Set in 1949, this period spy drama centres upon the covert activities of the People’s Liberation Army’s Department 701, set up to intercept enemy radio messages and ultimately thwart any attempts to undermine mainland China’s newly formed communist government.
Unlikely hero He Bing (Tony Leung) is an assistant to a famous piano tuner. The blind Bing is able to hear frequencies that others cannot, making him a desirable candidate for Department 701, which has discovered that enemy Morse code messages are being transmitted on frequencies above the normal hearing range.
Bing is recruited by the real hero of the piece, the glamorous Zhang Xue Ning (Zhou Xun) and 701’s number one spy, with whom he quickly becomes infatuated. She does not return his interest; Xue Ning’s primary focus is her work, though there are hints of a romance with the director of 701, the wealthy playboy Guo Xingzhong (Wang Xuebing) who may or may not reciprocate her feelings.
The Silent War could have been a taut thriller, but by attempting to create a populist spy movie, the filmmakers, Alan Mak and Felix Chong, have failed to invest their story with the requisite tension; nor are their characters well developed enough to sustain interest in their romantic entanglements. Overall the film quite fails to satisfy, though the production design, at least, impresses.
The sets are sumptuous, and beautifully detailed, from the swish hotel rooms (enemy strongholds which Agent 200 infiltrates) to the Morse code rooms, which magnificently illustrate the idea of collective strength. The orchestral score is rich, and a pleasant distraction from the pedestrian plot, but is unable to add much in the way of depth or drama to the overall shallowness of both storyline and characters.
Like the static listened to by Department 701’s operatives, this film lacks clarity, and ultimately becomes frustrating. The story lacks an emotional centre and can’t decide whether it is a spy thriller or a sub-par romance. Broad brushstrokes dilute any potential for intrigue, most of the action sequences are flaccid, and ultimately, we fail to really care about whose side we’re on.
Rating: 2 stars out of 5
The Silent War
Directed by Alan Mak
Hong Kong, 2012, 120 mins
Madman Entertainment
Rated M
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