SPOILERS: Deceptively titled Judex, the heart of the film actually belongs to the arch elegant enemy of the title character. This film shows many obstacles the supervillainess must overcome in order to get what she wants, instead of showing the obstacles the superhero must overcome. Thus, it's one of those rare films of which some audience will find themselves drawn to and siding with the villainess, cheering for her, and secretly praying that she would escape, survive, or win in most situations, and these audience will also ask themselves time and again while watching this film, 'Why is the boring heroine still alive? She should have been dead already.'
While the hero seems to have no trouble doing anything he wants especially in the first half of the movie, the villainess gets into tight and dangerous situations many times. Her clever plans always run into trouble, and she must improvise solutions to her problems. Though the villainess is punished in the end, those audience who cheer for her should still be satisfied, because she is not punished by the unimpressive hero, but by a character who is no less charming than her. The final fighting scene is very exciting, because it is not only about the hero versus the evil, but it involves some other characters who aren't exactly good or evil, thus the audience cannot guess the fate of these characters. While the audience can predict the fate of the hero, they are still thrilled to find out if other supporting characters will survive or not.
Many scenes are weirdly beautiful and unforgettable, including the mask party scene, the strange dance scene between the villainess and her lover, the scene when the villainess reveals what she wears inside the nun clothes, the scene when the heroine floats down the river, the scene when the detective reads a book about fighting nuns, and most importantly, the moment when the acrobat girl shows her delight in saying that her uncle was eaten by a lion.
I love this film very much, or to be exact, love the villainess and the last person she fights with. After watching 'Charlie's Angels' and 'The Heroic Trio', starring Maggie Cheung, I think some studios should consider making a new film inspired by the plot of 'Judex' with the help of some Hong Kong kung fu choreographers. If a new version is to be made, please let the villainess fly high and don't make the heroine helpless.
While the hero seems to have no trouble doing anything he wants especially in the first half of the movie, the villainess gets into tight and dangerous situations many times. Her clever plans always run into trouble, and she must improvise solutions to her problems. Though the villainess is punished in the end, those audience who cheer for her should still be satisfied, because she is not punished by the unimpressive hero, but by a character who is no less charming than her. The final fighting scene is very exciting, because it is not only about the hero versus the evil, but it involves some other characters who aren't exactly good or evil, thus the audience cannot guess the fate of these characters. While the audience can predict the fate of the hero, they are still thrilled to find out if other supporting characters will survive or not.
Many scenes are weirdly beautiful and unforgettable, including the mask party scene, the strange dance scene between the villainess and her lover, the scene when the villainess reveals what she wears inside the nun clothes, the scene when the heroine floats down the river, the scene when the detective reads a book about fighting nuns, and most importantly, the moment when the acrobat girl shows her delight in saying that her uncle was eaten by a lion.
I love this film very much, or to be exact, love the villainess and the last person she fights with. After watching 'Charlie's Angels' and 'The Heroic Trio', starring Maggie Cheung, I think some studios should consider making a new film inspired by the plot of 'Judex' with the help of some Hong Kong kung fu choreographers. If a new version is to be made, please let the villainess fly high and don't make the heroine helpless.