Dir. Natasha Arthy, Denmark, 2007, 90 mins
Cast: Semura Turan, Nima Mabipour, Cyron Bjorn Melville
Review by Richard Hawes
Still synonymous with Hong Kong and Hollywood, popularised by the likes of The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, the martial arts movie has come of age. Filmmakers in Thailand, India and Britain have each presented new, exciting and imaginative variations on the tired clichés and reinvigorated the genre. Nobody could have predicted that one of the best would hail from Denmark!
Made before David Mamet 's much heralded Redbelt, Natasha Arthy's Fighter really demonstrates how mature the genre has become. Despite a generic title and adherence to conventions, its fresh approach and Danish origins help distinguish this gripping movie.
It's about a girl fighting against tradition and because of this it's reminiscent of Bend it Like Beckham in some respects, but very different. The story of a Turkish Muslim girl's forbidden passion for kung fu, Arthy skillfully blends adolescent angst and family drama with stylised fight scenes. Try to imagine Ken Loach remaking The Next Karate Kid and you'd not be far wrong.
Following teenager Aicha (Semura Turan) from novice to blackbelt and beyond, Fighter's plot has all the familiar genre touchstones and doesn't disappoint on any level. It's a powerfully dramatic film but the action is still surprisingly plentiful. All of choreographer Xian Gao's action scenes, particularly a tense confrontation in a kitchen, are excellent.
Featuring slightly exaggerated choreography and extraordinary visuals that reflect Aicha's feelings of alienation and of being trapped between two worlds, Fighter is near flawless. Sebastian Winterø's cinematography gives the gritty locations a colourful gloss while Gao's use of wire-work lends a layer of fantasy to the story. It works surprisingly well and never compromises the grounded, realist approach to the themes.
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