Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In

Raymond Lam

Soi Cheang's Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is a compelling and lovingly constructed martial arts action film from Hong Kong. Set in the 1980s before Hong Kong rule shifted from the UK to China, the film is almost entirely set in the notorious Kowloon Walled City. This lawless enclave was ruled largely by triad gangs before being demolished in 1993. One of the chief assets of the film is its striking recreation of the walled city. Tenements and hovels were literally stacked on each other in Kowloon. The labyrinthine nature of Kowloon made it ideal for gangs who wanted warrens that the authorities could not or would not penetrate. Cheang and his scriptwriters portray Kowloon not only as a haven for the gangs, but also as a micro-culture that welcomed refugees and the dispossessed. The moving coda of the film, after the dust of the film's epic battles has settled, displays the denizens of Kowloon reembarking on their daily routines; a coda made more moving by our knowledge that their homes and way of life has been erased.

The film's protagonist, Lok (Raymond Lam), is a refugee who seeks sanctuary in Kowloon after clashing with a Hong Kong gang fronted by "Mr. Big" (Sammo Kam-Bo Hung). The film's Kowloon is controlled by a gang helmed by a philosophical thug named Cyclone (Louis Koo). After knocking the stuffing out of Lok to put him in his place, Cyclone takes a shine to the interloper and Lok gradually becomes integrated into the gang and the community. The fight choreography of ...Walled In is terrific, spread out across not only Kowloon's narrow streets, but also up and down its stacked tenements. Mr. Cheang, a onetime refugee himself from Macau, takes the time to establish his themes of identity, trust, and friendship. ...Walled In is blessed with more shades of characterization than one usually finds in action features. Most moving is the depiction of Lok's relationship with Cyclone who provides the younger man with mentorship and a sense of belonging.