Not only the Communist Party and its prominent team of antiques experts Plum Blossom Five is after the jade head of the Bodhisattva statue damaged in the big temple fire in 1910 when the head was severed from the body and vanished, but also some of China's most dangerous art-dealing gangs. According to the (film) history books, the priceless treasure of Wu Zetian Mingtang in the Tang Dynasty was lost overseas only to re-appear in 1992 in form of a perfectly done copy which one person only was able to uncover as a fake. But, where is a perfectly executed copy, there also must be the original, and the chase it begins.
“Schemes in Antiques” is screening at Udine Far East Film Festival
1992 is the year the narrative is taking place, which makes it freed of modern gadgets and easy solutions. We are transported immediately to a kind of auction of antiquities controlled by the Plum Blossom Five, where every single dealer tries to get best price for their treasures. Led by a voice-over, the background story gets introduced in the film's first ten minutes. A black and white scene depicts the execution of one of the Plum Blossom Five's most prominent figures Xu Yi Cheng (Zhao Xuan), punished for his betrayal of giving the Buddha's head to the Japanese collectioner Yuzo Kido somewhere after the WWII. His last moments are witnessed by his grandson Xu Heping, the father of the film's main character Xu Yuan (Lei Jiayin), a scamster with a well-developed plan for earning money without having to do much for it. The mentioned voice-over is handled by none than him, and the calm, composed voice stands in strong contrast to the person we see on the screen: a heavy-drinking, irresponsible small-scale criminal who sometimes makes an effort of finding ‘the real thing' on antiquity markets among worthless trinkets to sell them to local collectors for prices much cheaper than they would have to pay at legal bids.
Back to 1992, Kido's daughter Kana Kido (Lilie Matsumine) comes to China to return the treasure to the state, under the condition that only Xu Yi Cheng's descendent can receive it. Needless to say, he is the one to break the news both to the representatives of Chinese government and Kido about the Buddha's head not being genuine. His opponent, Yao Buran (Li Xian) of the Plum Blossom Five isn't happy about the sudden concurrence in the field, and they go their separate ways in their search for the real treasure.
Most of the story of “Schemes in Antiques” is slightly confusing as there are too many characters and details to digest, so the best thing is not to take it seriously to skip going down the rabbit hole. One should burry one's own sense of logic and stop asking questions about why certain things happen in this story about one man getting the unique chance to restore the good family name. If taken as fun, the narrative gets swallowed easily together with a mountain of popcorn. With its high-production value, sufficient dose of humor, well-choreographed mass fight scenes and action scenes in general, this is the like of Chinese Indiana Jones with many more treasures being paraded around, and almost as many traps for the adventurers to deal with. The special effects department has done an impressive job at making the patterns of pottery coming literally alive, or turning dusty antiquities into shiny, light-emiting keys to secret rooms.
Director Derek Kwok knows how to keep the audience entertained. The action-loaded adaptation of Ma Bo Young's novel “Antique Bureau Central Bureau” is a proof that with enough directorial skill and professional support in crucial film-making departments even a meager script can turn into an attention-grabbing cinematic experience. Tempo-building is also the original score by the seasoned composer Wan Pin Chu, switching between heavy guitar rifs and gentle, classical tunes. The music is never too loud, and fortunately, also not the constant companion to the story.
“Schemes in Antiques” was released in selected Chinese cinemas in December 2021, and had its limited release in the US before its official international premiere at Far East Fim Festival in Udine where we caught up with it.
