STORY STUDY - CRITERION WEEK “937. Dragon Inn”

When a stranger comes into a secluded location to have a meal, don’t ever underestimate them.

Directed and written by King Hu, Dragon Inn (or Dragon Gate Inn) is the story of a group of strangers who are driven by a sense of justice protecting the children of a general who was beheaded by a power-hungry eunuch.

The eunuch has sent his men at the Dragon Inn to intercept the children. They don’t want any other visitor to enter… which is exactly what they get.

The film has a simple tale of good vs. evil, and the premise of it is also simple, but it’s engaging. In terms of American film conventions, the entire second act takes place either inside or around the Dragon Inn. It’s all action or cat-and-mouse interaction, like the bad guys trying to poison the wine the good guys are drinking. The good guys find humorous ways to either not drink their own cups, or convince the other guys to let them drink from their cup instead.

The film has beautiful shots of the landscapes, and the action is shot very clearly, mostly using long, one-shot takes of characters slashing and blocking with their swords.

For contemporary audiences, they will probably not be impressed with the fight choreography in the film. The audience can clearly see the shots, but there is not much to movements or complex strategy outside of just stabbing. During this time, fight choreography is still rooted in Chinese opera, which is quick and simplistic. All of the fights feature a “one vs. many,” never a one-on-one. Even when there is, there’s always a surprise attack from the bad guys to catch the protagonists off-guard.

None of the characters are particularly deep; the antagonist is just evil, and the protagonists don’t go through an arc. They start out one way, being all noble, and the film ends with them the same way. Not even the children whom the eunuch is hunting have any kind of character development. One thing about these old, martial-arts films is that it ends abruptly; no chance to absorb their victory. Though, I will say, fighting off the eunuch takes so much effort from everyone.

Speaking of whom, I found it strange that the eunuch showcased an ability to teleport (really just super speed), when it’s never established that he was that skilled.

Dragon Inn takes the premises of America’s westerns and Japan’s samurai films, and created its own tale of noble warriors fighting off a corrupt government or harsh world. A must-see for martial arts cinema fans.