The Top 30, or so, Martial Arts films...
- Thread starter D_Davis
- Start date
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
The Magic Blade - Dir. Chu Yuan
After defeating Master Yu and becoming the number one swordsman in the underworld, Fu Hung-hsueh is told that wealth and power await him as the leader of the jiang hu. To this, Fu calmly states, “save it for those looking to die,” turns his back on the new found fame and glory, and walks away. Director Chu Yuan, the undisputed master of the wuxia pian, and the filmmaker to most fully grasp the themes of the great martial arts novelist Gu Long, directs The Magic Blade with a skilled hand, and delivers an accessible adaptation of Chinese genre literature. Everything on display is expertly crafted. The martial arts mystery which unfolds is captivating, punctuated with a bevy of hard-hitting action scenes, exotic set pieces, and a cast of characters ripped from a nightmarish world of assassins, double crossers, and ne'r do wells.
Wuxia pians are often typified by convoluted plots, unfolding like murder-mysteries, populated with dozens of outlandish characters, each with his or her own motive and agenda. The films based upon these narratives are often hard for the outsider, those not familiar with the source material, to comprehend, and can lead to rampant confusion and bewilderment. Chu Yuan possessed an uncanny ability to excavate the essence from these novels while keeping the plots intact, and was able to craft films that were more accessible than most. The Magic Blade is such a film, and can easily be enjoyed by the neophyte and wuxia pain veteran alike.
The plot itself is deceptively simple, and is only made murky because of information purposely withheld to heighten the mystery. The incredible and stoic Ti Lung plays the hero, Fu Hung-hsueh who is challenged to a duel by Yen Nan-fe, played by Shaw Brothers baddie Lo Lieh. The two quickly join forces once they discover that the entire underworld wants them both dead. It appears as if the seams of the underworld are on the cusp of bursting, for everyone Fu and Yen come across is either an assassin, a thief, or a swordsman possessing some strange weapon or power. The two men soon find themselves on the trail of the legendary Peacock Dart, a weapon so powerful that it alone can upset the balance of power. Through a series of double-crosses, romantic interludes, exotic traps, and ruminations on the martial chivalry of the swordsman, Fu Hung learns the truth about the jiang hu, its rulers, and the hearts of the men and woman populating its milieu.
What is most entertaining about the film are the increasingly absurd and outlandish set pieces. The action begins in a fairly mundane manner, except for the strange spinning blade used by Fu Hung. However, the swordplay quickly escalates as the set pieces become more and more absurd. There are numerous run ins with one particular character named Devil Grandma, a cannibal dead set on killing, cooking, and eating Fu Hung. Fu Hung and Yen Nan are almost poisoned to death multiple times, and almost every safe haven they stumble across is found out to be a top secret hideout tainted with trapdoors and henchmen waiting to kill them. Then there is the human chess match played on a giant make shift chess board, in which the heroes become the living pawns in a game played to death. All in all, The Magic Blade contains enough creative set pieces and action sequences for a handful of lesser films.
The film also possesses an alluring, otherworldly quality to it, made all the more prevalent by Huang Chien's cinematography, Tong Gaai's action choreography, and Chu Yuan's deft eye as a director. I am ashamed to not know more about Huang, because based upon the beauty of this film it is clear that he possesses a masterful eye behind the camera. Often times the view becomes partially blocked by items in the foreground, thus rendering the film with a voyeuristic quality. It feels as if we are being shown something that should not be seen, a tableau of wicked taboo and conspiracy. Tong Gaai's choreography also captures this quality. Much of the action transpires in the darkness, and the hits of hilts and blades are punctuated with flashes of light and smears of blood. Tong's work here also showcases his amazing ability to introduce creative and outlandish weapons into the mix without becoming too cartoony. With Chu Yuan lording over every detail of the film, the entire production rings with an air of authenticity, and class. Chu's resume is brimming with amazing wuxia pians, and The Magic Blade is a masterful example of this auteur's craft.
