Wong Kar-Wai and Tony Leung collaborate for the 7th time, and Wong enters completely new territory with this Martial Arts Period-drama cum Action-saga. Though the movie mainly has commercial elements, Wong superbly infuses the themes/feelings of melancholy, responsibility and fate too. He shows Martial Arts is more than its physicality; it has a philosophical backbone too. His eye for visual detail is impeccable; it makes the fights look like an elegant and mystic dance form.
The screenplay, with many flashbacks and flash-forwards, may confuse many viewers as to what the intended storyline is, and may find not find meaning in the script. The thing the viewers have to realize is that this isn't just the story of Ip Man; it follows the lives of other grandmasters too - Razor, Gong Er, Ma San. Although the characters of Razor and Ma San are not developed well, the movie shows us how different art forms survived, and how many of them became extinct. It's because of teachers like Ip Man and Razor that Martial Art forms of Wing Shun and Baji Kung fu survived respectively and were passed on.
Yuen Woo-Ping ('The Matrix', 'The Crouching Tiger and The Hidden Dragon') has choreographed the fight sequences with such brilliance. Some may find the editing and elements of water & snow come in the way of the action sequences, and take away from its charm. But I personally the effect of rain and snow during the fights; it was breathtaking. Tony Leung and Zhang Ziyi play their roles remarkably; no surprise there.
Many may see it just as an action movie, but it seen closely, it has deeper political, social, emotional, and spiritual innuendos. The scene in which Gong Yutian and Ip Man contest, there are no blows at all; they just dance with their arms intertwined, and see if Ip is able to break the cake in Gong's hand. It's quite unique. During the fight between Gong Er and Ip Man, they freeze in the air face-to-face, almost millimeters apart from each other; it's charged with such apparent sexual tension, it's difficult to take eyes off of them. My favourite moment is the train scene during war in which Gong Er tries to save an injured Razor by putting her coat around them and acting as a couple taking a nap; for me, the scene was perfect, and resonated with Wong's ingenious character-study. The scene also shows that Gong Er crosses paths with each of the other Grandmasters.
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