![]() If you wanted to design to film perfectly and specifically for me, it would probably be something like The Assassin. The following is a list of 30 of the genre’s highlights, taking a reasonably expansive view of generic boundaries and arranged in chronological order:Ĭontinue reading → OctoNovemfilm festivals, reviews 6 Comments hou hsiao-hsien shu qi VIFF wuxia King Hu and Tsui Hark are the essential wuxia directors, and Jet Li, Ti Lung and Jimmy Wang Yu the genre’s greatest stars. Strictly speaking, wuxia should probably be confined to stories of code-following traveling knights-errant, but genres are a fluid and conventional thing, especially in Hong Kong, where films regularly mash together comedy, action, romance, melodrama and horror elements into a single impure whole, and as such, stark lines are difficult to draw. Wuxia films often incorporate fantasy elements, using special effects to allow their heroes to fly, shoot concentrated chi energy out of their hands (or eyes) and in other ways violate the laws of physics. Its heroes follow a very specific code of honor as they navigate the jianghu, an underworld of outlaws and bandits outside the normal streams of civilization. Wuxia is a much older form, based ultimately in the long tradition of Chinese adventure literature, in classic novels such as The Water Margin or Journey to the West, or more contemporary works by authors like Louis Cha and Gu Long. Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan are its most famous practitioners and Lau Kar-leung its most important director. The kung fu film is newer and focuses primarily on hand-to-hand combat, it’s steeped in traditional fighting forms and there’s a general emphasis on the physical skill of the performer: special effects are generally disdained. With the highly-anticipated release of two King Hu masterpieces on home video by the Masters of Cinema organization, as well as the critical success of Hou Hsiao-hsien’s The Assassin last year, it seems like the wuxia film is making some inroads into the Western critical consciousness. So I thought I’d put together a guide to some of the essential films of the genre. The Chinese martial arts movie is generally split into two primary subgeneres: the kung fu film and the wuxia film. I appreciate the grander sprawl of the first film, however.Ĭontinue reading → JanuFebrureviews, running out of karma 2 Comments china hong kong jacky cheung jet li kung fu tsui hark wong fei-hung wuxia yuen biao ![]() In some quarters seen as superior to the first film, perhaps because of its tighter focus (only a few main characters, including a recognizable to the West historical figure in Sun Yat-sen), specific historical moment (set in September 1895 at the beginning of the Boxer Rebellion, as opposed to the vague late 19th century of the first film), and the presence of Donnie Yen (his second attempt at stardom, after supporting roles in a handful of films in the late 80s). Shine brighter than the sun” – “ A Man Should Strengthen Himself” Using our hundredfold warmth, to bring forth a thousandfold brilliance Walking in firm steps and standing upright let us all aspire to be a pillar of the society, and to be a hero I am a man and I must strive to strengthen myself. Watching the stature and grandure of jade-coloured wavesĪt the same time watching the vast jade-coloured sky, let our noble spirit soar To split heaven and part the earth, to fight for my aspirations In order to become a hero, One should strive to become stronger everydayĪn ardent man shines brighter than the sunĪllowing the sky and sea to amass energy for me ![]() I worked extremely hard, aspiring to be a strong and courageous man Having lofty aspirations and excellent foresight Having courage like forged iron and bones as hard as refined steel “Vigorous when facing the beatings of ten thousand heavy waves You must rely on yourself.” – Wong Fei-hung After all, we see they are just myths.” – Lu Haodong
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