GODLY BEGGAR is a dull martial arts drama from China. The intent is clear enough: to recreate the kind of low-fi, high power kung fu epics that had been popular in Hong Kong for a couple of decades, but the result is unlike any of those HK classics. Instead, GODLY BEGGAR is a story that is wearyingly worthy, and seems more intent to shove propaganda-infused morals down the throat of its viewers than telling a proper story.
The narrative involves the life story of a young man who learns moral lessons from his master and trains in Tai Chi to become an expert. Most of the dialogue consists of lessons from the elderly master telling the youth to be respectful to society and to do things for other people. Sadly, GODLY BEGGAR's execution is very poor; the whole thing seems to have been shot outdoors on a wintry hillside somewhere and the picture has a dull and washed-out look. The martial arts is limited and feels very slow, with the swordplay looking more like fencing and the hand-to-hand combat feeling staged. Given this film's rareness I suppose I should be grateful that I had the chance to see it at all.
The narrative involves the life story of a young man who learns moral lessons from his master and trains in Tai Chi to become an expert. Most of the dialogue consists of lessons from the elderly master telling the youth to be respectful to society and to do things for other people. Sadly, GODLY BEGGAR's execution is very poor; the whole thing seems to have been shot outdoors on a wintry hillside somewhere and the picture has a dull and washed-out look. The martial arts is limited and feels very slow, with the swordplay looking more like fencing and the hand-to-hand combat feeling staged. Given this film's rareness I suppose I should be grateful that I had the chance to see it at all.
