The Message (2009) User Reviews

Bluff vs. bluff and elimination after elimination

[KineticSeoul · 7/10 · 25 December 2010]

Now although china comes out with low class products, this one was actually pretty good. It's like watching a darker version of Clue, but you want the secret spy to succeed in his/her mission. This is a well crafted espionage spy movie without the crazy action or anything like that, but it's like watching a intense game of poker with bluff versus bluff and elimination after elimination. The cinematography was also really well done and lot of the aspects of the film is well crafted to the point you will actually care what happens. Even the conclusion increased the impact of the film. Great production value and a pretty good story and performances makes this film, worthwhile to check out.

7.9/10

Fantastic film!

[Tensman · 8/10 · 9 October 2009]

"The Message" (Feng Sheng) is a tremendously engrossing and entertaining thriller, seemingly right out of the 1940's film genre. The film delivers highest quality in production, set design, direction, soundtrack, screenplay, and most notably the incredible cast of actors. I viewed it while in China and was very impressed; just like its jigsaw puzzle of a story, the film's components fit tightly as well. "The Message" is a film for adults but contains a story that all should know for the sacrifice and heroism of those portrayed so well. This is a real victory for Chinese cinema, as the film outdistances all Hollywood productions I have viewed this year.

Chinese movie makers still don't know how to tell stories

[yanghua-1029 · 6/10 · 16 November 2009]

Recommend you to read the novel written by Maijia, the movie adaption is much less cunning than the original one. Bai Xiaonian and Jin Shenghuo are too early to dead, making the answer of the puzzle too easy to guess, no challenge no surprise, that is a total failure for a suspense movie. I think to make the movie successful, it should leave the result to the last minute that out of everyone's expectation, and before that, it should make the situation as complex as possible and try to mislead the audience until reveal the truth reasonably at the end. So I still feel the adapter of the movie still does not know how to tell stories, just like many other movie writers in China. I don't know why the film company didn't invite Maijia to write the movie story? I believe he would have done a better job.

A Nutshell Review: The Message

[DICK STEEL · 9/10 · 5 October 2009]

For those anticipating Lu Chuan's epic Nanking movie City of Life and Death which will premiere this week, you might also want to check out The Message, now playing in cinemas and also set during the turbulent days of the Sino-Japanese war in China in the early 40s. While Lu Chuan's film tried to portray history through an objective lens, lending to it a documentary-like feel, The Message showed how Chinese cinema has grown to tap upon those dark days to create what would be an extremely well made tale of espionage, with insurgent and spies working effortlessly to bring misery to their Japanese occupiers.

Based upon the novel by Jia Mai, which Chen Kuo-fu has adapted the screenplay and shared directorial responsibilities with Gan Qunshu, The Message is a top notch tale of bluff versus bluff and dwindling trust, where a group of Counter-Insurgency Chinese troopers got called into a mansion for close interrogation, because one of them, codenamed The Phantom, is supposedly working for the resistance. It's curious times because you have the puppet Chinese government and their troops, the Japanese officers seeking to weed out traitors, and the resistance who have so far struck plenty of fear amongst the Japanese ranks because of their Basterds-like brutality, which the opening few minutes would let you have a taste of.

In essence it's a process of elimination, and while it is engaging on many levels - the story, the "whodunnit", the opulent and richly designed sets and costumes, swooping camera-work that will leave you breathless and that pulsating musical score, it somehow felt a little dragged out in its mid-section as it lingered on playing everything out in relative sequential order, and looked as if it's headed for a very straight-forward espionage tale in smoking out the spy amongst their midst, with some ingenuity of scheming, counter-scheming and baiting involved of course.

It's also because we tend to equate the biggest stars here, Zhou Xun and Li Bing Bing, as probably the most highly suspicious, and as the story continue to develop along that line, which is why the film had this unfair sense of familiarity going against it, which doesn't do justice to the film. What more, the inter-titles that frequently appear, continue to provide one clue too many as to whether the Japanese have got their man, or not. And that's probably the reason why some films work a lot better when it's a bunch of competent unknowns so that star power (naturally to attract an audience) doesn't factor in manipulating you.

