Movie Title: 墨攻 (A Battle of Wits)
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (8/10)
Year: 2006
A Battle of Wits official site: http://www.abattleofwits.com.hk/
A Battle of Wits had been sitting right at the top of my must-watch list. Andy was only doing one or two movies a year, so every new project felt like a public holiday for fans. He had already teased this one when he came down for his concert the year before, which naturally sent everyone’s expectations flying through the roof. After all that waiting, I am very happy to report… no disappointment, no angry rant, and no need to demand my ticket money back.
Honestly, I found it exciting from beginning to end. Based on the famous Japanese manga Bokkou, the story is built around the ideas of Mozi. But let me warn you first… if you are waiting for endless sword fights, millions of soldiers crashing into one another, and blood flowing like somebody forgot to turn off the tap, nope. Wrong movie. The real weapons here are strategy, psychology, universal love, and peace. Yes, I know some people probably came for a giant war spectacle and wondered where all the chopping went but that is exactly why the movie worked for me. Sometimes one clever brain is more entertaining than ten thousand noisy swords.
Okay… the story takes place in 243 B.C., when China was split into seven states, each with its own ruler. And naturally, everyone wanted more land, more power, and more control. The smaller and weaker states? Well, they became easy targets for the bigger ones. Same old story… people already have power, but somehow it is never enough.
Unfortunately, Liang city becomes one of those targets when the powerful Zhao state decides to conquer Yan. To reach Yan, Zhao first needs to take down Liang and use it as a stepping stone. Knowing his little city does not stand much of a chance, the King of Liang (Wang Zhiwen) sends a desperate request to the Mohists for help. Two months pass… and nobody comes. Not one person. Meanwhile, an army is getting closer. Very comforting, right?
Then, just when Zhao’s army is preparing to attack, one lone Mohist named Ge Li (Andy Lau) finally appears. One man only! No huge backup team, no grand entrance… just Andy Lau walking in to save an entire city. And before he can even deal with Zhao, he first has to convince the frightened people of Liang to fight for their own homes. Once Ge Li manages to scare off the Zhao army’s first move, everyone finally starts thinking that maybe… just maybe… this quiet stranger knows exactly what he is doing.
The King of Liang, however, is selfish, power-hungry and honestly… very useless. His city is about to be attacked, but he still has time to drink and get drunk while leaving the real work to his son, Liang Shi (Choi Si Won). Hello, Your Majesty? Huge enemy army outside? Maybe put down the cup before somebody conquers the wine cellar too?
Knowing Liang needs proper leadership and fast, Ge Li promotes Zi Tuan (Nicky Wu). Liang Shi is not too happy about it, so they hold an archery competition to prove whether Ge Li picked the right man. In the end, Zi Tuan delivers and becomes general. I really liked this part because Ge Li does not care about status, pride or who has the fanciest title. He simply looks at who can actually do the job. As he should.
And seriously… it is amazing watching Ge Li plan, decide, command and stay completely calm at the same time. Once the king realises he has no better choice, he hands Ge Li full control of the city’s defences. What I love is that Ge Li understands war is not only about swords and soldiers. It is also about the mind. I totally agree, the stronger your mind is, the better your chances of winning. See? Handsome and intelligent. Very dangerous combination.
Ge Li then comes up with one clever idea after another. He gets a bulwark built from the palace wall stones in only seven days, which completely shocks the enemy. He plans how to protect the food and water supplies, and even uses animal dung to cover the villagers’ thatched roofs so flaming arrows cannot spread fire so easily. Yes… animal dung. Not glamorous, definitely smelly, but very smart. Imagine defending an entire city and defeating fire arrows with cow poo. Now that is what I call thinking outside the toilet. This is exactly the kind of war movie I enjoy. Less pointless chopping, more “Wah, how did he even think of that?”
The Zhao army, led by Commander Xiang Yanzhong (Ahn Sung Ki), suffers a huge loss during the first attack. After Zi Tuan shoots the commander, Zhao retreats but of course they are not going to let it go so easily. Imagine being a massive, powerful army and getting chased away by one small city under the guidance of a single Mohist. Their pride must have hurt more than the arrow.
Then Yi Yuen (Fan Bing Bing), a cavalry officer, follows Ge Li on a spying mission at the Zhao camp. They get spotted, attacked, and eventually have no choice but to jump from a cliff. Ge Li saves her, and yes… she quickly falls for him. Can we really blame her? Calm, clever, capable, and he just saved her life. I would probably fall too. Unfortunately, Ge Li keeps pushing her away because Mohist teachings say he should care for everyone equally. Very noble, but also very frustrating.
Thanks to Ge Li’s plan, Liang survives another Zhao attack when the enemy tries to ambush the city. But then things turn ugly. Even after the Zhao soldiers drop their weapons, they are surrounded and shot to death. That decision only makes the remaining Zhao troops even angrier. And this is where the movie gets interesting. It reminds us that winning one battle does not mean peace will magically follow. Sometimes, the way you win creates the next war.
Then everything starts falling apart inside Liang itself. The Zhao army seems to have retreated, so instead of saying thank you and relaxing for five minutes, the jealous king starts worrying that Ge Li might overthrow him. Seriously? The man saves your city, organises your army, protects your food, and probably knows where everyone parked their horses and this is how you repay him? The king orders his loyal General Niu (Chin Siu Hou) to get rid of Ge Li and anyone who supports him. Sometimes the biggest danger is not the enemy outside the walls, instead it is the insecure fellow wearing the crown.
And of course, getting rid of Ge Li comes with a very heavy price. Without him, Liang becomes vulnerable all over again, and the remaining Zhao troops return for another attack. To them, losing to such a small city especially one defended by a single Mohist is simply too embarrassing to forget. So yes, just when Liang thinks everything is finally over, round two comes knocking.
What happens next? Hmm… you will have to watch it for yourself. Yes, I am purposely leaving plenty of blanks because I genuinely think this movie is worth watching without too many spoilers. Muahaha… it is all in the mind! I loved the strategy, the tension, and the way the story explores power, loyalty, love, and the real cost of war. My only complaint is that a few characters could have been developed further. Some of them had so much potential, but before I could really connect with them… gone already.
The sets and costumes are much simpler than what we saw in The Banquet, but honestly, the final result worked far better for me. Bigger, shinier and prettier does not always mean better. A Battle of Wits knows what kind of story it wants to tell, and it stays focused. Plus, the soundtrack is really good. It brings out the tension and emotion without screaming at us to feel something every five minutes.
And yes… having Andy Lau in the movie is already more than enough to keep me glued to the screen. Handsome, cool, calm, intelligent and capable. Hello, how am I supposed to resist? But Andy Lau bias aside, A Battle of Wits genuinely won me over. The strategy is clever, the tension stays strong, the soundtrack hits at the right moments, and the story actually has something meaningful to say about war, power and peace. A few characters needed more development, but that did not stop me from enjoying the movie from beginning to end.