The Raid

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If action speaks louder than words, then The Raid is positively deafening. The third feature from Welshman Gareth Evans is ingeniously, almost absurdly exciting - for the most part it’s shorn of story and propelled not by plot but by peril. That it’s basically a series of imaginative smack-downs and shoot-outs will be off-putting to many but this Indonesian actioner is entirely engrossing and executed with gobsmacking gusto and precision. An unashamed proponent of the poetry of violence, it’s a superb showcase for the lesser seen martial art Pencak Silat and for the audacity of its helmsman.

In The Raid a team of tooled-up police officers enter a formidable Jakarta tenement block which has languished under the decade-long rule of powerful mobster, Tama (Ray Sahetapy, pictured right). He’s transformed it into a no-go zone, filling its floors with “low life shit” - including those who run the in-house narcotics lab which helps fund his operation. He has two key enforcers: the ominously named Mad Dog (Yayan Ruhian, the film’s co-choreographer) and the considerably less threateningly monikered Andi (Doni Alamsyah). Leading the police team is the noble Jaka (Judo specialist, Joe Taslim) alongside the experienced Wahyu (Pierre Gruno) - the man who has gotten them into this mess. Most significantly, from the outset we’re also in the company of Rama (Iko Uwais, pictured below left on the attack), whose baby faced appearance belies extraordinary fighting skills and whose wife’s pregnancy gives him everything to live for.

The efficiency of the initial operation quickly gives way to disaster in a sequence where the entire building is alerted to the police intrusion. It features a grimly graceful shot of a bullet penetrating a door and taking down a young informer, just milliseconds too late. The Raid is actually a film which predominantly avoids such commonly seen genre theatrics, or at least executes its action sequences in a manner which feels fresh and superior. Evans works from an elaborate video storyboard and his camera stays dexterously in pace with the performers, sometimes breathtakingly so; this is particularly notable in a sequence where it seamlessly follows the team as they hack through the floor of an apartment, descending to meet their attackers below.

It was whilst filming a documentary about Pencak Silat that Evans first met Uwais, a leading practitioner of the discipline. This led to the two collaborating on Evans’ second feature Merantau, which explored the murky world of sex trafficking, with Uwais taking on the dual role of star and fight choreographer. The Raid (also co-choreographed by Uwais) is noticeably more confident and it largely shrugs off Merantau’s social conscience, slims down its storytelling and ups the ante action-wise. With its sensational scraps taking top priority, characterisation is cursory and The Raid could have perhaps done with a more venomous villain, however – while its cast are unlikely to be nominated for any acting awards - it’s noticeably better performed than many films of its ilk.

The Raid is an impressive addition to the martial arts and siege sub-genres, a thrilling combination of east meets west. Evans cites Assault on Precinct 13 and Die Hard as inspirations and it somewhat recalls the recent Cell 211 and Attack the Block. It also significantly resembles an old-school video game, with the team required to ascend increasingly challenging levels in order to reach the boss. The international version benefits from a pulsating Eighties-style electronic score from Mike Shinoda (from Linkin Park) and Jospeh Trapanese, which complements the action superbly and adds to the retro video game feel.

Taking pride and pleasure in the crack of bones and the credibility of its combat, The Raid is a blazing beat ‘em up. Hollywood will surely come knocking for Evans but before that there’s more in the same vein to come. It seems The Raid is merely an introduction to the heroic, superhumanly kick-ass Rama, with two further films featuring our hero planned. The second, Berandal, is due to begin production this year. If it’s even half as exciting as this one, we’re in for a treat.