However, it is the finale arc that elevated this film with its satisfying conclusion of the dangerous environment that resistance fighters often put themselves into. History has its fair share of tales on bravery and heroism, and I'm game to see a lot more of such war/espionage films coming out of the Chinese mainland, especially those with a solid story backed by excellent production values such as this one. If through films one can exorcise demons of the past, often through some form of escapism and fantasy, then perhaps the time has come for Chinese cinema to do just that, and to wow audiences around the world as well with universal themes.

The Message clearly is that it's highly recommended, and Hollywood better watch out!

One heck of a great war film

[dbborroughs · 9/10 · 29 January 2011]

Tense war time thriller about the Japanese and their puppet government search for "the Phantom" a mastermind who is running resistance agents via coded messages. No one, even in the resistance, knows who the leader is and it making everyone nervous. Who could it be? It could be anyone man woman, Chinese, Japanese.

Grand throw back to the thrillers of yesterday but done up with a style and verve and a graphic nature that was never done in say Hollywood's peak days. Its a grand film that may not be one of the years best but certainly one of the more enjoyable. Raely has the cost and danger of fighting a war been shown so clearly. It's a great deal of fun and would be worth seeing for the technical wizardry alone even if the story wasn't so good.

A must see.

Top-notch, world-class mainstream entertainment with an artistic flare

[harry_tk_yung · 22 October 2009]

Seldom, if ever, do I see three local English language entertainment magazines unanimously heap high praises on a movie from Mainland China. Still rarer is to see these normally cynical movie critics intimating to being moved by the heroism in a mainstream, commercial feature. After watching "The Message" I see how deserving it is.

This artistic achievement of this movie, while not in the art-house context, is second to none as a mainstream entertainment. It scores an "A" in every department – direction, script, cinematography, set and art direction, suspense and twist, and acting, particularly acting.

The story is simple and universal. While it in set in China in 1942, it would work perfectly with a French underground resistant group against the Nazis. The plot is simple. Five people in the counter-conspiracy office of the unpopular puppet government are "invited" to attend a meeting to discuss security and code-breaking matters in a Gothic mansion. As the scenes unfold, they are made to realize that one of them is an infiltrating undercover agent and the idea is to find out which one. At the same time, this agent has just fallen for a hoax and sent a message to the organization to initiate an assassination. Now trapped in this mansion, this agent has to find a way to send a countermanding and warning message or the entire organization is in danger of being wiped out. There are, of course, more twists and turns but all I'm going to say is that the audience will find the resolution of all the twists quite satisfactory.

Even more engaging, however, is character development. While as part of the plot, the suspects have their claws out against each other, the audience, in addition to being intrigued by the unfolding revelation, is also fascinated by how their characters evolve, shift and deepen. In order not to give anything away, I'll only mention the most prominent actors. The best scene has to be between the two women, how they play out their multi-facet and multi-level relationship. Both ZHOU Xun and LI Bingbing are nominated for Best Actress at the Taiwan's Golden Horse award. They both deserve to win. Last year's Golden Horse winner ZHANG Hanyu also has a spectacular performance, especially in his scenes with ZHOU.

I mentioned how the depiction of heroism moved the critics. This is achieved with no flag-waving rhetoric. The audience gets to gradually feel for the characters, without knowing who the real heroes are. Then the twists and turns silently attest to the lengths they would go for their course of fighting for freedom. The nobility of the self-sacrificing spirit is finally brought home by one last message that will touch even the hardened cynics.

One thing the local critics haven't talked about much is the quality of the dialogue. While not quite titillating Bernard Shaw, these dialogues are intelligent. Examples (without getting into specifics):

(1) When a friend tells a secret agent about finding out the latter's identity, the agent takes the friend aside and asks -

Agent: When did you find out?

