This will be my first post in more than three years! Let me tell you how this came about: Last month, the Babylon cinema in Berlin organized a series of movie screenings called 'Best of Hong Kong Film'. Lucky for me, many of Wong Kar-Wai’s movies were shown. I was able to attend screenings of Ashes Of Time Redux, In The Mood For Love, 2046 and The Grandmaster. I missed Days Of Being Wild and My Blueberry Nights, but they were screened also. Since then, I’ve found my interest in these movies renewed, although I’ve seen them countless of times by now. Yet, they continue to fascinate and even surprise me. I still discover something new every time I watch them. So thank you, Babylon Berlin, for reigniting my love for Wong Kar-Wai’s work.
Today, I want to write about the character 'Razor' of 2013’s 'The Grandmaster', played by Chang Chen. This character has intrigued me ever since I watched the movie for the very first time (in its original Hong Kong Cut). 'The Razor' – as he is also called in the subtitles – is a mysterious figure. For a long time, I couldn’t quite grasp why he was in the movie. After all, his screen time was rather short and I couldn't quite figure out his connection to the main protagonists of the storyline, namely Ip Man and Gong Er. Later, I watched the two other cuts of 'The Grandmaster'. Each of them contains scenes featuring Razor that aren’t part of the other cuts. Combining all the different cuts, we are able to paint a more complete picture of this intriguing character.
What will follow now is a comparison of the three cuts in terms of how they depict the character Razor. For each of the three versions, I will give detailed breakdowns of the scenes in which this character is featured and provide an interpretation of them. At the end, I will also give a conclusion that will stress some general points that arise during the interpretations.
THE HONG KONG CUT (130min)
The Hong Kong Cut includes three scenes featuring Razor.
1. Gong Er and Razor meet aboard a train (53:52 – 56:00)
This scene follows Ip Man’s description of his life during wartime and how he lost family and friends in those years. The scene begins with Japanese soldiers boarding a train. We see that Gong Er is also onboard as a passenger. A gentleman – as it will turn out, Razor – whom we haven’t seen before, sits down opposite of her. Gong Er notices that he is wounded, she can see his blood dripping on the seat and on the floor. As the Japanese soldiers enter the cabin, he draws a razor. Gong Er then seats herself right beside him and covers him with her fur coat, thereby successfully hiding that he is wounded and armed. A Japanese soldier comes up to them and asks them for IDs and where they are headed, but they both pretend they’re asleep. Lucky for them, the Japanese soldiers are then called to another cabin and hastily go there. Gong Er and Razor then take a long look at each other, before Gong Er moves back to her seat.
An intercut to the train moving through the dusk as well as the dried blood on Razor's hand indicate that some time has now passed. We then see Gong Er sleeping. Razor now puts the coat back on her and leaves the train. The text on the screen then tells us: “1939. Traveling to Northwest University to practice medicine, Gong Er meets The Razor, a Nationalist agent.”
2. Razor is confronted by his former party members (1:17:32 – 1:20:22)
The second scene with Razor follows right after Ip Man has shown his challengers in Hong Kong the eight kicks of Wing Chun. The movie then cuts to a few seconds of heavy rain, before we witness a confrontation between Razor and other members of his party. “Do you remember our oath?”, he is asked. “What oath?”, he replies. His question is answered promptly: “I vow with all my heart to be loyal and obedient to the Party. I fear neither hardship nor sacrifice. Should I forsake these vows, I accept the harshest punishment.” Razor explains that the war is over and they’re now in Hong Kong, implying that the oath is no longer relevant. His adversaries however voice a different opinion: “Join us alive. Leave us dead.”, to which Razor replies that he will now leave and asks them whether they will be able to stop him. What now follows is an impressive fight in the rain, during which Razor easily manages to defeat them all. Afterwards, text on the screen tells us: “In exile in Hong Kong, The Razor ran the White Rose Barber Shop.”
