A Home Too Far: Quick Takes

Around 1990, Taiwanese thrash meister Chu Yen-Ping (Fantasy Mission Force) had a rare outburst of actual creativity when he delivered Island Of Fire and the war drama A Home Too Far (quoted as a favourite of his). Although this was not so much evident in the Hong Kong versions of said flicks as they were substantially shortened in that territory, Chu's full length 2 hour cuts reveals fine intentions and instincts, some very much applicable to the presence of actor Tok Chung-Wa (largely cut from the shorter edit of Island Of Fire).

It's the horrors of war through the eyes of the desperate little man. Horrors concerning losing your buddies, futile fighting against a larger enemy, the toll it all takes on family and how you define national pride in the face of all this. Not as much of a propaganda movie as you would think, A Home Too Far involves through intense battles and a sense of humanity. The latter examination being portions of the film that do run a bit too wild with sentimentality which is a bit of a shame as the fairly involving drama can't reach any great poignancy therefore. It's still welcome, especially at 2 hours, to see Chu Yen-Ping showcase some actual strength and skill as a director. O Chun Hung and Andy Lau do solid, reserved work and Ku Feng also appear in a supporting role.