Friend: At this very moment. I was bluffing.

(2) Interrogator trying to get prisoner to talk -

Interrogator: I can protect your family if you talk.

Prisoner: I don't think that in your position, you have enough clout to do that.

Interrogator: When I say protecting your family, what I mean is not hurting them myself (at which point a phone is passed to the prisoner with the latter's frightened mother at the other end of the line).

A well made movie that toes the party line

[KaisiXiansheng · 7/10 · 24 April 2017]

This movie fits nicely into the Chinese ruling party's portrayal of World War II-- namely, that the Guomindang were traitors or cowards, the Japanese were demons, and the Communists were heroes. I've seen enough mainland-made movies about WWII that this historical revisionism is getting on my nerves.

With that said, this is a good movie! Well filmed, well acted, with a well-crafted (albeit somewhat confusing) plot. Take it with a grain of salt and enjoy it.

Made in China is not always bad

[dgg321982 · 9/10 · 9 November 2009]

The opening of the film already shows some quite different quality from the otherwise dull and hard Chinese films. Visual effect it is, that is what the Chinese doesn't have or has but in a poor way.

However, nice, eyes attracting cg isn't the essence of this film. The script and the performance are the winning factors. Quite like a detective movie, but another way round, "bad" guys searching "good" guys. Clues, dialogs and something unexpected come one after another. Of course, the final answer only shows up in the end. The atmosphere is right: set in a castle, no way to escape, dark and brutal, even bloody. The struggle between Chinese and Japanese in the War time, or to be more general, between the righteous and the evil at that time, is the permanent subject of all time.

Performance of the actors and actresses are beyond reproach. My only disappointment is on Zhou Xu. Nothing in particular, only, say, it can be better.

I have heard that because of the censor some scenes were heavily cut. The cut part must be something even more bloody and scary. However, what should I say, without these scary scenes, the impact of the whole movie would reduce to its half. And I would like to say, the remaining "torture" scenes are not yet entirely convincing, although they are quite enough for the mass majority in China.

In addition, the last scene is quite superfluous, intending to highlight the "old ghost". In an old Chinese saying, painting feet on a snake. In my opinion, silence will do the trick, just let the audience remind themselves.

At the end of the comment: I want more although it is enough!

Suspenseful and Gorgeous - Review of "The Message"

[kampolam-75813 · 7/10 · 23 January 2023]

Chen Kuo-Fu, a famous Taiwanese director and producer, since joining the Asian branch of Columbia Pictures, he has followed the development of Chinese films from Taiwan and Hong Kong to the Mainland China. After he successfully directed the suspenseful horror film "Double Vision" in 2002, his status in Columbia Pictures and Chinese Cinema gradually improved. Later, he supervised the production of "Warriors of Heaven and Earth" (2003) directed by He Ping, and his exchanges with Mainland directors deepened. In 2008, Feng Xiaogang directed the blockbuster film "If You Are the One", which was based on his "The Personals" in 1998. He also served as the screenwriter of "If You Are the One", and also contributed to his cooperation with Huayi Brothers. Then, he and Gao Qunshu co-directed "The Message" (2009), a suspenseful spy film about the Japanese invasion of China. The film is very popular in the Mainland, with the latest box office record of nearly RMB 300 million.

