What Price Survival (1994) User Reviews

Very unusual, very stylish update to the wuxia genre

[ChungMo · 6/10 · 11 March 2007]

It's rare when somebody tries to radically change an established genre, especially in the HK film industry, but here is one to ponder over. All the elements of a standard wuxia film are here but the delivery is something different.

Set in some sort of time warp around the 1930's, we see vintage autos, trains and other things that would not be out of line for that era. However the main characters are all dressed in long trench coats (this is interestingly a few years before "The Matrix") and they are armed with samurai swords. The characters have no implied contact with anyone but the other main characters. The time is the end of winter so we have numerous scenes set in the snow. The plot is very simple so I won't repeat it here but it's very typical of other wuxia films.

What makes this film stand out is the exceptional photography and interesting music track. Whatever the problems with the direction and story they are well compensated by the cinematography. The action is basically "blur-fu" so martial arts fans might be disappointed but in the context of the film it works. Believe me I hate "blur-fu" in normal action films but here it complements the atmosphere the director created.

Overall, some might find the film pretentious as I did but it's worth a try.

Not Terrible, But it's mostly clever camera work

[goodbadmovieblog · 6/10 · 28 June 2012]

We do actually tend to really enjoy Asian cinema. It's something about the way they create atmosphere, and the stunning scenery and the beautiful soundtracks, which really outdid themselves in this picture actually. I just find them incredibly likable, However.

Even though this was meant to be a martial arts movie, you saw very little of the actual art. Just a lot of quick camera movements that were meant to imply that there was some amazing swordplay, but you never actually saw it happen. Or the fact that even though from the Cars and Trains that are visible in the film it is safe to assume this film was meant to be set in the early twentieth century, and yet many of the male characters walk around in very 'Matrix' style trench coats to add to their menacing look.

We think it had a very well played out story line and nice well developed characters but it was the little things that let it down.

Compared to this, "Dragon Squad" is a Masterpiece of True Art

[the_diceman · 3/10 · 18 March 2007]

Daniel Lee's modern day remake of the Shaw-Brothers Classic "One armed Swordsman" actually should have been the greatest Sword Fighting movie ever done, or if Triads-Societies battling each others with sharp blades doesn't sound like a damn ****ing cool idea to you, get home. But sadly the movie gets spoiled by stoic characters, stupid MTV-editing full of annoying close-ups, and a total absence of comprehensible action-choreography. And whoever told directors, that a blurry and spinning super slo-mo is a way cool thing to be frequently applied in action-movies, should be shot. No, wait, stabbed. Or better even, have his arm cut off.

If you are high or drunk than you will love this movie

[chrichtonsworld · 4/10 · 12 May 2006]

Marking this movie as a great martial arts flick is an insult to movie makers who do put effort in their work. Yes, the camera-work is excellent and yes there is a lot of swordplay, even very enjoyable but only for a short time. The martial arts/ swordplay looks good but it is average compared to other titles. The story seems interesting, but in fact you have to be drunk or high to understand the deeper meaning of it. I know they tried to give the movie some drama to intensify the experience, but they fail completely! Martial arts movies have to be about the action and style! This movie doesn't deliver this. The acting is below average. It is obvious that the actors don't believe in their part! This movie fails on so many levels that i have to advise against this movie. If you encounter this movie anywhere, IGNORE it!

Reaction to author matrixwomble: I have seen a lot of martial arts movies,since I was a small child and could not understand a word of Chinese. But even when I couldn't understand it I enjoyed the action. Chinese martial arts,Japanese Martial arts ,Bruce Lee's Jeet Kun Do,Jackie Chan,Jet Li,Sammo Hung,Yuen Baio,Tsui Hark (very creative and brilliant director and producer),,Yuen Woo ping (director,choreographer),Ti Lung...I can go on and on.. and all the modern Hk stuff are a passion of mine. So with all respect (I am not from another planet)I know what I am talking about. I can name "Duel to the death, "Swordsman Trilogy", Iron Monkey for example which have much better displays of swordplay and martial arts. I can dazzle you with other titles,but that would be a very long list. "What price survival" isn't one of them and will never be one of them. The actors who played in the movie are famous martial artists from the old days. They displayed much better skills than in this movie.

Great martial arts flick

[lewy-2 · 10/10 · 28 December 1999]

Grim, fatalistic story of a young man kidnapped from his father and then raised to assassinate him. The film is colored with a sense of melancholy that permeates the story and its subplots, from the inevitable love interest to the final bloody resolution, to the beautiful cinematography.