Concert documentaries are always fan favorites. Generally the people that see these films know a thing or two about the artist and crave more information about them while wanting to understand how the other half lives as they prepare and perform for those who’ve made them popular in the first place. So it should come as no surprise that Yan Yan Mak’s concert documentary, The Great War (the director’s cut), follows these basic principles of concert filmmaking by giving us behind the scenes access to the preparation and execution of the Grasshopper VS Softhard concert series as well as allowing us access into the minds of the fans through candid interviews before and during the shows at the famous Hong Kong Coliseum as well formal interviews with the five members of the act.
For those who don’t know, Grasshopper is a pop trio that rose to massive fame in the 90s and is comprised of Calvin Choy, Remus Choy and Edumond So. Together they put on lavish performances that involve a ton of dancing and overall Asian flashiness. On the other hand Softhard, comprised of former radio DJs Jan Lamb and Eric Kot, rose to fame through their comical but very political raps during the late 80s and early 90s.
The Great War is one of those movies that, for me personally, was doomed 10 minutes in and it’s not because I didn’t necessarily like what I was seeing, it’s simply because not knowing anything about this band prevented me from ever fostering a connection with them. The fact that I don’t know any of their music makes it extremely difficult to be engaged and all I could do was sit back and hope that one of the guys from Softhard would make a joke because that’s where most of the entertainment came from.
The most interesting part of the film was hearing how the two groups mashed together as they have very different styles and personalities. When Softhard joined up with Grasshopper they had to get in shape and learn how to dance. Eric Kot actually lost 40 pounds so that he could keep up and attempt to look as good as his Grasshopper cohorts. In all honesty, the Softhard guys are the ones that make the movie worth watching because they are hilarious. They’re funny, charismatic, over-the-top and have this youthful spirit about them which makes them a lot of fun to watch and be around. Eric was in attendance and was making the Q&A session difficult for the translator because he just kept rattling off ridiculous jokes, it was awesome.
I did learn a thing or two from the documentary, most notably how much of an influence these guys have had on their fans, what their music means to them and Hong Kong in general, and how eccentric a Cantopop performance can actually be. What we see in The Great War isn’t just a pop concert, it isn’t just a hip hop show (though it may not always sound like rapping), it’s a spectacle, like something you’d see at a Broadway musical or at the Macy’s Day Parade. There’s intense choreography coupled with crazy, glitzy and intricate costumes that made me simply ask, why? What is the point of some of these effeminate over the top looks as one performs? This was something that wasn’t explained but I feel it is just something rooted in a lot of pop concert acts, especially Asian ones, but Grasshopper ratchets it up a notch to make sure it’s something unforgettable, Softhard was just riding along for this specific costume ride.
Overall, the director’s cut of The Great War is decent doc but much of the problem lies with its accessibility. The story isn’t crazy, engaging or that inspiring (though it does try) and because of that it limits its accessibility to audiences outside of Hong Kong or China. Unless you are aware of the band or listen to Cantopop then there really is no reason to watch this documentary. It’s a very targeted feature but one I’m sure fans of each group will enjoy.
Rating: Unless you’re a fan of Grasshopper, Softhard or Cantopop, it’s probably best to just skip this one (5.9/10)
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