800 is the most profitable movie of 2020. I review China's fact-based war superproduction.
800 is a huge blockbuster with a budget of $ 80 million, reminding us that the Chinese can create cinema with a flourish that can appeal to audiences around the world. We can see it not only in battle scenes, but also in the scenography of the battle site consisting of 68 buildings destroyed by the war. Of course, there are computer effects here, but they are a tool to refine the fights and do not give the impression of artificiality on the screen. I pay attention to this behind-the-scenes fact, because what, what, but the money is clearly visible.
The fact-based story is limited to one place. A key warehouse in Shanghai with a group of Chinese soldiers defending against the vast majority of Japanese invaders. It's kind of like a European story about the 300 Spartans, so you can see that this kind of heroism can take place in different parts of the globe. An important issue is the location of the place of action, because it is located by the river - on the other side of it is the territory of the British, which the Japanese do not want to mess with. On the one hand, it affects the form of the conflict, because you cannot use more powerful artillery, as it would quickly rebound. On the other hand, it makes civilians, the press and the people of Europe watch the conflict unfolding meters from their safe haven. We are aware that it really was, but at the same time we see a strange reference to reality in it. To how people react when conflicts and other tragic situations occur; when the negative qualities of human nature make themselves felt. This builds a dissonance, because the warehouse becomes a place - as they call it in the film - between heaven and hell.
The characters are a specific element of the film. You can see that the director made a conscious decision to focus on the group hero, i.e. all the soldiers. This usually makes it difficult to like a specific unit because we know too little about it. In this case, however, it works a bit differently, because we get to know them from every perspective. We have courageous patriots, but also executed deserters, cowards, normal people after all. Their humanity is emphasized by simple means enough to be able to follow their fates with considerable interest, and at the same time it is not deepened enough to trigger more emotions. This also shows the key to making history. Unlike many war movies, it doesn't focus too much on dilemmas, issues, and other aspects that could upset the dynamic pace. Which does not change the fact that although their appearance is felt, they are still not paper figures that we will be indifferent to. In addition, the cast of rather lesser-known Chinese actors makes us think of them as a group after the film.
However, what the 800 has the best are the battle scenes, which are not too few. In this respect, the director did a great job, because it is effective and exciting. You can often get caught involuntarily "wow". Especially when the heroism is shown, which in contrast to the sometimes banal deaths caused by a stray bullet makes an electrifying impression. There is a lot in this display of creativity and wonderfully implemented ideas - combined with the great work of the camera, this creates a war spectacle that we have not seen on the screen at such a level for a long time. The good news is that there is a lot of it, and the "breaks" in between are boring and allow enough breath to be delightful again. Of course, pathos, which may seem more Chinese at times, plays a role. Looking at the archival recordings that appear at the end, I was wondering if it was an invention of the creators or if these soldiers really did. After all, the press with cameras filmed what was happening on the other side of the river. However, these are sporadic moments and, as I mentioned, essentially expected. If we want to have a good time in a war cinema, focused more on battle scenes, we must probably accept it with all the good inventory.
800 is an excellent war cinema for anyone who expects, above all, battle scenes, panache and great production. Less emphasis on purely dramatic issues seems even more accurate, because Chinese cinema experts know how Chinese filmmakers can overdo it, creating sloppy and teary works. However, this is not the case here and the entertainment meets all expectations.