After defeating Master Yu and becoming the number one swordsman in the underworld, Fu Hung-hsueh is told that wealth and power await him as the leader of the jiang hu. To this, Fu calmly states, “save it for those looking to die,” turns his back on the new found fame and glory, and walks away. Director Chu Yuan, the undisputed master of the wuxia pian, and the filmmaker to most fully grasp the themes of the great martial arts novelist Gu Long, directs The Magic Blade with a skilled hand, and delivers an accessible adaptation of Chinese genre literature. Everything on display is expertly crafted. The martial arts mystery which unfolds is captivating, punctuated with a bevy of hard-hitting action scenes, exotic set pieces, and a cast of characters ripped from a nightmarish world of assassins, double crossers, and ne'r do wells.
Wuxia pians are often typified by convoluted plots, unfolding like murder-mysteries, populated with dozens of outlandish characters, each with his or her own motive and agenda. The films based upon these narratives are often hard for the outsider, those not familiar with the source material, to comprehend, and can lead to rampant confusion and bewilderment. Chu Yuan possessed an uncanny ability to excavate the essence from these novels while keeping the plots intact, and was able to craft films that were more accessible than most. The Magic Blade is such a film, and can easily be enjoyed by the neophyte and wuxia pain veteran alike.
The plot itself is deceptively simple, and is only made murky because of information purposely withheld to heighten the mystery. The incredible and stoic Ti Lung plays the hero, Fu Hung-hsueh who is challenged to a duel by Yen Nan-fe, played by Shaw Brothers baddie Lo Lieh. The two quickly join forces once they discover that the entire underworld wants them both dead. It appears as if the seams of the underworld are on the cusp of bursting, for everyone Fu and Yen come across is either an assassin, a thief, or a swordsman possessing some strange weapon or power. The two men soon find themselves on the trail of the legendary Peacock Dart, a weapon so powerful that it alone can upset the balance of power. Through a series of double-crosses, romantic interludes, exotic traps, and ruminations on the martial chivalry of the swordsman, Fu Hung learns the truth about the jiang hu, its rulers, and the hearts of the men and woman populating its milieu.
What is most entertaining about the film are the increasingly absurd and outlandish set pieces. The action begins in a fairly mundane manner, except for the strange spinning blade used by Fu Hung. However, the swordplay quickly escalates as the set pieces become more and more absurd. There are numerous run ins with one particular character named Devil Grandma, a cannibal dead set on killing, cooking, and eating Fu Hung. Fu Hung and Yen Nan are almost poisoned to death multiple times, and almost every safe haven they stumble across is found out to be a top secret hideout tainted with trapdoors and henchmen waiting to kill them. Then there is the human chess match played on a giant make shift chess board, in which the heroes become the living pawns in a game played to death. All in all, The Magic Blade contains enough creative set pieces and action sequences for a handful of lesser films.
The film also possesses an alluring, otherworldly quality to it, made all the more prevalent by Huang Chien's cinematography, Tong Gaai's action choreography, and Chu Yuan's deft eye as a director. I am ashamed to not know more about Huang, because based upon the beauty of this film it is clear that he possesses a masterful eye behind the camera. Often times the view becomes partially blocked by items in the foreground, thus rendering the film with a voyeuristic quality. It feels as if we are being shown something that should not be seen, a tableau of wicked taboo and conspiracy. Tong Gaai's choreography also captures this quality. Much of the action transpires in the darkness, and the hits of hilts and blades are punctuated with flashes of light and smears of blood. Tong's work here also showcases his amazing ability to introduce creative and outlandish weapons into the mix without becoming too cartoony. With Chu Yuan lording over every detail of the film, the entire production rings with an air of authenticity, and class. Chu's resume is brimming with amazing wuxia pians, and The Magic Blade is a masterful example of this auteur's craft.
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
A Chinese Ghost Story (1987) - Dir. Ching Siu Ting
“A Chinese Ghost Story, out of all the genre mash-ups in the world, you're the genre mashiest.”
A Chinese Ghost Story truly does offer something for almost everyone, and in this regard it is a perfect example of new school Hong Kong filmmaking. It is the product of one of the most prolific and exciting partnerships to be birthed on the small, densely populated island: director Ching Siu Tung and producer/writer/co-director Tsui Hark. The film is a unique experience, and reeks of Hongkie idiosyncrasies, benefiting from Tsui's gonzo production and Ching's panache for crafting outlandish action and situations. There is just no way this film could have come from anywhere else in the world. It exists as a perfect encapsulation of everything that makes Hong Kong genre cinema so maddening, exciting, entertaining, endearing, and alluring.
