Final Rating: 3.5/5
In 100 Yards, a series of duels between two rivals over control of a martial arts academy engulfs the city of Tianjin in 1920s China. Drawing as much from Westerns as they do from classic martial arts films, directors Xu Haofeng and Xu Junfeng craft a compelling conflict between adherence to tradition and progress at the turn of the 20th century.
100 Yards begins with a sparring match between Shen An (Jacky Heung) and Quan Qi (Andy On) as their aging master – Shen’s father – looks on. After Quan wins, he is made the new head of the academy, while Shen is all but banished from the school. Shen begins a campaign to win stewardship of the academy through a rematch, bitter at his loss, but also uncertain of Quan’s plans for the future.
The film revolves around three duels between the leads, each preceded by plotting and philosophizing about the role of martial arts in the community. The titular “100 Yards” refers to the circle of the school’s influence: within 100 yards, any disorder shall be dealt with. When discussing the school’s future, or founding another school, characters speculate on the size of the implied “Circle.” As Quan and Shen vie for control of the school, they struggle with how to grow that influence without sacrificing their identity.
The greatest strength of martial arts is as a unifying force, and no place is more in need of unification than Tianjin. The city is controlled by the Martial Arts Circle with Quan’s school as their base of operations and a French bureaucratic class who see the locals as little more than bodyguards or entertainers. While each offers their own version of protection to the people of Tianjin, there’s no appetite for cooperation. The martial artists and bureaucrats barely regard each other as people, and each class is openly disdainful of the city’s smaller gangs. Meanwhile, all of Tianjin treats the city’s large mixed-race population with disgust.
In the face of disunity, Quan and Shen offer opposing visions of progress. Quan’s philosophy places himself and his school above all others, his authority as a master carrying with it a duty to control all aspects of his domain. Upon his ascension, he sets to work recruiting the city’s hoodlums and disaffected foreigners, creating the beginnings of a covert wing for the martial arts school.
At the same time, he researches bandit fighting styles while trying to predict Shen’s next moves. But like the bureaucrats in Tianjin, Quan sees everyone else as beneath him. His army might as well be faceless goons, and the fighting style he adopts against Shen serves more to show that he can win even with dishonorable methods than an earnest study of outsider combat.
In contrast, Shen’s outreach is more sincere. He regards the hoodlums as equals – formidable foes, even – and immerses himself in the community of French-Chinese. In doing so, he’s able to win over the disaffected when it matters, gaining sympathy from Quan’s militia, and even protection from the mixed-race postal workers’ union.
The action in 100 Yards is phenomenal, fights conveying equal parts discipline and animosity. Each character’s philosophy is further expressed through their approach to combat. Quan is an efficient, indomitable fighter, while Shen is fiery and impulsive, but consequently a better improviser. Both are arrogant, but while Shen’s arrogance leaves him prone to mistakes, Quan’s makes him incurious, ultimately succumbing to hubris by the end.
The choreography of the fights is crisp and exciting, each duel standing out as a highlight of the film. The film’s interstitial action is also excellent, generating excitement at even minor scuffles and fake outs as characters threaten to come to blows.
Early on, a character states “hire bodyguards. Not for protection, but so you aren’t always on guard. It drives you crazy.” Directors Xu take the sentiment to heart, building tension through close shots and a liberal use of Dutch angles, colouring perception of their characters while keeping viewers on their toes. An Wei’s score primarily consists of a few recognizable motifs jarringly breaking up an otherwise quiet movie, usually to punctuate surprising character moments.
The technical flourishes serve to underscore 100 Yards’ greatest strength. Directors Xu have crafted a beautiful and efficient film, with a disciplined approach to filmmaking that highlights the philosophy at its core.
Thank you to MPRM Communications for the screener.
