Oscar Wilde, the Irish poet and playwright, once wrote, “Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.” (The Decay of Lying: An Observation, 1889). There is a certain amount of truth in Wilde’s observation, particularly in terms of technology, mores and, yes, propaganda. Hollywood had for a time produced war movies that glorified and idealized violence and war as a means for its political agenda without examining the cost of suffering to the innocent victims of war.
The Chinese movie, “Shaolin,” with its underlying Buddhist message of redemption, sacrifice and peace, does not shy away from violence but chooses to depict the consequences of corruption, violence, internal conflict and foreign exploitation on the general populace. “Shaolin” is set in the Warlord period of China’s history (1916-1928). During this tumultuous period of fracture, regional military leaders each vied for power, wealth and territory. The protagonist, Hou Jie, is portrayed as a ruthless warlord who uses anything and everyone to his advantage to amass wealth, power and position. He plots to assassinate his sworn brother to gain full control, but his plan is thwarted by the betrayal of his ambitious second in command, Cao, who sends assassins to kill them all. Hou’s sworn brother is killed, as are many of Hou’s men, and Hou’s innocent daughter is critically injured as she attempts to escape from the violence.
His love for his daughter and his desperation to save her bring him to a Shaolin temple where he seeks the assistance of the Shaolin monks to save her but their efforts are in vain. Hou’s daughter dies; his wife blames him for her death and leaves him. He has lost his family, his army of men, and his power base. In one night, he loses everything. In his grief, he wanders aimlessly and encounters the cook of the temple who provides him with not only food and shelter but the beginning of his conversion. During his stay at the temple. Hou gradually sees the error of his ways, embraces the monastic lifestyle of calm and serenity, finally finding peace.
“Life imitates art far more than art imitates life.”
As the film unfolds, Cao, the new warlord, has entered into an alliance with foreign powers who bring military weapons that create even more havoc, suffering, human trafficking and death to the innocent people. Hou, conflicted with his newfound peace and a need to end Cao’s reign of terror, comes to a decision that Cao must be stopped. Hou and the Shaolin monks plan a diversion. Hou is to distract Cao while the monks enter into the camp to save the many innocents who are imprisoned there. The monks succeed in saving those imprisoned and Cao, driven by revenge, attacks the temple with heavy artillery provided by his foreign allies. In the course of the battle, many are killed, both soldiers and monks. The temple is destroyed. In the final scene, Hou saves Cao, at the cost of his own life, from being crushed by a falling heavy beam. Hou is seen falling gently into the hand of the statue of the Merciful Buddha, where he dies peacefully. Cao steps out of the temple ruins and sees the total devastation and death that surrounds him. Guilt seems to overshadow him. From a distance, the surviving monks with the many saved innocents look down and move on to new hope and a new beginning.
The film’s message of redemption is seen through the lens of forgiveness. Hou’s wife forgives him, he forgives himself, and in the end, he forgives Cao. Redemption leads to sacrifice; his wife releases him to follow the life of a monk, sacrificing a life she once imagined. Hou’s sacrifice of himself to save Cao leads to Cao’s redemption. The movie ends with the note that personal and communal sacrifices lead to peace.
In our current world situation, violence, internal conflicts and wars are constant themes on the news. Perhaps we can reflect on the consequences of our choices that lead to chaos and strife. If Wilde is correct that life imitates art, then let us be hopeful that we can still find redemption in the hearts of good people, willing to make sacrifices that bring about our peace. I pray that we will all find peace resting in the hand of God.
Columban Fr. George Da Roza lives and works in California.