At its most reductive state, ACGS can be described as a romantic ghost story. However, it also contains many subtle and bombastic comedic moments, a memorable song and dance number, a ton of high-flying fantasy-tinged martial arts, and some moments that are more than a bit creepy and kind of gory. Even with all of these individual motifs and parts, the film never feels like a collection of poorly juxtaposed pieces. On the contrary, Ching's and Tsui's work here melds the film into a stew-like concoction the deftly hides the seems of the various genres and styles it's built from. The transitions between sequences of differing tone feel natural and effortless, and the film greatly benefits from each individual ingredient.
ACGS tells the story of, Ning Tsai-shen (Leslie Cheung), a naive, wandering official sent to collect taxes from various merchants located in a small, remote village. Unpopular with the locals, and totally broke, Ning is forced to find refuge in the Lan Yeuk temple, a haunted place full of evil spirits. It is here that the beautiful fox-spirit, Nieh Hsiao-tsing (Joey Wong), finds Ning and falls in love with him. But is her love true, or is she only a temptress trying to lure Ning into the clutches of the evil tree-demon? Ning also meets up with an adventurous Taoist priest/swordsman/ghost buster, Yen (Wu Ma), who is trying to rid the word of evil spirits. And thus the stage is set and the characters are assembled for an adventure of outrageous situations, B-grade horror, and A-class set pieces.
For sheer action, horror, and comedic moments, comparisons to Evil Dead 2 are not too far off base. There are moments of exhilarating action, like the climatic battle for hell, that would be right at place in one of King Hu's classic wuxia pians. Yen, the Taoist butt-kicker, fights with magic, fist, and sword, as he flies around like some kind of ancient Chinese superhero. Also on display are a number of classic comedic moments, all made more immediate by the outlandish set pieces. One such instance finds the naive Ning unknowingly thwarting a group of stop-motion-animated zombies. However, unlike Evil Dead 2, ACGS also features moments of high-romance and sweetness. Joey Wong's performance as the fox-spirit is alluring and affecting, and more than a little sexual. It is so good, in fact, that after this film she was almost exclusively cast as a ghostly-vixen, which ended up impacting her career; some superstitious filmmakers became suspicious of her ghostly-visage and would refuse to work with her.
If anything, ACGS is charming. While the production is obviously limited by a modest budget, Tsui Hark and Ching Siu Tung work their magic in spades, a filmmaking-magic that many other genre filmmakers lack. The entire production is brimming with character and energy, and the end product exudes a tangible affability. This film is a wonderful example of the kind of films Hongkie filmmakers made during this second golden-age of Hong Kong cinema. It's simply an incredible mix of genre pastiche, including high-concept action, low-brow humor, and off-the-wall antics to this gonzo style of filmmaking endemic to Hong Kong filmmakers.
A Chinese Ghost Story truly does offer something for almost everyone, and in this regard it is a perfect example of new school Hong Kong filmmaking. It is the product of one of the most prolific and exciting partnerships to be birthed on the small, densely populated island: director Ching Siu Tung and producer/writer/co-director Tsui Hark. The film is a unique experience, and reeks of Hongkie idiosyncrasies, benefiting from Tsui's gonzo production and Ching's panache for crafting outlandish action and situations. There is just no way this film could have come from anywhere else in the world. It exists as a perfect encapsulation of everything that makes Hong Kong genre cinema so maddening, exciting, entertaining, endearing, and alluring.
At its most reductive state, ACGS can be described as a romantic ghost story. However, it also contains many subtle and bombastic comedic moments, a memorable song and dance number, a ton of high-flying fantasy-tinged martial arts, and some moments that are more than a bit creepy and kind of gory. Even with all of these individual motifs and parts, the film never feels like a collection of poorly juxtaposed pieces. On the contrary, Ching's and Tsui's work here melds the film into a stew-like concoction the deftly hides the seems of the various genres and styles it's built from. The transitions between sequences of differing tone feel natural and effortless, and the film greatly benefits from each individual ingredient.
