Director: Johnnie To, Wai Ka-Fai
Screenplay: Wai Ka-fai, Yau Nai-hoi, Au Kin-yee, Yip Tin-shing
Starring: Andy Lau, Cecilia Cheung, Eddie Cheung, Wong Chun, Wen Zhong Yu, Karen Tong, Lian Sheng Hou
Country: Hong Kong, China
Running Time: 94 min
Year: 2003
BBFC Certificate: 15

Despite my love of East Asian cinema, particularly films made in Hong Kong, the work of Johnnie To is a big blind spot for me. Iā€™m not sure why. Iā€™ve seen one of his films, PTU, and liked it quite a lot. I also own several of his films on DVD but, for whatever reason, I havenā€™t got around to watching them. In fact, I wasnā€™t even planning on reviewing Eurekaā€™s new release of To and frequent collaborator Wai Ka-Faiā€™s Running on Karma when it was announced, as I was too busy to fit it in.

However, when a screener for the film fell through my letterbox regardless, I figured I might give it a try, should I find a moment to watch and review it. Indeed, on a flight home from Finland around Christmas (not an ideal viewing situation, I know) I gave Running on Karma a look and work is quiet today so Iā€™m going to try to remember my thoughts on the film and put them on paper (or rather screen). Forgive me if my write-up is a little sparse or half-hearted though for this reason.

The working title for Running on Karma was Mr. Bodybuilder and the Cantonese title ended up being Big Muscles Man, possibly due to the fact it was first planned as a comedy that could act as a loose follow-up to Johnnie To, Wai Ka-Fai and Andy Lau’s 2001 rom-com, Love on a Diet. However, the finished film ended up becoming a rather different beast.

Running on Karma centres around Big (Andy Lau), a former Buddhist monk who became a bodybuilder and stripper after abandoning his vows due to his struggle to contain his anger after the murder of an old friend. Following that incident, he also discovered he could see the past lives of those whose previous incarnations were so evil that their new ones were doomed to an untimely death as karmic ā€˜paybackā€™.

One night, when Big is performing at a strip club, he is arrested by an undercover CID officer named Lee Fung-yee (Cecilia Cheung). Whilst trying to escape police custody, Big experiences a vision of Lee’s past life as a Japanese soldier committing wartime atrocities.

He initially tries to ignore this, allowing fate to run its course. However, recognising Lee’s innate kindness, Big decides to assist her with an unusual homicide investigation, intending to leave once the case is solved.

Big helps her catch the killer and seems to remove Leeā€™s ā€˜curseā€™ through the act. However, the vision later comes back, prompting Big to realise thereā€™s no escaping karmic fate.

He tries to stay away from Lee, frightened of what will happen and worried he wonā€™t be able to help himself from saving her with his almost superhuman martial arts skills. However, once Lee herself becomes aware of her previous life and resulting fate, she decides to dedicate herself to atoning for her past actions. Before her own predicted death, she seeks to repay Big by searching for the killer of his childhood friend.

As you might surmise from that synopsis, Running on Karma is a rather unusual film but itā€™s possibly even stranger than it seems on paper. Most notably, the film mixes together a bizarre array of genres, including but not limited to action thriller, romance, comedy, Buddhist parable, martial arts and superhero movies.

It might sound like an unholy mess and I wouldnā€™t argue too strongly against anyone who feels itā€™s too much for them. However, most strands are effective in their own right and, personally, I found it all held together surprisingly well. The action is exciting, the romance convincing and the Buddhist message admirable.

The shifting story aspects cause the momentum to take a few hits though, due to its episodic nature but, overall, it’s enjoyable enough and the lead characters are charismatic enough to hold your interest.

What is most effective is the film’s exploration of its Buddhist theme though. This is hardly hidden in the background but it’s sensitively handled and the film isn’t afraid to take some dark twists to get its message across. Throughout the swerving narrative, everything points back to karma and Buddhism, holding the disparate strands together.

The end might not prove entirely satisfying to those looking for a more conventional film and there’s a fight leading up to the finale that felt a little tacked-on perhaps, but what occurs in the denouement perfectly embodies the overall message being put forward.

On a technical level, itā€™s a slightly mixed bag. The cinematography is gorgeous, with stylish lighting and slick movement. On the other hand, some of the visual effects and wirework aren’t entirely convincing, but this generally works within the context of this unusual film, which exaggerates some aspects whilst keeping others quite grounded.

Speaking of exaggerated elements, I did enjoy the bad guys with strange quirks and skills that appeared in the first half of the film. Thereā€™s a contortionist murderer with a head thatā€™s as hard as iron and an oiled-up, slippery thief.

You canā€™t discuss Running on Karma without touching on Lauā€™s muscle suit though. This is quite impressive, for the most part, but it does look fake in places, particularly being on a well-known actor who isn’t quite that ā€˜buffā€™ in real life. Itā€™s quite a bizarre sight in the initial scenes. You soon get used to it but there are moments here and there where the folds look a little off and, in the grand scheme of things, Iā€™m not sure it was entirely necessary either.

Overall then, it’s a wonderfully unique, entertaining and, at times, profoundly thought-provoking film, even if it doesn’t always hit the mark. Perhaps itā€™s time I finally opened the other Johnnie To titles I have on disc.

Film:

Running on Karma is out now on Blu-Ray, released by Eureka as part of their Masters of Cinema series. The transfer is very nice, looking sharp and with pleasing colours and tonal balance. Audio is solid too.

SPECIAL FEATURES

– Limited Edition [2000 copies]
– Limited edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Time Tomorrow
– 1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray
– Original Cantonese stereo audio
– Optional English subtitles, newly translated for this release
– New audio commentary by East Asian film experts Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and F.J. DeSanto
– Reap the Whirlwind ā€“ new interview with Gary Bettinson, editor-in-chief of Asian Cinema journal
– Archival ā€œmaking ofā€¦ā€ featurette
– Theatrical trailer
– A limited edition collectorā€™s booklet featuring a new essay by David West of NEO magazine

Although listed as only one on the press release, Frank Djeng actually provides two commentaries for the film. One with F.J. DeSanto and one on his own. On the former, the pair talk about the themes of the film rather than digging into the backgrounds of the makers. It makes for a refreshingly analytical track for the pair. The second track sees Djeng break down To’s techniques as well as delving into the histories of the cast and crew. Both are strong tracks.

Gary Bettinson also provides an essay on the film. He clearly breaks down some of To and Wai’s techniques and offers suggestions as to why the bodysuit might have been used, despite seeming superfluous.

There’s also an 18-minute archival behind-the-scenes featurette. This is pretty decent, featuring interviews with most of the major cast and crew alongside on-set footage.

The booklet contains a thought-provoking essay from David West about the history of genre mashups in Hong Kong and Chinese cinema, as well as the idea of the film expressing Toā€™s belief that ā€œhope is a burdenā€.

So, Eureka have put together an excellent package for an intriguing film. Iā€™d recommend it to anyone who wants a taste of something unusual and thoughtful.

Disc/Package:

Running on Karma - Eureka
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Editor of films and videos as well as of this site. On top of his passion for film, he also has a great love for music and his family.

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