According to Chen Kuo-Fu's mention in the production special, the filming of "The Message" was started because Wang Zhonglie, the boss of Huayi Brothers, showed him the original novel and wanted to find him to adapt it into a movie. Later he asked Gao Qunshu, who had directed "The Tokyo Trial" (2006) to co-direct. Chen Kuo-Fu said that the content of the original work was significantly edited and the story focused on the process of the protagonists being trapped in the castle and being censored. The film uses Chen Kuo-Fu's excellent skills in dealing with suspense films. The guessing game of who is the "real one" is fascinating to the audience. Coupled with the performances of the two heroines Zhou Xun and Li Bingbing, it is breathtaking. Because the film focuses on seven characters, Takeda (played by Huang Xiaoming), Wang Daoxiang (played by Wang Zhi-Wen), Gu Xiaomeng (played by Zhou Xun), Li Ning Yu (played by Li Bingbing), Wu Zhiguo (played by Zhang Hanyu), Bai Xiaonian (played by Alec Su You-Peng), Jin Shenghuo (played by Ying Da), circling the matter of investigating who is the traitor, the Japanese officer Takeda did not hesitate to use unusual methods to investigate who was the "Old Ghost" and "Old Gun", Bai Xiaonian and Jin Shenghuo died during the interrogation process, leaving behind Li Ning Yu, Gu Xiaomeng and Wu Zhiguo. The climax of the film is Wu Zhiguo being testified by Gu Xiaomeng, and then Li Ning-Yu exposes Gu Xiaomeng. Takeda wanted to wipe out the assassination organization. However, the news was exposed, the trick was unsuccessful, and he was killed by Wu Zhiguo on the way back to Japan. At this time, the audience thought that he was in revenge for being beaten to death by Takeda. In the end, when Japan was defeated, Wu Zhiguo went to the factory to find Li Ning-Yu, and the mystery was completely revealed.

In terms of plot arrangement, Chen Kuo-Fu and Gao Qunshu are very good at mastering the rhythm, which affects the audience's emotional shrinkage, and the behind-the-scenes team with international level is created, it can be described as a "technical knockdown" work. The problem is that the film is not only satisfied with this, in addition to the elements and audiences required by the genre, the film does not add additional achievements to this genre, but only uses gorgeous professional "dressing" to create a genre "template" for Chinese Cinema. Maybe some people will compare this film with Lee Ang's "Lust, Caution" (2007), because the two films involve the struggle between Wang Jingwei's government (puppet Japanese military government) and the anti-Japanese activists, but the two have completely different attitudes. Lee Ang took his literary and erotic route, and used the unique background of this era to write a fiery and abnormal love; while Chen Kuo-Fu and Gao Qunshu moved in the direction of Hollywood type films, creating a "Hollywood mode" type "template" for Chinese Cinema, each has its own precise calculations that make the film a certain achievements, but at the same time, it also its own mistakes and compromises. It is interesting that Lee Ang and Chen Kuo-Fu are both directors cultivated by Taiwan Central Pictures.

By Kam Po LAM (original in Chinese)

Oscar Worthy!! Should have been their Best Foreign Film entry!!!

[BronzeKeilani26 · 10/10 · 17 April 2010]

I swear, DO NOT listen to negative comments, which is why I took so, so long to watch this mind boggling, fast paced, amazing film! In the past few wks, I started running more & more into fantastic reviews on The Message, so I finally decided "reluctantly" to watch it! I went ahead and chilled, kicked back with low expectations, and prayed not to fall asleep.

I kid you not! Soon as it started to roll, the suspense and action kicked in! I love the way it started too and it's fast paced. No long drawn out scenes and I didn't take my eyes off the movie once. The acting was fantastic, powerful and intense. And the story was a high level THRILLER with many corners to keep us guessing! Seven to 10 main actors, so don't expect to lose your way in all those Chinese names. That's a good thing! The story-line & plot was so good, they had every loose end covered. It's rare to find a good flick with no holes. There's a lil twist at the end too. I'm not into spy films but this was kick a-- and the Chinese have been throwing out top notch films better than the U.S, Japan and everywhere else in the past 5 yrs. They are truly getting better and better at their game, heheh...I'm so serious. The 2 beautiful female stars were amazing & had our eyes glued to the screen. I loved the way their drama & expressions sucked us into the film and I heard they were nominated against one another for best actress award in this film in the Golden Horse Awards! This is like the 3rd film in 4 wks I ran into with few and bad reviews here, but great reviews elsewhere, which turned out to be EXCELLENT films. If you've become addicted to GOOD films such as I have, YOU WILL LOVE THIS!

