The clip opens
with a quote from Willis Whitney, while “The Grand Duel (Parte Prima)” by Luis
Bacalov plays underneath. This immediately
puts one in the same mind frame as the animated sequence from Kill Bill Volume 1. After the opening credits, the scene changes
to a wooded area where two different sets of opponents face off against each
other. The music then switches to Led
Zeppelins “When The Levee Breaks.”
In the first
set, a ranger (Vonzell Carter) faces off against an outlaw in black teamed with
another guy in a floor length duster.
The second fight involves a martial artist outfitted in a gi with his
hands wrapped in tape going against someone who looks like they just stepped
out of a Naruto episode. Both fights begin simultaneously. The one with the ranger and the two outlaws makes
use of close-ups and facial expressions, drawing much inspiration from the
style of Sergio Leone. The second feels
more like a low budget Chop Socky, complete with the requisite sound effects
and Dutch angles. The fight
choreography is as tight as a clenched fist.
The synergy between the sound effects and what takes place on screen is
pitch-perfect.
As with Yo Soy Un Hombre Loco (I Am a Crazy Man),
I’m not sure what any of this is actually supposed to be about. I’m sure there is some deep seeded subtext at
play. However, I’d like to think of it
as a surrealist take on Walker: Texas
Ranger, sans the corniness and laughable fight choreography. I have no idea as to what the second set of
opponents is supposed to symbolize. Perhaps
a similar fight taking place in another mythic setting? Is Manzanares juxtaposing the iconography of
the old west with that of Asia? I don’t know, but I could care less. It looks cool and maintains my interest.
The work of IBP
Stunts Chicago always leaves me scratching my head, but with a weird sort of
grin on my face. I have no idea what I’m
watching; by I manage to get caught up in it regardless. That has got to be some sort of talent. I’m dying to see a full length feature from
these guys. If they can simultaneously
maintain the same level of weirdness and interest for a full 90 minutes, it
would be worth the price of a movie ticket or a DVD.
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