Fearless

Fearless (Huo Yuanjia/Jet Li's Fearless) was released in 2006 as a Chinese martial arts film starring Jet Li and loosely basing off the life of Huo Yuanjia, a martial artist who challenged many foreign fighters in publicized events which restored pride, honor and nationalism back to China during western imperialism in the last years of the Qing Dynasty.

Plot

As a young boy, Huo Yuanjia watched his father (Huo Endi) teach martial arts to students. Curious and intrigued, Yuanjia wishes to participate but fails in convincing his father who completely disregards teaching his son as Yuanjia suffers from asthma.

Still, Yuanjia practices (pathetically) on his own while forcing his close friend Nong Jinsun to do his homework. One day when hearing of a leitai match occurring in town, Yuanjia and Jinsun stop to watch only finding that of Huo Endi battling against another martial artist named Zhao who won dishonorably as Endi caught sight of his son and became distracted. Embarrassed and humiliated by his father's loss, Yuanjia vowed to restore his family's reputation and honor by becoming one of the most famous martial artists in Tianjin.

As the years pass and Yuanjia grows into a successful and popular fighter, he also becomes cocky, arrogant and ruthless towards his opponents and the people around him despite the way Endi expressed mercy, not doing any true harm to his enemies. Yuanjia disregards this and looks to break his opponent in any way, shape and form.

One day, a rival martial arts master named Qin Lei injures one of Yuanjia's followers. Insulted, Qin Lei is confronted by the uninvited guest at his birthday dinner which soon escalates into a fight. Yuanjia - with no regard nor control like his father - ends up killing Qin Lei with a fatal blow to the chest. The series of events that follow include Qin Lei's godson seeking revenge by killing Yuanjia's mother and his daughter.

Fueled with uncontrollable rage, Yuanjia seeks blood only to realize that his follower who was wounded by Qin Lei admits to provoking the martial arts master who only reacted in defense. Coated with shame and humiliation for his own actions, Yuanjia flees Tianjin and wanders aimlessly only to be found and saved by a grandmother and her blind granddaughter Yueci. It is there that Yuanjia learns simple acts of kindness and how to forgive along with mercy.

In 1907, Yuanjia returns to Tianjia only to find the changes taken place in his absence. There he apologizes to Qin Lei's family and reconciles with his best friend who tells him of China's loss of nationalism. Due to this, Yuanjia starts challenging fighters but takes a new approach to the bulk of it and starts restoring pride and honor once more by compromising the title: "Weak men of the East"

Overall

Fearless is probably the most inspiring films I've seen. You see an aspiring young mind yearn to take on after his father's footsteps only to constantly be shot down due to an illness. Yuanjia not only proves his father wrong by wanting to restore family honor but pride that is lost.

As typical human emotions take place out of egotistical issues and boiling bouts of arrogance, Yuanjia displays behaviors that aren't able to be corrected from outside influences but inner display's of understanding.

Jet Li really never fails in capturing attention. Fearless is probably on the top of my favorite list. I recommend this to anyone looking for a well played out martial arts film that has an extraordinary plot, heart wrenching moments and an attachment to characters. This movie is perfect for a late night watch.