Throw Down

Film description

Tony is a young judo master who wants to try his skills on the mat against the legendary Sze-to. The latter has already had his heyday, though – now he runs a night club, where he drinks himself under the table and loses large sums gambling. What made him fall so low? Will the acquaintance with a Taiwanese girl, who dreams of becoming a singer but currently is followed by shady characters from the underworld, help him come back to the competition?

"Throw Down" is Johnnie To’s personal project, falling outside all genre classifications, unpredictable, resembling a dream. The director weaves his urban tale of eye-seducing frames and visually captivating sequences which prove his proficiency in the art of filmmaking. Excellent Louis Koo, Aaron Kwok and Cherrie Ying form a heart-moving trio of people in need of each other – they are lost but they fight to escape the labyrinth of streets and smoke-filled dives. The credit for stunning pictures of Hong Kong vibrating with its nightlife goes to Siu-keung Cheung, long-time co-operator of the director.

A masterpiece still undiscovered, a film to which To himself refers as his favourite, a tribute to Akira Kurosawa’s debut – "Sanshiro Sugata" (aka Judo Saga), but also a magical love letter to the cinema itself.

Marcin Krasnowolski