3. The Razor’s barber shop (1:40:30 – 1:44:30)
Arriving at home, Gong Er breaks down and spills blood, due to her previous fight with Ma San. The next scene tells us via text on the screen: “1952. Hong Kong. White Rose Barber Shop” We witness The Razor being challenged once again. This time, it’s by someone who tries to get protection money from him. The Razor has obviously declined. His opponent warns him: “Open a business, play by the rules.” All in all, their confrontation seems to be about the local hierarchy. The Razor puts an end to the confrontation by 'planting his opponent's ass' (as he puts it) in a stool in the next room. Overcome by the skills of The Razor, the opponent then begs to become his disciple. At first, Razor declines, but the next shot shows him surrounded by his employees (including said opponent) as if posing for a group photo. The text on the screen then tells us: “That same year, The Razor began teaching. Baji kung fu came to Hong Kong.”
Interpretation
The Hong Kong Cut paints a picture of The Razor which at first is fairly vague, but becomes clearer with each scene. Let's take a look at the scene on the train first. It is clear from watching the scene that the Japanese soldiers aren't just randomly checking the people aboard the train, instead, they're looking for someone specific. It is Razor, who was apparently wounded in a confrontation with them shortly before. It doesn't take a lesson in Chinese history to guess why the Japanese soldiers are looking for him. After all, in the previous scene with Ip Man, we witnessed executions of people who weren't willing to cooperate with the Japanese occupiers. Our conclusions are then confirmed in the text shown on screen after the scene. There, Razor is called a "Nationalist agent". It's interesting to see that Wong Kar-Wai gives us the basic context of the scene beforehand, but the specific 'explanation' follows only after we have already watched it.
To understand Razor's specific political affiliations, now it does take a little bit of knowledge about Chinese history. We have to know that Razor, being a Nationalist agent, probably belongs to the Kuomintang, which had turned China from a monarchy to a republic in 1912. The Kuomintang were eventually forced out of the mainland in 1949, when the communist People's Republic of China was established. This historical background is necessary to understand the second scene, where Razor's political affiliations become more specific still. He is confronted by other Kuomintang party members who turn his flight to Hong Kong and his parting with the party into a life and death situation. The ensuing fight in the rain mirrors the fight between Ip Man and his opponents from the very start of the movie. There are similarities in the cholor scheme and the general production of the scene.
The text card at the end of the second scene tells us about Razor's barber shop in Hong Kong, indicating that he has moved on successfully. But it is not until 20 minutes later that we actually get a glimpse of this new life. We learn that the barber shop is actually just a cover up for the secret martial arts school that The Razor is now running there. The image of him surrounded by his employees/disciples at the end of the scene once agains mirrors one of Ip Man and his disciples from elsewhere in the movie.
THE INTERNATIONAL CUT (122min)
The International Cut contains four scenes featuring The Razor.
1. Gong Er and Razor meet aboard a train (51:07 – 53:15)
This scene is exactly the same as in the Hong Kong Cut and it occurs at the same point during the movie.
2. The Razor meets Gong Er in a restaurant in Hong Kong (1:14:12 – 1:15:10)
This scene follows right after Ip Man has demonstrated the eight kicks of Wing Chung to his challengers. Gong Er enters a restaurant and requests stewed lamb, kebabs and rolls. The salesclerk informs her that they don’t serve that anymore, since the Southerners don’t have a taste for it. But if she craves some home style food, she can tell him in advance and he’ll prepare it for her. Gong Er thanks him, says goodbye and leaves. The whole conversation is witnessed by The Razor, who recognizes Gong Er, but doesn’t approach her. We then see him leave, too.
3. Razor is confronted by his former party members (1:15:11 – 1:18:02)
This scene is almost the same as it is in the Hong Kong Cut, but it now follows the aforementioned scene of Gong Er and The Razor in the restaurant. Also, it has a different shot of the rain attached at its beginning. But more importantly, the text at the end is different. Here, it says: “That same year, ‘The Razor’ deserted the Party and took cover in Hong Kong.”
