Useful for teaching IB Film

1. Hong Kong Cinema
Kung Fu

2. Wong Fei Hung
• Started in 1949 and established the
archetype of the Kung Fu hero, fighting for
‘justice and the needy.’
• Based on real-life hero who died in 1924.
Over 70 Wong Fei Hung films were made,
mainly as they were box office gold!
• Once Upon A Time in China with Jet Li is a
reconstruction of this tale.

3. Kung Fu/Wuxia
• Lau Kei Lung (Choreographer) 60s, real life
martial artist used to help choreograph
fight scenes. His real life kung fu training
helped make his work particularly
authentic.

4. Sir Run Run Shaw
• Shaws studio (Influence of Run Run Shaw)
• Director making 5 films per year E.g. Chor
Yuen (editing in the camera) Shoot a shot,
then another within same choreographed
scene rather than multi camera shots. This
was based on economic constraints.
Filmmakers didn’t have time to get multi
angled shots (E.g. C/U, M/S & L/S for every
shot in film)

5. 70s- Conventions
• Challenge of the Masters (1967)
• Heroes II (1974)
• Recycled ideas (rivalry between two
martial arts schools- one doesn’t play by
the rules.
• The hero is humiliated by not defending
himself, taken in by a Sifu (kung fu master)
and undergoes training. Must be
subservient to Sifu

6. Conventions Cont...
• Tortuous exercises
• Plot requires motive and this is always
revenge
• Master is killed by other school using
secret weapon
• Hero returns for revenge but remembers
warning of Sifu such as ‘forgive and guard
against arrogance.’

7. Ethics & Training
• The martial arts ethic is therefore crucial
• Eight Diagram Pole Fighter (1984) In
showdown with enemy (the de fanging
technique used so no harm comes to
enemy...demonstrates that every effort is
made not to harm opponent)
• 36th Timber of Shaolin: All about the
training techniques. (Takes 5 years)

8. Fighting Styles
• Drunken Master (Jackie Chan)
• Real Kung Fu styles include Dragon style &
Butterfly palm
• The pitting of one style versus another was
a theme of many kung fu films
• The Five Venoms (1977) Villains use
Different styles based on poisonous
creatures (Choreographer Long Ping)

9. Importance of Shaolin
Monastery
• Return of the 36th Chamber- A monk
working on the roof observing monks
develops his own style (scaffolding kung fu)
• Note that the setting of the Shaolin
Monastery is crucial

10. Bruce Lee
• No parrying, simply hitting the target. Jeet
Kun Do (Lee’s unique style based on
simplicity, speed and hitting people very
hard) one strike and you are down!
• Nationalism- Fist of Fury (Japanese/foreign
villains) yet ironically hugely popular with
foreign audiences
• Died in 1973 aged 33 and subsequently has
maintained legendary status

11. The Bruce Lee Impact
• The Boxer from Shantung- The same
dramatic realism used by Bruce Lee
Fu Sheng
• Chen Guantai (actor) made name using
Lee’s style, as many others did too
• Actors regularly got hurt within this new
style
• Disciples of Shaolin (1975) Swaggering W/C
hero respectful only of his own fighting
talents (Alexander Fu Sheng- heartthrob of
this era)

12. Who will be the ‘new’
Bruce Lee?
• Chen Quin Tai- Co starred with Fu Sheng
and a second rising star of this period
based on the archetype created by Bruce
Lee
• Alexander Fu Sheng, like Lee, died young in
1983

13. Comedy...
• Spiritual Boxer (1975) Creating the new
Bruce Lee was impossible so instead,
directors looked for new hybrid Kung Fu
formulas.
• Amiable rogue attempting to defend the
downtrodden. (Wong Yu- star of Spiritual
Boxer)

14. Dirty Ho (1979)
• Considered to be a Kung Fu masterpiece
• Juggling/combat and comedy fused together
in unique manner, thereby challenging
conventions

15. ‘The 2nd Bruce Lee:’
Jackie Chan
• Set himself up as antithetical of Lee (clown,
hurts his hand all the time, kicks low, not
high & is very human)
• Construction of the anti-hero
• Painted Faces (1988) Chan was schooled in
Beijing opera hall. This is depicted in Painted
Faces.
• Chan used these skills to create a new style
of Kung Fu

16. Stephen Chow
• The influence of Chan is definitely evident
in the slapstick style adopted by local
auteur, Stephen Chow
• Kung Fu Hustle in particular is very much a
parody and celebration of Hong Kong kung
fu tradition

17. Modern day Action
Films
• Hugely influentail on 5th Generation
Chinese directors such as Zhang Yimou
(Hero, House of the Flying Dragon)
• Ang Lee- Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon