"Someone from The League kicked me. The man from the City. The good one...
I could be good like that. I'm going away, mama."
I could be good like that. I'm going away, mama."
Kidda.
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| Jugger's alternative title is 'The Blood of Heroes'. It's easy to see why... |
In the wastelands of the
new world, none are more venerated or adored than the Juggers; gladiator-like competitors
of a brutal sport, played for wealth and renown.
Kidda is a young peasant
girl who plays this dangerous sport to the disapproval of her family, with
ambitions to compete professionally in the ‘Nine Cities’. With the arrival of
Sallow, a veteran of the City leagues before his banishment, Kidda may finally
have a chance to fulfill her dreams of leaving the desert wastes behind her for
a better life among the ruling classes…
Script Logic; 1 / 2
The film, written and directed by genre veteran David Webb Peoples (the writer of some pretty big-hit films, including Blade Runner, Unforgiven and 12 Monkeys) is strong
in terms of its structural narrative, although, oddly, the dialogue occasionally falters. To
be honest, sometimes it was difficult to tell if the lines were duff or simply
badly delivered; some of the exchanges were affecting and powerful (Kidda has
never felt the touch of silk, and later laments the rarity of skin unblemished
by scars), while other lines are jarringly flat.
Pace; 1 / 2
The pace, while never
boring, feels like it never quite ‘pops’- the 90 minute run time felt much
longer, probably in part due to the fact that most of the film is devoid of
real dialogue- most of the story is told through images alone; desolate
landscapes, scowls, and the violence of the Juggers. The momentum is slower
than you might expect from a film such as this, but that’s not really a
criticism. Rather than being a ‘sports-movie’ in this respect, the film feels
more like a journey, which is in-keeping with the journey of the characters,
from the desert slums into the bowls of the City.
Aesthetic 2/2
The aesthetics of the film are probably the most notable highlight. The so-called ‘Dog towns’ are suitably sand-weathered and gritty, while the underground chambers of the City, far from the paradise Kidda had believed them to be, are a surreal network of damp corridors and long shadows. There are so many nice touches and moments of creative flair; it’s hard to choose favourites; the animal-skull trophies, stones being thrown against a gong to mark the progress of time, the backpack-wardrobe contraption, or the ‘bedding arrangements’ below ground.
Acting; 1 / 2
Even the less defined
characters are surprisingly empathetic (or, in some instances, sleazily vile),
and with little in the way of dialogue or screen time, this can only be
testament to acting capability. However, the strongest and weakest performances
by far belong to the two leads; Rutger Hauer and Joan Chen respectively. Rutger
brings equal parts tragedy and valour to his ‘grizzled veteran’ role, which
could easily have been a dull cliché in another actors’ hands, and while Joan
may not have been quite up to the task of shouldering the bulk of the narrative,
she’s still an amiable screen presence and will have viewers rooting for. It
would have been nice to see some of the other characters develop further, played
by capable actors such as Vincent D'Onofrio and Delroy Lindo, but this isn’t to
the detriment of the film.
Intention 2 / 2
It is what it is. It means
to be a brutal apocalypse-guised sports movie, and it is. The film weaves
between the two genres with skilful and entertaining ease. While it delivers on
the promise of the sport’s brutality, it’s never overly explicit or glamorous
(and for the most part, a comradery exists between fellow Juggers that prevents
the violence ever being the sole intent of the sport), so it will satisfy both
action-seekers and those of a more cerebral disposition.
Final Score; 7 / 10
Without doubt, Salute of
the Jugger is among the best of that era’s science-fiction blood-sport movies-
of which there were many, most notably Rollerball, likewise a decent film. Mostly, this is thanks to a very strong aesthetic combined with the charisma and likability of its two central leads. Well worth a watch for both fans of the typical sporting-underdog story and those of a science-fiction disposition.
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