4. The Razor’s barbershop (1:33:27 – 1:37:26)
This scene is the same as in the Hong Kong Cut, except for one little shot missing.
Interpretation
The Razor's depiction is almost the same in the International Cut. The additional scene with Gong Er and Razor serves at least three causes: 1) It shows Gong Er as foreign in Hong Kong and makes it more obvious that this is an exile for her. 2) It continues the story between the two characters. Razor doesn't approach Gong Er, but he obviously remembers her from the past. Now that they are in the same city, we are left to wonder whether they will meet again.
The general feeling that comes across however is one of isolation. Apparently, Wong Kar-Wai had at one point planned to continue the story of the two further, as one article tell us: "In the deleted scenes, Razor tries to guard for Gong Er in Hong Kong. So his barber shop is nearby Gong Er's clinic." I have not come across said deleted scene, so I can't comment on this. 3) The scene also provides context for the one that follows. When that one starts, we already know that Razor now lives in Hong Kong and don't have to wait for the dialogue to let us know this.
The US Cut basically has only one sequence featuring The Razor (54:20 - 57:45). But a lot happens during those three minutes!
The sequence follows the scene with Ip Man and Ding Lianshan at the imbiss in Hong Kong, which is also part of the Hong Kong Cut but not the International Cut. As that scene ends in the US Cut, we hear Ip Man’s voice over: “That year, refugees flooded into Hong Kong. Among them were many Northern masters. They brought their Martial Arts skills with them. One of them was the fabled Baji master, ‘Razor’.” As we listen to Ip Man’s monologue, the scene cuts to The Razor fighting in the rain. It’s basically a very condensed edit of the fight in the rain from the two other cuts.
Ip Man continues: “He called himself a barber. Some said he was once an assassin, even the Last Emperor’s bodyguard. His blade was swift and untouchable. But a blade not blocked never sings. And he sought the Music of Steel.” Here, we get to see The Razor in his barber shop, but without any disciples.
3. Ip Man and The Razor meet
The sequence then cuts to Ip Man and The Razor sitting in a teahouse or some other comparable establishment. The Razor offers Ip Man a game of chess, which he declines. The Razor then inquires about Wing Chun and its use of knives. Asked if he wants to see it, he answers: “I want to hear it. This priceless sound. This razor hasn’t seen an equal for a long time.” Ip Man grabs a pair of metal chopsticks. As they both stand up, we are treated to ‘Casta Diva’ and see shots of other people going on about their business in nearby places, including the employess of the barber shop. The Razor draws his – you guessed it – razor and we hear its metal sound. Ip Man blocks it successfully and again that metal sound can be heard. The aforementioned people nearby listen and lock up, suggesting that they’re familiar with the sound – maybe there are some hidden masters among them. As the two masters part ways and share acknowledging smiles, Ip Man’s voiceover continues: “Wing Chun has a saying: You need both master and opponent. A great master is like a scale, a genuine opponent, a mirror. A well-matched opponent is as rare as a good friend. Razor put away his blade. But he never forgot that music and he gave Baji to Hong Kong.”
Interpretation
What's most obvious about the depiction of The Razor in the US Cut is that his historical contextualization is even less defined than in the other cuts. While he is a vague figure in each of the cuts, his mysteriousness becomes his defining element in the US Cut.
Here is what we know about his background. We can assume that he is one of the Northern masters who has fled to Hong Kong. Ip Man's implies this via voiceover. The fact that Razor is a master of Baji confirms this, after all, Baji is a Northern Chinese martial art. In contrast to the other cuts, his affiliation with the Kuomintang is not mentioned here. Rather, it becomes doubtful in this version, since he is rumored to once have been the Last Emperor's bodyguard. It's unlikely that someone in such a high position of the monarchical system could later become a member in a revolutionist national party. We must remember however, that these are only rumors. They serve to illustrate The Razor's mysteriousness and don't tell us viewers anything specific about the character. The Razor of the US Cut might have been a member of the Kuomintag just as The Razor from the other versions of the movie. We are simply not let in on that secret here, there is no hint for us to even assume Razor's membership in the Kuomintag Party; unless of course, we have seen the other versions.
