Review: ‘Born to Defence’ (1988)

Being Jet Li’s third film and only directorial effort, this is a surprisingly well-crafted film that features a more dramatic story than any of his subsequent Hong Kong or Hollywood efforts to date.

The film begins with a failed Japanese assault on Chinese troops. The scene itself is somewhat unrealistic with Li dodging enemy fire by leaping about, but the use of tanks, explosives and a seemingly large cast of extras is still impressive.

The tanks themselves are certainly not WWII-era Japanese and are likely later Chinese models. The film displays an even more glaring gaffe in a scene where servicemen chase Li about the city. An early 1980s luxury car moves in and out of the scene, thoroughly spoiling the ’40s-era flavor.

As Li parades home with Zhang, his war buddy and fellow servicemen, they’re pushed out of the way to make room for the so-called “real heroes,” who are American soldiers. One thing that will likely taint the viewing experience, especially for Americans is the negative and immoral way in which American soldiers are portrayed, not unlike the way communists in America’s own propaganda films of the ’40s and ’50s were seen.

Apparently with no family of his own, Li goes to live with Zhang, assisting the older man in his rickshaw business. Unfortunately for both of them, a nasty group of American soldiers are stationed nearby and they quickly learn that Li can fight. It just so happens that the local bar they frequent has a boxing ring per their request and it’s not long before Li is drawn in to fight these fellows.

Zhang is put in the hospital after a run in with the sailors and later his rickshaw is destroyed by them. Since money is scarce after the war, Li agrees to work for the bar owner as a sparring partner. Of course, he ends up going against the same group of sailors. The group’s commanding officer turns out to be the toughest opponent. The two end up in a vicious fight that leaves both bloodied and the bar ruined after a full-scale bar fight breaks loose.

Fans will no doubt be disappointed in the fights in this film. They lack the grace and imagination of Li’s later works. But, I’ll buck the trend and say this is a good thing. Li is constantly trying to use his legs and elbows, but is told he must adhere to the rules of boxing. The captain who he ends up fighting turns out to be a bit of a kickboxer himself and by the end, both are engaged in a more martial arts-inspired fight, even to the point of using chains and various tools as blunt weapons. The fact that Li’s wushu skills are restricted early on and the film uses no wirework or unusual choreography, results in creating more raw and realistic fights than seen in any other Jet Li film.

There is also a nicely done dramatic subplot about Zhang’s daughter who has become a prostitute as a result of the war. Zhang has effectively disowned her and it’s up to Li, who has fallen in love with her to reunite the family. But those pesky sailors never stop causing trouble and once they grab Zhang’s daughter off the street, tragedy befalls all concerned, leading to a climax with Li out to beat the sailors once and for all.

Thanks to being produced in mainland China, BORN TO DEFENCE has impressive production values, a good soundtrack and an emphasis on coherent story development, unlike so many Hong Kong movies that tend to emphasize action and visuals over everything else. The film does suffer from poor lighting which plagues most of the interior shots, and simplistic propaganda. Likewise, some may argue that Li should never waste his talents on a film that doesn’t take full advantage of his wushu skills. Personally, I thought the film expressed a tremendous level of maturity and technical skill. Although the film has not been well received over the years, it still makes me wonder why Li has never attempted to direct since.