Movie

The Grandmaster

2013 · 130 min

A visually poetic, slow-burning martial arts drama that feels like a melancholic meditation on memory, honor, and unfulfilled love.

Tagline: In Martial Arts there is no right or wrong, only the last man standing.
Overview: The fall of China's last dynasty, a time of chaos, division and war, is the golden age of Chinese martial arts. Legendary kung fu master Ip Man, who will eventually train Bruce Lee, finds his peaceful life interrupted by vengeance.

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How it feels

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Tone: melancholicstrength 3 of 3
tensestrength 2 of 3
romanticstrength 2 of 3
earneststrength 2 of 3
Pacing: slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: demanding, 4 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: identity
betrayal
grief
love
fate
Places: big city
countryside
Era: period
Audience: adult
Form: nonlinear
true story
Content intensity: Gore mild
Language mild
Violence strong
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	7
Horror	1
Humour	2
Realism	7
Romance	5
Tension	6
Darkness	6
Complexity	8
Emotional weight	8

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Details

Genres: action, drama, history
Directed by: Wong Kar-wai
Written by: Zou Jingzhi, Wong Kar-wai, Xu Haofeng
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Zhao Benshan, Xiao Shenyang, Song Hye-kyo, Wang Qingxiang, Max Zhang
Music: Shigeru Umebayashi, Stefano Lentini
Cinematography: Philippe Le Sourd
Runtime: 130 min
Country: Hong Kong, China, United States of America
Languages: Cantonese, Japanese, Mandarin

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The Grandmaster

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