Furthermore, The Razor's isolation is stressed in the US Cut. We either see him in battle or by himself practicing. There is no chance encounter with Gong Er (which creates a shared history between them in the International Cut) and we don't see him together with his disciples. In the US Cut, Razor's social web is rather non-existent. The only person Razor talks with in the US Cut is Ip Man. This is interesting, because the two don't meet in the other versions of the movie. There is no explanation given to us how this meeting came about. It is left in the dark.
Their dialogue, the action on screen as well as Ip Man's voiceover tell us a lot about their relationship. Unlike the people he has fought before, Razor clearly respects Ip Man. He genuinely inquires about Wing Chun and reveals his high regard of Ip Man when he says that his razor hasn't seen an equal in a long time. Either Ip Man's reputation precedes him or Razor simply senses when he has meet an equal. The following confrontation between the two is not a fight to the death, rather, it's a demonstration of skills. It's a confirmation of their statuses as grandmasters. When they part ways, they both take a look back at each other and share an acknowledging smile. It is this moment during which we can situate The Razor's historical localisation. He doesn't have to be defined as a rebel against Japanese oppression or the newly founded People's Republic of China. What's important is that he's a skilled martial artist, hiding out just as Ip Man does. His background may be vague, but his current situation isn't. In a nutshell: In the US Cut, the character Razor serves to illustrate the situation of martial artists during the 1950s.
Let's further dwell on the similarities between Ip Man and The Razor. In the other versions, they are only hinted at. Both of them are shown to have epic fights in the rain, which least of all creates a visual similarity. Both gather disciples in Hong Kong and pass their skills to a new generation. But most importantly, both are masters of their craft and defeat their opponents easily. To cite Ip Man's words in the movie: "Kung fu. Two words – horizontal, vertical. Make a mistake; horizontal. Stay standing and you win." Both stay standing, both win. This analogousness is only hinted at in the two other cuts; it is hinted at in scenes that are strewn across the whole movie. In the US Cut, their analogousness is brought to the front in one single sequence that lasts 3,5 minutes. They meet, they fight, they acknowledge each other's skills.
CONCLUSION
In this conclusion, I want to highlight the differencess between Ip Man and Razor, before I comment on the intertextual relationship of the three versions of the movie.
I have just stressed that Ip Man and Razor are analogue to one another. Both are undefeatable martial artists who have fled to Hong Kong, where they pass their respective craft, namely Wing Chung and Baji, to a new generation. Regarding the horizontal-vertical opposition of the movie, both are clearly vertical. Other characters like Gong Er, Ma San and Gong Yutian have made mistakes - horizonal. There is yet another opposition in the movie, it's the one between light and dark. Gong Yutian tells his daughter in one scene: "Some thrive in light, others in shadow. The times make us what we are." This is not an opposition that is as exclusive as the one that came before, since both Ip Man and The Razor are forced to live in the shadows at some point. But it's Razor who thrives there. Either as a spy for the Kuomintang or later on as a 'barber' in Hong Kong, he is a mysterious figure whose real persona is not out in the open at any point in time. Ip Man is different. He initially comes from the light. This is symbolized in the movie when Ip Man talks about life's seasons: "If life has seasons, my first forty years were spring." Later on, when the Second Sino-Japanese War begins, he loses everything. His wealth, his family and his friends. Eventually, he is forced to take refuge in Hong Kong. As the character describes this dramatic change in the movie: "If life has four seasons, we went from spring straight to winter." In 'The Grandmaster', it's the social and historical circumstances that shape the characters. As Ip Man says, "It was life that dealt the blows." The times make us what we are indeed.
