Creation of the Gods I: Kingdom of Storms
**This piece was written during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the actors currently on strike, the movies being covered here wouldn’t exist.
A movie like “Kingdom of Storms,” the first film in the “Creation of the Gods” trilogy, has an unenviable task of capturing the audiences imagination while also creating a dense, breathtaking visual world. Adapted from the novel, Investiture of the Gods, from the 16th Century by Xu Zhonglin, while the film has drive and ambition, I feel like Wuershan’s film falls into some of the same traps a lot of modern Hollywood blockbusters fall into, namely, a visual landscape that feels drab and dark, and a story that- because of how many characters are involved- feels as though the filmmakers couldn’t decide on a singular narrative to follow. I’m very much on board for the next two films in this trilogy, but this is not as cleanly streamlined a story as, say, Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” trilogy ended up being. It’s closer to the “Hobbit” movies, which I still like, but can’t say I have the same affection for.
The film takes place during the Shang Dynasty, and begins as Prince Yi Shou is getting ready to attack the fortress of Su Hu, the Lord of Jizou, who is standing in defiance of King Yi. This is one of the most striking sequences in the entire film, as the snow-strewn landscape gives off a haunting sense of a great point in time ending, ready to go down in bloodshed. This entire sequence is brutal and a staggering piece of film craft; one of the things about this film that works is how individual sequences command our attention, even if the larger narrative feels spotty, we still feel something in the bigger picture. We start to see the larger political landscape which will play out through the film, as well as a key moment when Su Daji, Su Hu’s daughter, commits ritual suicide, yet somehow survives- the first sense of the otherworldly in this film. When Prince Shou returns home, to present his father with his offerings, his brother becomes deranged, and murders their father. As Prince Shou is ready to ascend to the throne, however, a dark curse clouds the proceedings, on account of his ascension being as a result of his brother killing his father. There are two ways to prevent the curse clouding over the region- one an act of self-sacrifice, one the appearance of the Fengshen Bang, a mystical scroll that once defeated the Great Curse. Prince Shou will continue building the great pyre for his sacrifice, but he’d really like to enjoy his reign on the throne, as well.
The Fengshen Bang becomes the McGuffin of the film, something that everyone wants, for their own reasons, but will not be resolved until the story dictates it. This is where a more streamlined narrative would have benefitted the film. Several immortal characters are introduced, and the film becomes part chase film- when one of the immortals (Jiang Ziya) realizes its power should not be in Prince Shou’s hands- and part laying the groundwork for the film’s political machinations. There are times when one part of the film has nothing to do with the other part, and the film becomes quite disjointed. I still find myself intrigued by what’s going on, especially as Su Daji reveals herself, but it’s all building to a moment where we must pause and start again the next film rather than finding a worthy emotional climax. There are moments in the credits setting up more of the story, but without a true ending of this part of the story, it feels like we’re just left wanting.
When the supernatural enters the picture, this film is a beautiful one to watch, as well as in moments like the beginning of the film. But the production design feels very flat and- when shown in this film’s drab color pallet, it feels like the filmmakers are hiding limitations in their visual effects, which is weird because the effects seem fine to me. Maybe, as the films continue, we will get a more colorful sense of the world, but “Creation of the Gods” seems like one of those films that’s not confident enough in its worldbuilding to actually show off the world their building. I guess we’ll find out with the next film.