ACGS tells the story of, Ning Tsai-shen (Leslie Cheung), a naive, wandering official sent to collect taxes from various merchants located in a small, remote village. Unpopular with the locals, and totally broke, Ning is forced to find refuge in the Lan Yeuk temple, a haunted place full of evil spirits. It is here that the beautiful fox-spirit, Nieh Hsiao-tsing (Joey Wong), finds Ning and falls in love with him. But is her love true, or is she only a temptress trying to lure Ning into the clutches of the evil tree-demon? Ning also meets up with an adventurous Taoist priest/swordsman/ghost buster, Yen (Wu Ma), who is trying to rid the word of evil spirits. And thus the stage is set and the characters are assembled for an adventure of outrageous situations, B-grade horror, and A-class set pieces.
For sheer action, horror, and comedic moments, comparisons to Evil Dead 2 are not too far off base. There are moments of exhilarating action, like the climatic battle for hell, that would be right at place in one of King Hu's classic wuxia pians. Yen, the Taoist butt-kicker, fights with magic, fist, and sword, as he flies around like some kind of ancient Chinese superhero. Also on display are a number of classic comedic moments, all made more immediate by the outlandish set pieces. One such instance finds the naive Ning unknowingly thwarting a group of stop-motion-animated zombies. However, unlike Evil Dead 2, ACGS also features moments of high-romance and sweetness. Joey Wong's performance as the fox-spirit is alluring and affecting, and more than a little sexual. It is so good, in fact, that after this film she was almost exclusively cast as a ghostly-vixen, which ended up impacting her career; some superstitious filmmakers became suspicious of her ghostly-visage and would refuse to work with her.
If anything, ACGS is charming. While the production is obviously limited by a modest budget, Tsui Hark and Ching Siu Tung work their magic in spades, a filmmaking-magic that many other genre filmmakers lack. The entire production is brimming with character and energy, and the end product exudes a tangible affability. This film is a wonderful example of the kind of films Hongkie filmmakers made during this second golden-age of Hong Kong cinema. It's simply an incredible mix of genre pastiche, including high-concept action, low-brow humor, and off-the-wall antics to this gonzo style of filmmaking endemic to Hong Kong filmmakers.
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
Jeez people, DM is not that good, especially compared to the films on the list.
It's not the best Chan film, it's not the best Yeun Wo Ping film, nor is it even the best martial arts comedy.
It's good, but not cream of the crop IMO.
I'd rank it in the next tier down.
There will be one Chan film on the list, and it is glorious, loads better than DM.
And this is, of course, my list, so it is full of films that I like.
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
Samurai Fiction (1998) - Dir: Hiroyuki Nakano
Samurai Fiction is both a celebration of the artistic expression of film, as well as a quiet reflection on an important era in Japan's cinematic history. The film possesses a tangible and infectious energy that oozes from the screen, an energy ignited by passion and reverence. In many ways, SF is a love letter written by Hiroyuki Nakano, addressed to the directors whose films helped to identify a nation and its people. What's more, the film is totally accessible, and can be enjoyed by both genre-veterans and neophytes alike. It stands with its arms outstretched ready to embrace all who allow themselves to fall under its charm.
SF is part send-up, part homage, and part serious study of the jidaigeki: its influences and its themes. The jidaigeki can be seen as Japan's national genre - like the western is to America, so too are the samurai films to Japan. They exist to examine Japan's history, its folk-heroes, its nation, its mythology, and the very things that make Japan, Japan. At the heart of the genre is an artery of Japanese essence, the mono no aware, the examination of the tranquility and Japanese-ness of things. SF encapsulates everything important to the genre, and then adds a unique post-modern spin on the themes, characterizations, and memes.
The film was partially inspired by Pulp Fiction's anachronistic genrebusting. While SF's narrative is fully established in the past, there is a fascinating juxtaposition of modern audio and humor. Electric guitar, piano, synthesizers, rock 'n roll, and electronic music are used to build the film's audio foundation: all instruments and genres anachronistic to the narrative's time period. While some filmmakers and composers might choose this kind of instrumentation without a lot of thought, or just because its how things are done, in SF it is done to add a tinge of modernity to the genre. The film's composer, and one of its stars, Tonoyasu Hotei (who also composed the piece Battle Without Honor or Humanity made popular in Kill Bill) and the director worked to craft a film possessing attractive elements from the here and now and the past; they create a perfect marriage of things important to their generation, as well as the things important to the films of yesterday.