Perfect movie but can't bear to watch again

[clever_sherry · 10/10 · 17 June 2022]

The movie is super great, like one of the best Chinese movies, completely out of my expectation. It was trilled, dark, breath holding. So dark and depressing that I can't bear to watch again. But really a good movie, well plotted, can't guess the end until the very last minutes. Definitely would recommend to watch.

wonderful spy film.

[Hunky Stud · 8/10 · 22 June 2012]

Only eight people wrote reviews, so i am writing one myself since it is an excellent film to watch.

i watched it on DVD, for some reason, it was too dark throughout the film. I don't know if it is due to the film they used or if they intentionally made it looking so blurry all the time. and the film size is not even full size.

It is a pity that it is a wonderful film, but due to the low DVD quality, it decreases the overall enjoyment.

This film reminds me of "death on the nile". several people got put into a confined place, and one of them is the suspect.

i don't know if this really happened or not, i truly enjoyed it.

Also, I am sure that if the Chinese communist party is not in charge of all films made in mainland china, this film could be more interesting. it still has the undertone to praise how brave the communist workers are. some of the names could be different, such as "communist bandits" instead of "communist party members", etc.

There could be more interesting films made by Chinese filmmakers if the communist party gives up its firm grip of the film producing industry.

Maybe someday Hollywood could also make one just like this one.

Cat & Mouse Concept.

[jordiojoystar · 30 January 2014]

The Message was adapted from Mai Jia's 2007 novel and was then put into film by Chen Kuo-Fu and Gan Qunshu. A simple action-thriller film of a "cat and mouse" chase between the Japanese and the Chinese. It's all about loyalty to the country or traitor to the nation. The choice is simple – either one of them give in or die with the secret.

This Chinese espionage film is situated within the castle and throughout the castle whereabouts and the castle's dungeon. There are no such castle in history, only mimicking the Reichfuhrer SS Heinrich Himmler's Wewelburg Castle – having the dungeon for interrogation with torture equipments available.

It is slow and dramatic if one could actually enjoy watching it. After all, it's just another espionage-thriller film.

--

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, a mysterious individual called Magnum has been master-minding the deaths of numerous Japanese officers and Chinese co-conspirators. Thus, the Japanese army plan a trap to settle the score for once and for all without having their plans intervene nor further death continues.

A false information on Commander Zhang's location was spread, and soon the observation determine that the leak must be from the Counter- insurgency Center, staffed by a five-member team under the command of Captain Wu Zhiguo (Zhang Hanyu).

Without delay, his team is forcibly invited to be guests at a remote castle that's opulently decorated and also possessing of a fine set of torture devices.

The Japanese authorities, led by Colonel Osamu Takeda (Huang Xiaoming) and Chief Wang (Wang Zhiwen), plan to keep Wu's team in custody until one of them confesses to being "Phantom", the spy who passes information to Magnum and the Resistance.

That's when the games begin. While their captors scheme in the background, the Counter-insurgency Team proceeds to point fingers at one another.

Initially, Captain Wu seems above the fray, but becomes intense when sassy little princess Gu Xiaomeng (Zhou Xun) fingers him as a possible Phantom.

Meanwhile, the overweight Jin (Ying Da) finds himself pitted against prissy Lt. Bai (Alec Su), who's under suspicion despite being a "special friend" of Commander Zhang.

The most reasonable member of the group is also the most vulnerable; Li Ningyu (Li Bing-Bing) situation worsens when her boyfriend is brought in as one of Magnum's co-conspirators.

The Phantom is also stuck within the castle with absolute no communications to his reach his resistance forces and if word doesn't get out within five days t on Commander Zhang is a definite entrapment which could led the departure of the resistance.