1911 Revolution (2011) – Film Review

The story of the Xinhai Revolution that led to the deposing of the Qing Dynasty and the creation of the Republic of China in 1912. Bringing an end to 3000 years of feudal oppression with the abdication of the last emperor.

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of this pivotal moment in China’s history, this is also the 100th Jackie Chan movie. Chan not only stars but also directs here. For those who only know Chan as a knockabout, physical comedian this film may come as something as a surprise. Here, Chan portrays Huang Xing, commander in chief of the revolutionaries and key figure in this true story and, as he has proved in a number of his recent releases, he is a very good actor.

The scale of the battle scenes bring an epic scope to the film and all the principles do good work in portraying the sacrifices made for the cause. However, the film becomes a little disjointed in its story-telling and the subtitled passages explaining the course of events are difficult to read. That said, by the end, your knowledge of a fascinating piece of history will be enriched and you will have been engaged throughout.