From the outset, The Shinjuku Incident is not a light movie. There is no choreographed kung fu with ladders or basketballs. It takes place in a seedy Tokyo with a violent streak, and this violence is not sugar-coated, with most conflicts ending rather suddenly in death or maiming. The film's moral ground is rough as well, and Steelhead exists in a gray area between loyalty to his people and a frustrating complicity in their corruption. It can be a difficult movie to watch.
The writing in The Shinjuku Incident can be a touch self-important, but this is nothing new for crime and action cinema. Meanwhile, the plot manages to be sweeping in scope, covering Steelhead's rise to leadership and touching on his personal history in China, reflecting an array of political turns and cultural changes. It's woven with two love stories and one tale of brotherhood; it's complicated, but never hard to follow.
As with any film that aspires to be "epic" in the length of a normal feature, there are some problems here. Steelhead himself is compelling, but we have to accept a number of his Chinese compatriots without really getting to know them. Other major characters — Jie, Xiu Xiu, Inspector Kitano, Egugi, and Lilly — are ambiguous as a substitute for complexity, and the various Yakuza are interchangeable.
However, these narrow sketches of individuals are redeemed by the characterization of the Chinese immigrant community as a whole. From its introduction, encapsulated in a small, overcrowded apartment, we are privy to its warmth and self-sufficiency, and the changes it undergoes are able to affect us emotionally. The final scenes of the film make it clear that the director was aware of this, and that these effects were intended.
The Shinjuku Incident tries to do a lot with its two hours, and it isn't quite the epic triumph that it's reaching out to be. However, it makes those two hours worth it. Jackie Chan's character is both endearing and tragic, and the stories he takes part in are sad, suspenseful, and enlightening. His film has a warm heart, shackled in the grip of a dark, violent criminal world, and though it may remain obscure for a while, it's a genuine cinematic success.
Article comments
1 - Debi Younce
I cannot tell you how refreshing it is to read a real review of a movie that Jackie Chan has streched his acting wings on. I shared this blog on our Jackie Chan Friendship forum and look forward to seeing the response.