‘Redbelt’ is martial art film taken to a whole different level.
This is a film martial arts film unlike your traditional Hollywood variety. It is a movie more focused on what it takes to be true warrior and an honorable man rather than an impressive fighter.
Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Mike Terry, a teacher at a small Brazilian jujitsu school in the sleazier side of West Los Angeles. He is a man who teaches but doesn’t compete. He is always asked about why he doesn’t compete since he is truly one of the best fighters but does not make a show about it. He considers the path of a warrior to be “pure” and fighting for a prize is not. He believes you should fight not for physical gain but for spiritual and mental satisfaction. He does not fight for sport or game but for himself. Terry’s way of life is shown in a minimalist way being that his school is some what run down and he owns very few possessions. His school is a struggling business run by his wife (Alice Braga) who has to remind him that payments are due if he is to keep the school in business.
On a rainy night at his school, Laura (Emily Mortimer) a jittery lawyer enters his school and through a chain of accidental events ends up discharging an off-duty police officers weapon, shattering a window. The officer let’s her go to “preserve the schools honor” because if he were to report her she would face charges. While at the time this doesn’t seem like a big plot point it later ties into the main narrative of the film.
Mike is later seen in the film protecting the fading movie star Chet Frank (Tim Allen) and his display of well-trained martial arts is captured on film by the bar’s security cameras. In gratitude of thanks, Chet brings Terry into his life of luxury and makes him a co-producer on the film and gives him a chance to become a part of Hollywood and make his talents of use. Mike is easily seduced by his new status amongst some of the Hollywood elite. At a party Mike tells the guests about a training technique he uses in his classes involving the use of three marbles, two white and one black. The white Marble meaning you get a pass and the black marble meaning you get a handicap, meaning any body part can be tied to your body. The goal of this technique is to test the fighter into using their whits more than their physical training. This technique is used in the beginning of the film when a student of Terry’s testing for his black belt and pulls the black marble gaining a handicap. Terry uses a quote, which resonates through out the film, “There’s always an escape”.
The crux of the film comes when Terry’s teaching techniques are turned into a tournament by one of Chet’s shady colleagues and Terry’s only option for gaining enough money to replay his wife’s debts are to compete in a competition featuring his own training ideas as the showcase.
The world Mamet creates that Terry lives in is full of corruption and moral decay. Terry prevails against it all no matter how hard it shakes his life apart and no matter the physical toll it takes on himself. This film is in essence more of a Western than a traditional martial arts film. It is about one man doing what’s right in a world of corruption and deceit and not stopping until his mission is complete. Chiwetel Ejiofor is outstanding in this movie and David Maments writing and directing only improve the film. ‘Redbelt’ is a smart, and craft story of one man who will always do what’s right and remain a true warrior without needing to throw a punch.