In a final step, I want to comment on the intertextual relationship of the three cuts of the movie and how they affect our view of The Razor. Suppose you have only watched the US Cut and don't know anything about the other versions. This is how you would probably characterize Razor: "He is a Northern Master who has fled to Hong Kong. His past history is unknown, there are rumours that he might have been an assassin or a bodyguard for the Last Emperor. He now works as a barber." Another person, who has seen the other cuts beforehand, can easily fill out the gaps in your description. Theirs would be entirely different. They would add that although The Razor's background is rumoured, he was in fact a member of the Kuomintag and had to fight for his life to get out of the party. After all, that fight can be witnessed in the US Cut. They would also recognize the barbers that can be seen briefly in the US Cut as Razor's disciples in Hong Kong. Basically, a person who has seen the other cuts before, can contextualize some scenes and shots differently than a person who has no knowledge of the other versions. This works the other way too. When one watches the Hong Kong Cut, one can fill in the second meeting of Gong Er and Razor from the International Cut as well as the friendly duel between Ip Man and Razor from the US Cut.
While all Wong Kar-Wai movies demand observant viewers who are willing to actively (re)construct in their minds what they are witnessing on the screen, with 'The Grandmaster', Wong Kar-Wai has taken this to a new level. The different cuts are one reason for this. Through the different versions, he has found three distinct ways to tell his story. But unlike any Wong Kar-Wai movie before, the three versions form an intertextual web that invites the viewers to fill in information that is left out of the cut they are currently watching. Viewers are now faced with a task that goes beyond the (re)construction of the plot in their minds. I see this as an interesting and exciting development.
There are other ways to look at the intertextual web the three versions create. One could for example also examine how Gong Er's vow is depicted in each of the cuts. This would be a far more ambitious task, since it touches the very core of the movie. One could also take a look at the contradictions between the versions and how they can be explained. For now, I will leave you with my thoughts regarding The Razor. Please feel free to comment.
Update (8th September 2017):
In an interview originally published in
The Bejing News (9th January 2015) and now available in English as part of the book
'Wong Kar-Wai: Interviews', Wong talks about the 3D version of 'The Grandmaster'. This is yet another, fourth cut of the movie. I don't mention it in my article above. Apparently, it is based on the US Cut, but adds a few new scenes at the end. For our purposes, we can assume that it is nearly identical to the US Cut. In the interview, Wong Kar-Wai says: "After you watch the 3D version, you will have a clearer idea [of the story] when you re-watch the 2D version." This is exactly what I am talking about when I mention the intertextuality above.
In that interview, he also talks about The Razor. I quote this passage in full length:
WKW: I
think if The Grandmaster was really talking about the world of kung fu during
the Republican era, it would not
be one film. It ought to be three. The first one is about Gong Er and Ip Man;
the second one is about the face and the true self; and the last one is about
how Razor (played by Chang Chen) was exiled to Taiwan.
AY: Is the story about Razor’s exile to Taiwan just an idea?
WKW: I have a concrete story. Why did I choose Baji Quan? Baji Quan has a
legendary background. All the bodyguards of Chinese leaders in the past century
were trained in Baji Quan: [the last Emperor of Qing Dynasty] Pu Yi’s
bodyguard, Chiang Kai-shek’s, and Chairman Mao’s was said to be. The prototype
of Razor is based on Liu Yunqiao, the master of Taiwanese Baji Quan. (p. 208)
The notes of the published interview add some useful information:
The Razor character is fictional but is based on two Baji
Quan masters. Many Baji Quan
masters were assassins or military leaders who rebelled against the Japanese
occupation. (p. 210f.)
While this does not contradict the points I made above, I think it's interesting that Razor's martial arts style is an indicator of his background. The US Cut makes this explicit when it mentions the possibility that he may used to be an assassin or even the Last Emperor's bodyguard.
