[Review] Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (60 fps 3D Version): Am I Watching a Live Broadcast!?

I'm sure the hottest movies this week are Your Name. and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them battling it out! However, I recently went to the cinema to watch another film – Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk.

Perhaps you're wondering why I didn't wait for the DVD/Blu-ray release? That's because I watched the 60 frames per second (60 fps) 3D version. Usually, almost all the movies we watch are shot at 24 frames per second (24 fps). It wasn't until 2012 when Peter Jackson shot The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey at 48 frames per second (48 fps) that we first saw so-called high frame rate blockbusters on the big screen. This time, Ang Lee adopted a 120 frames per second (120 fps) format for Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, which can be considered a major breakthrough. Although only the regular version and the 60 fps 3D version were screened in Hong Kong, it already looked very different from the regular version, making it worth seeing in the cinema for the effect.

The 60 fps 3D version of Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is very different from typical 3D movies, which usually only have 3D subtitles. It's the most 3D film I've ever seen: there are constant close-ups of characters' faces, which appear extremely sharp and prominent. Additionally, the depth of field even seemed to detach from the background, creating a slightly "fake" feeling. However, I believe this 60 fps 3D version may not have truly achieved its intended effect. While the scenes in the war and during the halftime show genuinely felt very real, like watching a live broadcast or even being present in the film's setting, this effect sometimes seemed exaggerated during dramatic, non-action scenes, affecting the audience's concentration.

As for the film itself, director Ang Lee has previously championed important values in Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi, and this time is no exception. This film has three timelines: the war period, Billy Lynn's return home, and the halftime show. They are shown in intercutting form, with the day of the halftime show as the main storyline, primarily depicting Billy Lynn, a soldier courageously rescuing a comrade in war, hailed by the media as an American hero. After completing part of his military service, he returns to his homeland and participates in a football game's halftime performance. Like other films about veterans or soldiers on leave, this film also addresses the issues arising from their return to normal life with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the impact of war. However, in addition to showing how they are easily stimulated by external events, triggering war memories and affecting their emotions, the film also highlights the issue of soldiers' identity crisis.

As Billy Lynn states in the dialogue, the most terrible day of his life ironically becomes a day for which he is constantly praised. Upon returning home, he continually faces media inquiries and public attention, forcing him to relive the tragic experience of that day. Even though his sister urges him to stay home and not serve in the military again, he ultimately refuses. This isn't because he likes the battlefield, but because he simply cannot find his original identity as Billy Lynn anymore. Or rather, from the moment he decided to become a soldier, he could no longer return to his former life: whether it's his family or new female acquaintances, they all expect him to continue bringing glory to the nation, bravely fighting the enemy until an honorable discharge. Moreover, this war has fundamentally changed them. On the battlefield, they could wield guns and take lives, but back home, they are just ordinary people, their accolades seen merely as tools for making money, and still subjected to provocation. When this place can no longer feel like home, can no longer allow him to be himself, his only option is to return to the battlefield to find a group of "family" members he can rely on. Of course, some dialogue in the film also expresses criticism and questioning of the justification and necessity of the Iraq War, but this is lightly touched upon and not a primary focus.

In this film, Ang Lee presents and critiques the impact of war on soldiers. While the film's intercutting and editing techniques sometimes provide analogy, contrast, or irony, at other times they serve little purpose, instead proving counterproductive, making the plot seem scattered, losing its focus, and making it difficult for the audience to become invested or moved.

Honestly, after watching Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, I was a little disappointed. I'm not a fan of director Ang Lee, but his previous works Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi genuinely moved me deeply. Although the new technology of this 60 fps 3D version didn't achieve its ideal effect and might not spark a revolution in the short term, Ang Lee, as one of the few Chinese directors in Hollywood, is still willing to take the risk of criticism to experiment with innovative filming technologies and techniques. This spirit and courage are admirable in themselves. Moreover, looking back at Ang Lee's directing career, his works often alternate between a good one and a less successful one. Perhaps we should look forward to his next film!