Throw Down

Cherrie Ying, Louis Koo, and Aaron Kwok in Show Down

Jonnie To's Show Down, from 2004, is a delirious martial arts film set in Hong Kong. The usual ballet like fracases are an important part of the film, but Throw Down succeeds on the strength of its character development. Louis Koo portrays Sze-To Bo, a former judo champ who has abandoned his calling to lead a dissolute and pointless existence. He manages a nightclub where the musical entertainment is often truncated by violent outbursts, usually by the side burned Bo. Two new additions to the club, Mona (Cherrie Ying) and Tony (Aaron Kwok), help him break out of his self-destructive cycle.

A homage to Akira Kurosawa, the film is dedicated to the Japanese master, Throw Down echoes the themes of his first directorial effort, Sanshiro Sugata. Not only does Throw Down repeat the ethical issues faced in Sanshiro Sugata, it also uses musical motifs associated with that film. Throw Down is a thorough composed film in which the choreography and score are integrated as if in a musical. Leavened with humor, To nods to the gangster films of Scorsese (the nightclub is named the After Hours club) and, especially, Streets of Fire. The neon kissed noir look of Throw Down is extremely similar to Walter Hill's film, as is the mix of music and choreographed mayhem. Fans of Streets of Fire and Asian gangster films will find much to grok here.