The Eight Hundred
far east filmsIn a year such as this, it’s easy to lose track of things. The film schedule is, understandably, a mess, with tentpole productions being hurled to the back end of next year. Amidst all this, The Eight Hundred, an extravagant Chinese war-drama from Guan Hu, has quietly become the highest-grossing film of the year, amassing over $400 million at the global box-office. Admittedly, the release in its home country accounts for virtually all of this figure, but the financial success is proof of just how far a bit of national pride can go.
The action takes place in 1937, depicting the Battle of Shanghai during the Second Sino-Japanese War. As the Chinese army is overrun by invaders, one regiment is tasked with holding firm in an abandoned warehouse, with the building becoming a monument to resistance and patriotism. Over the course of four days, waves of Japanese soldiers are tasked with breaching the perimeter, all whilst civilians from the other side of the river view with trepidation.
With a reported budget of $80 million, this is every ounce a Hollywood spectacle in scale, heightened by the use of IMAX cameras during the entirety of shooting - a first for an Asian production. Hu, continuing from successes like Mr. Six and a segment in the anthology film My People, My Country, is fascinated with the idea of juxtaposition throughout, whether it be in style or themes. The classical period setting, conjured up with expansive sets, immaculate production design and elegant costumes, directly contrasts the visceral and brutal action; the camera, deliberately positioned low to the ground, slinks between bodies and debris like the desperate soldiers it portrays.
Each set-piece, handily compartmentalised by the episodic structure, have distinctive qualities that prevent the action becoming monotonous even within the single setting. Whether it be a late-night ambush, close-quarters assault or long-range gun battle, the direction is consistently evocative, with Hu giving the film a fleet-footedness amongst all the muscle. The visual aesthetic is similarly impressive, with 1930s Shanghai being rendered impressively via the solid visual effects and crisp cinematography.
The theme of division is cleverly denoted by the river that bisects the city, with the Shanghai population having their personal theatre of war from the safety of the border. Differing perspectives are used to particularly good effect, showcasing both the longing for home and also the apprehension about looming danger; the soldiers, from their decrepit warehouse, see bright lights and civilization at its most advanced, whilst the public only see death and destruction. The unblemished parts of Shanghai have a beautifully hazy quality, becoming a representation of the soldiers yearning for normalcy, with the stretch of water symbolically widening after each passing day.
Where the film falters is its attempts to incorporate more traditional war film tropes, with the characters slowly given backstories and emotional arcs. This shift in tone is presumably a consequence of last-minute edits and heavy censorship, with the film’s premiere being cancelled twice and eventually delayed by a year due to disgruntlement regarding the portrayal of events. Though the exact amount of external influence is unknown, there’s no doubt it has diminished the final product, with the last act resorting to over-sentimentality and excessive jingoism; one extended sequence revolving around the raising of the flag is ludicrously melodramatic, whilst the recurring images of a lone white horse is painfully on-the-nose.
The final action set-piece also disappoints, with the dynamism of the opening two acts being traded for uninspired slow-motion and cliched close-ups. It’s never wise to leap to conclusions regarding authorship, but the sheer disparity between portions of the film suggests Hu’s vision has been compromised in some way. Strangely, it seems somewhat fitting that propaganda has been prioritised; the 800 soldiers in question were actually only 452 in number, with the figure being exaggerated in order to outfox the Japanese. Unfortunately, the censorship scandal at the core of The Eight Hundred proves this kind of manipulation still happens, even if it means blunting an inherently powerful story