Espionage is widely regarded as a game of cat and mouse, and nowhere was that more apparent than in China during World War II, where a clandestine network of spies fought against their Japanese occupiers through meticulously executed acts of deception and false loyalty. At the same time, there were also competing, carefully concealed factions within their ranks quietly battling one another, relying on the same kinds of tactics used against their mutual enemies, for who would control the country during the post-war era, pitting Chinese nationalists against the rising tide of Communism. That tangled web of moves and counter-moves is effectively brought to life in writer-director Er Cheng's fourth feature outing, a film that seamlessly combines works drawn from the historical drama, action-adventure, thriller and arthouse genres, quite an accomplishment for such widely diverse materials. The picture's fine period piece production values, excellent ensemble cast (especially protagonists Tony Leung and Yibo Wang), atmospheric cinematography and superb special effects blend well to tell an engaging, visually tantalizing tale that gets better and better the further one gets into the story. Admittedly, the filmmaker's less-than-veiled political symbolism, which obviously is meant to bolster Chinese propagandist sentiments, can be seen as somewhat over the top at times. Moreover, the director's assumptions regarding audience foreknowledge of mid-20th Century Chinese history can occasionally leave viewers somewhat baffled and frustrated (though one should bear in mind that this was made for a Chinese audience). What's more, the picture's out-of-sequence storytelling can be a little frustrating (especially in the first hour), though, thanks to the film's inspired editing, the narrative cleverly circles back to its origins as the movie goes on, making up for what some may see as a shortcoming. However, these considerations aside, "Hidden Blade" is a surprising little gem, one that, hopefully, won't get lost in a sea of lesser releases or pictures that capture undeserved praise.

Upfront, I am astounded by the dichromatic visual aesthetics, the painstaking production design, and the drearily solemn atmosphere, which swiftly institutes a suspenseful mood. The lingering tension continues to build as seemingly irrelevant narratives, discourses, and incidents begin to unfold, intersect, and repeat, embroidering a convoluted story with the aid of purposefully fragmented editing. However, lacking both historical contextualization and relational clarification, the movie demands much heed, deduction, and prior knowledge from its audience to fully comprehend and rationalize the plot. And yet, if you do manage to wade through the mist, you will find the tale hither and thither illogical, or flawed, for instance the riveting hallway brawl moderately contradicts the final revelation. Speaking of which, the prolix denouement marginally punctures the perfectly constructed angst in the first act, limiting blankness of interpretation. Overall, sublime performances, stylistic presentation, and undoubtedly a film I recommend.

Wu Ming, internationally known as Hidden Blade, is a Chinese espionage thriller set during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It follows a group of secret agents supporting the Chinese Communist Party while discrediting the collaborative Republic of China regime and slowing down the Empire of Japan in its attempt to control China.

This movie convinces on multiple levels. First of all, this movie presents detailed if obviously opiniated historic and historical events with authentic settings such as accurate clothing, elements of engineering such as cars and trains of that era, fitting locations bringing to life Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Shanghai from the thirties to the sixties, popular music of its time and credible espionage techniques. These elements make the movie quite immersive despite the underlying propagandistic tendencies presenting the collaborators as dishonest, the invaders as arrogant and the communists as particularly courageous. The actual truth is obviously a lot less glorious for all parties involved.

Up next, the plot of this film is very clever and requests much attention to be fully understood without being overtly challenging in my book. There are quite a few characters with hidden agendas, several cliffhangers that are being picked up at later moments and a clever use of flashbacks and flashforwards. This intellectual storytelling is a brave but successful attempt at breaking with conventional and predictable scriptwriting to get intellectual and intelligent viewers mentally involved.

Speaking of the characters, all of them have much depth, including the heroines and heroes working under the most difficult circumstances, ambitious collaborators trying to achieve successful careers and the invaders trying to outwit their enemies with complex plans to bring their home country glory and respect. Even though these three groups have widely different perspectives of reality, they are all united by their dedication, intellect and resilience. These elements make the numerous confrontations throughout the movie so authentic, tense and unpredictable.

The intellectual storytelling is at times combined with some moments of action and drama. The former occurs during assassination attempts, car chases or shootouts. The latter take place during deep discussions about family, fate and friendship, intense interrogations leading up to scenes involving torture and murder and the film's numerous twists when the different characters' true intentions are revealed step by step.

Despite its intellectual strength, this movie's most memorable scene aside from the closing scene that answers the last remaining questions in a satisfactory manner is however the lengthy shootout at an apartment complex that showcases how every character involved makes enormous sacrifices to fight for ideals.

This movie isn't without its flaws however. The underlying element of propaganda has already been mentioned before and makes the movie less credible than it actually could have been. Up next, the movie has several lengths in its middle section with long conversations interrupted by at times rather confusing changes in place and time. While the movie's intellectual side is overall a welcome addition, this element is at times overdone and ends up harming the film's overall flow. Most viewers will get used to this unusual pace and style after a while but the movie might only be fully appreciated and understood upon watching it for a second time. Viewers are certainly expected to bring a lot of intellectual flexibility, background knowledge and stoic patience to the table to fully embrace this film. If you are looking for a smooth movie that entertains but doesn't request active intellectual participation, then this film is going to be a challenge and might even become a burden for you.

At the end of the day, I would recommend Hidden Blade to cinephiles interested in Chinese culture, historic dramas and conspiracy thrillers. Quite a few movies have recently been made about events occurring during the.so-called War of Resistance. Hidden Blade stands out as the most intellectual film of this selection but not as the overall most satisfying viewing experience which might rather go to Ba Bai, The Eight Hundred, released three years earlier.