On August 7th, Well Go USA released the John Woo produced Taiwanese historical epic, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale, on Blu-ray and DVD. Dubbed as the most expensive Taiwanese production ever, Wei Te-Sheng’s intense war drama is a beautifully constructed piece of lengthy cinema that Asian film fans should seriously consider seeing.
To be clear, there are two versions of this film a 140 minute domestic version and a 270 minute international version. My review will be of the domestic version, (I know, I know, I’m annoyed too) which is the version most people will end up seeing since you need to dedicate 4 ½ hours of your life to the international one, which, time, is something I certainly plan on doing.
Set between the years 1985 and 1945, Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale chronicles the Japanese colonization of Taiwan, specifically an area of where aboriginal tribes have been living for many years where there are an ample amount of resources for the Japanese to thrive on. In this remote area of Taiwan, there was a notoriously strong tribal leader named Mouna Rudo who, after eventually surrendering to the Japanese, was able to join forces with his former tribal enemies to plot a rebellion against the Japanese (yeah, he’s awesome). From there, we experience the determination and strength of the tribesman as they take on the Japanese and nearly defeat them in this emotional and bloody historical epic.
Seediq Bale was a much better film than what I was initially expecting. The key factor for me was if it was going to feel long and drawn out but, in actuality, I could have kept watching more and really want to see the 4 ½ hour epic now. I was totally drawn into the movie and was captivated by the eclectic group of characters and the evolution of the indigenous people as the Japanese established their home away from home. During moments of serious drama the movie focused on issues of identity and change, which fascinated my historian side, and during the brutal and intense battle scenes, the movie became relentlessly badass. This combination of drama and action is why my attention never faded, I was always curious to see what would happen next and how the events would unfold. This is a true testament to the quality of the script as much as it is the directing and acting.
The one downside to the film, and this is the case with most Asian productions, the CGI is pretty bad. It is very noticeable and they were unable to blend it well into the feature. Though its waning at times, at least it doesn’t diminish the quality of the story or performances, it simply distracts you temporarily.
Many have compared Warriors of the Rainbow to Braveheart and Last of the Mohicans and thou
gh I haven’t seen the latter, I would be more inclined to say that this film is more of a mix between Braveheart, 300, and Apocalypto. The tribesmen use very few soldiers to eliminate an army with an abundance of troops and a powerful stockpile of weapons while at the same time we find ourselves in the midst of cultural extermination, the elimination of Taiwanese aborigines. Overall, the movie is well constructed and, though a little choppy, it’s an emotional and impactful picture that probably feels more complete in its full version rather than in this abridged version. I’d highly recommend seeing this movie but make sure you do it right and see the international one.
The Disc:
As for the disc, the movie looks incredible in HD and Well Go USA has delivered on its promise of quality in its releases. The colors are sharp and clear, helping to enhance the already beautiful cinematography and Jungle landscape. Unlike the international version, the domestic version comes with your typical special features and only about 30-35 minutes worth. The behind the scenes footage is raw but I found it interesting to see the scope of the film.
– Making Of (6 min)
– Make Up and Visual Effects (2 min)
– Behind the Scenes (20 min)
– Trailers
Movie Rating: A surprisingly engaging war epic that’s much better than I could have anticipated (7.7/10)
Disc Rating: Worth owning but get the international version (5.8/10)
Warriors of the Rainbow stars Lin Ching-Tai, Umin Boya, Ando Masanobu, Kawahara Sabu, Vivian Su and Da Ching and is now available on Blu-ray and DVD from Well Go USA.
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