Assembly (2007) - movie review

My father was a big fan of Chinese stuff, from his Panda singlets, to furniture, porcelain to old Chinese movies, he loved it all.

I showed him one movie called Postmen In The Mountains, and we watched this father and son movie with not only great reference but a certain bonding too, and today, I found a movie which I reckon he would have enjoyed too, and it's a pity he isn't around anymore to enjoy it with me.

There have been some military movies coming out of China recently, with great production values, and large budgets, but whilst they boast amazing sets and tremendous action scenes, they had a more jingoist and nationalistic slant. 

This movie on the other hand, harks back to the old style, some might say propaganda mode movies, but I reckon it should rank as highly the old Dirty Dozen and the more recent Band of Brothers. You may dispute the praise I heap on this movie, but hear me out.

Firstly, you have to be able to understand the language, and also the nuances of the various accents. Because if this movie was ever dubbed into English, it would lose a lot of the essence. 

It recalls the story of the 9th Company or more accurately the last 47 men of this company, who are tasked to defend an area around the Wen River during the Civil War which occured between the Communist and the Nationalist forces after WWII in China.

They have been given specific orders: to hold this area until they hear the bugle and are relieved. 

Despite ever increasing losses, they hold onto til the last man, literally. Only the company commander is left but he cannot find the bodies of the men, who he interred in a mine. He then spends the rest of the story trying to find them, and restore their status as heroes rather than soldiers missing in action.

If you've ever had to fight unsurmountable odds, or fight knowing that you will not leave the place alive, you will appreciate the heaviness of their hearts as they fought. I recall another recent movie which had some of this feel: Dunkirk, where one group of soldiers had to hold out in order that the rest may be rescued. Imagine how it felt to be given that order: to hold on and know that you will be annihilated. 

The action scenes are pretty amazing, and there is good chemistry, with a sharp dialogue and pacing. This movie will give your surround system a good workout, and it is also capable of tugging at your heartstrings, whilst giving you a lot to think about, about obeying commands, loyalty and also about dignity. This sort of sacrifice is not often seen in daily life, but it exists, and often thrives in battle, in the most adverse circumstances.

I had a taste of it before. Whilst in a mission in which I had to hold a defensive position and dig a series of trenches in an exercise, I played the role of a platoon sergeant and had to rouse the men to reinforce the position. In performing my duties, I was unable to finish digging my own trench, but one of my fellow cadets, someone who actually didn't interact much with me, and perhaps didn't actually get along well with me, undertook that task of digging my trench, and he ended up not finishing his own. 

So it is often only in adversity that we see the true mettle of those around us, and in this movie, as well as in tough times, we see the veneer of polished politeness peeled away, only to reveal what lies beneath. And it is gratifying to know that such honour, loyalty and true camaraderie exists. 

Highly recommended

A real keeper and worth a few viewings to appreciate the nuances. 






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 I have no financial interest or other interests in any of the items / events I write about.