore, they can kind of only see it through this film, if you will.
What’s been really surprising is that there are a lot of elders and even parents who have taken their kids to watch this film. Even though it’s an action movie, there’s an element of these elders bringing kids to be like, “Look, this was Hong Kong back in the day.” It’s been quite surprising in that sense.
What were some of your favorite memories of working with stars like Louis Koo and Sammo Hung?
Soi Cheang: Both Louis and Sammo are so respected in the industry, but what I found fascinating with was the fact that they were quite respectful to the younger actors that were on set. Sammo himself is very famous as an action choreographer, but he never took on the role of an elder statesman and he never gave his own suggestions during the action scenes. He really respected our action choreographer, and so did Louis.
Louis never did things just to try and make himself look better. In fact, he always wanted to make sure that the younger generation of actors were also in the frame and able to shine. I think Louis knew that the next round of films would focus on these younger people, and so he was quite cognizant of allowing them to shine in all the scenes that he was with them. Neither of them took up more space than they needed to, which was very surprising to me.
What lessons did you take away from this movie that you hope to carry with you into your next one?
Soi Cheang: If you look at some of my previous films, they were quite dark. While making this movie, I realized that I had a real connection with the next generation and really wanted to know about their relationship to Hong Kong. That allowed me to feel that, maybe moving forward, my films don’t have to be as dark as I’m known for. There is space for brightness and warmth, and in that sense, my approach might have changed making this film. I’ve changed in terms of the stories that I want to tell moving forward.
You mentioned a relationship to Hong Kong being significant in the film. What do you think North American audiences will glean from it?
Soi Cheang: First of all, I hope U.S. audiences will like the film, and that it might trigger a curiosity about reconnecting with Hong Kong cinema in general. I’d also like for them to discover that Hong Kong cinema has changed in a way that’s quite different from the past. I think a lot of the relationships that people have to Hong Kong are based on movies from the past. I want them to see Hong Kong cinema in a different light and hopefully become more curious.
As more Hong Kong films come out, I hope this will be a nice tipping point for U.S. audiences to rediscover Hong Kong cinema.
Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled Inwill release in North American theaters on August 9.
