The Warlords 投名狀

[skylee]

好的表演就是几个动作就把观众震撼住了。

I agree with this. I've written something similar about Eastern Promise (the actor has got an oscar nomination for this role) -

Mortensen 塑造的角色有那麽一些的小動作，看的時候覺得很奇怪，可是以後讓觀衆記住的可能就是這些，像他總是雙手交曡、還有輕聲連說是、是的神態。(source)

[Lu]

I really liked this one too. I normally don't like 劉德華, and thought 金城武 would be too light for this movie, but I liked Lau in this movie and 金城武 was almost convincing as a warlord. And Jet Li was really really good.

The story was excellent too, and I could sympathize with most sides, except for one part.

I don't think it's fair that the two boys are killed for raping a woman. Of course raping a woman is bad, and Li would be completely right to punish them for that, were it not for the fact that just before they were attacking the city the army was promised they could 'steal their food, their money, their women'. You cannot first have them yell that over and over again and then punish them for doing exactly what you told them they could do. That's just wrong.

I wonder how much of the film is historical. Was there really a Pang Qingyun who became governor of some provinces?

[skylee]

I wonder how much of the film is historical. Was there really a Pang Qingyun who became governor of some provinces?

You probably already know that the Warlords is based on a real event, for which there was another very famous film “刺馬" (the assassination of Ma). You could find information like this if you google for "Zhang Wenxiang Ci Ma An" -

在同治九年，又发生了两江总督、封疆大吏马新贻被刺的要案，事情发生在同治九年七月二十六日上午，马新贻校场阅兵完毕，返回督署的路上，为刺客张文祥所杀。刺客并不逃走，高喊：“刺客是我张文祥！”让那班怕死的卫士捉拿。这个案子发生后，清廷十分惊恐，知道此案涉及封疆大臣的内幕亵闻，于脸面上大不光彩。因此，只能掩盖矛盾，粉饰门面。慈禧太后为了维系她摇摇欲坠的统治，亲自出面处理此案。把正在天津处理教案的大员曾国藩，调来审理这个案件。又在曾国藩出发前夕，召见了他，面授机宜，说“马新贻办事很好”，为此案定了调子。这还不放心，一周之内，又连连派出大员参与审案。刑部尚书郑敦谨，也奉旨与曾国藩同审。经过一番紧锣密鼓，终于为张文祥定了一个“漏网发逆”和“复通海盗”的罪名，将张文祥处决，剜了张文祥的心，去祭奠这位马新贻，又厚厚的于以抚恤。一句话，马心仪是一个好官，张文祥是一个发逆。

然而，事情的真象总是难以隐瞒的，纸包不住火。大量的野史、笔记、小说、戏曲，却不顾官方史家的曲笔，将马新贻被刺原委，一一公诸于众。原来，马新贻之所以官运亨通，靠的是假报军功，又结纳权贵才得来的。他在所谓的“剿匪”战斗中，原本是一个败军之将。被俘以后，又没有骨气，与“匪首”义结金兰，成了拜把兄弟。再由他的把兄弟导演一幕马新贻收复失地的闹剧，欺瞒了朝廷，以至爬上封疆大吏的宝座。飞黄腾达以后，那些把兄弟原以为可以攀附于他，千里迢迢来投靠。马新贻又奸占了把兄弟的妻室，诱杀了把兄弟。张文祥因偶然的原因逃脱他的魔掌，才弄出这一出刺马的大案来。

[enaskitis]

Dear friends,

I'm a beginner in Mandarin and I don't understand the meaning of the title 投名状. "Throw description"??? I asked my teacher but she said she doesn't understand it either. I would appreciate it if you gave me your insight.

Thank you!

[Outofin]

enaskitis, I think this is a cant from the underworld.

状 is a written document. In this case, it's an "application" or a "pact", to create a strong bond among the vowed brotheres. 投名 could be said like "put my name on".

In the past, if one wanted to join a underworld faction, he must complete something that's so terrible that he had not way to pull back. In this case, is to kill an innocent person. 投名状 physically means the head of the killed person. This part was cut out from the movie because it was too violent.

[Lu]

In the film, 投名状 is like the oath of brotherhood that they all swear.

This part was cut out from the movie because it was too violent.

I didn't see a head being chopped off (at that point), but in the version I saw they did go out and each killed someone, and that was shown (as was a chopped off head later on in the film). Was that part cut in other countries?

[enaskitis]

Thank you everybody!

So, 投 here is a bit like 投放， right?

[Outofin]

I didn't see a head being chopped off (at that point), but in the version I saw they did go out and each killed someone, and that was shown (as was a chopped off head later on in the film). Was that part cut in other countries?

I saw they killing some people in a tunnel in a trailer. The oath was something like "The lives of my brothers are lives. The lives of others are not lives." That was quiet bloody. After all, they were some 草莽 who were almost starving to death. Everything was extreme. I didn't see this part in the movie.

I heard in some versions you can see how the 3rd brother was executed. I didn't see and really don't want to see it.

So, 投 here is a bit like 投放， right?

I think it's more like the 投 in 投军 (join the army) or 投奔. It's not "throw" or "release".

[enaskitis]

Thank you, Outofin

So let's say 投 = enlist, join in.

And then 名状 = a document with names (i.e. the names of the 3 "brothers") ?

[OracleBone]

Frankly speaking, I don't like this movie very much. There are so many historical mistakes in it. Besides, that is a great age when China was full of heroes, but I can't see any true hero in the film.

[skylee]

Not every film has true heros. Some stories are about cowards, some are about perverts, some are about killers / murderers, and heros are not absolutely necessary in every story.

[huisheng]

No leading actor can act. I really like Andy Lau as a person, but his acting just again disappointed me. I liked the ending, by which I wasn't surprised at all. 徐静蕾 looked horrible in the film, whom my dad commented as hideous and not supposed to be there as there are just too many stunning Chinese actresses. I feel I've wasted 20ish yuan on the DVD.

[skylee]

The film has won the best film, best director, and best leading actor (Jet Li) awards of the Hong Kong Film Awards 2008.

News -> 'The Warlords' dominates Hong Kong film awards

[Outofin]

Congrats! I like the movie very much. I actually just bought its soundtrack. I though the music in the movie was super cool. BUT, I disappointedly discovered that a piece of music is missing in this CD, the battle of Su. I'm so disappointed. But track 12, This Is War (Montage), is exactly what I was looking for. It's awesome.

[chavalit]

Recently there has been a Chinese movie called 投名狀 or The Warlords in English. I looked up many dictionaries but still couldn't decipher the meaning of 投名狀. Could someone enlighten me? I haven't watched the film though but curious about the title since it makes no sense to me.

[monto]

Neither do I. I have watched the movie and my Chinese is as good as the native. The movie is just for making money, beside that, meaningless.

[Peng]

Blood oath/brothers?

[chavalit]

I also notice that another English title of the movie is Blood Brothers. But would someone please explain in details the meaning of each character in this case and how these three characters combine to mean Blood Brothers?

[gougou]

Merging the two topics.

[monto]

As the movie goes, the three of the heroes made an oath together giving their names. And according to what the movie meant, at the time in that area, to break the oath meant death to the involved. So we can take 投名狀 as The Oath of Life.