The humor, too, is more modern, and it is also self-referential, but it is not a lazy spoof. While the director's fourth film, Red Shadow, a send up to the ninja film, dives head first into the spoof-pool, SF is graceful and distinguished in its approach. It pokes fun at some of the genre's conventions - the hamster-like ninja school and the proud, naive anger of the main character - but it still remains reverent towards its subject. It also incorporates some comedic gags found in Japanese animation: see the I'm-in-love-nose-bleed as a specific example. The humor never feels forced, but instead it works in perfect tandem with the narrative and the characters; it feels natural, and is not lazily used to craft a simple parody. The humor is there to offer more insight into the genre, and to foster a breeze of aloofness and affability to the film.
Filmed in black and white, with a few punctuations of color, Samurai Fiction exists as both an impassioned homage to an entire genre of cinema, as well as a singular film possessing its own unique voice. Nakano fully understands all of the things that make the jidaigeki so important to his country, and, along with the other filmmakers, he has crafted a film that contains elements of the past and the present. The film is sweet without being sappy; has conflict without relying on too much action; is humorous without being silly; uses music to strengthen the narrative's modernity; and offers up a cast of endearing and memorable characters. It is also, simply, an entertaining film bursting with earnestness and powerful charm.
Samurai Fiction is both a celebration of the artistic expression of film, as well as a quiet reflection on an important era in Japan's cinematic history. The film possesses a tangible and infectious energy that oozes from the screen, an energy ignited by passion and reverence. In many ways, SF is a love letter written by Hiroyuki Nakano, addressed to the directors whose films helped to identify a nation and its people. What's more, the film is totally accessible, and can be enjoyed by both genre-veterans and neophytes alike. It stands with its arms outstretched ready to embrace all who allow themselves to fall under its charm.
SF is part send-up, part homage, and part serious study of the jidaigeki: its influences and its themes. The jidaigeki can be seen as Japan's national genre - like the western is to America, so too are the samurai films to Japan. They exist to examine Japan's history, its folk-heroes, its nation, its mythology, and the very things that make Japan, Japan. At the heart of the genre is an artery of Japanese essence, the mono no aware, the examination of the tranquility and Japanese-ness of things. SF encapsulates everything important to the genre, and then adds a unique post-modern spin on the themes, characterizations, and memes.
The film was partially inspired by Pulp Fiction's anachronistic genrebusting. While SF's narrative is fully established in the past, there is a fascinating juxtaposition of modern audio and humor. Electric guitar, piano, synthesizers, rock 'n roll, and electronic music are used to build the film's audio foundation: all instruments and genres anachronistic to the narrative's time period. While some filmmakers and composers might choose this kind of instrumentation without a lot of thought, or just because its how things are done, in SF it is done to add a tinge of modernity to the genre. The film's composer, and one of its stars, Tonoyasu Hotei (who also composed the piece Battle Without Honor or Humanity made popular in Kill Bill) and the director worked to craft a film possessing attractive elements from the here and now and the past; they create a perfect marriage of things important to their generation, as well as the things important to the films of yesterday.
The humor, too, is more modern, and it is also self-referential, but it is not a lazy spoof. While the director's fourth film, Red Shadow, a send up to the ninja film, dives head first into the spoof-pool, SF is graceful and distinguished in its approach. It pokes fun at some of the genre's conventions - the hamster-like ninja school and the proud, naive anger of the main character - but it still remains reverent towards its subject. It also incorporates some comedic gags found in Japanese animation: see the I'm-in-love-nose-bleed as a specific example. The humor never feels forced, but instead it works in perfect tandem with the narrative and the characters; it feels natural, and is not lazily used to craft a simple parody. The humor is there to offer more insight into the genre, and to foster a breeze of aloofness and affability to the film.
Filmed in black and white, with a few punctuations of color, Samurai Fiction exists as both an impassioned homage to an entire genre of cinema, as well as a singular film possessing its own unique voice. Nakano fully understands all of the things that make the jidaigeki so important to his country, and, along with the other filmmakers, he has crafted a film that contains elements of the past and the present. The film is sweet without being sappy; has conflict without relying on too much action; is humorous without being silly; uses music to strengthen the narrative's modernity; and offers up a cast of endearing and memorable characters. It is also, simply, an entertaining film bursting with earnestness and powerful charm.
Connavar
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2007
- Messages
- 8,411
Heh it was easy because IMO Police Story 2 is one of the best hardcore fight movies i have seen. Chan doesnt have much comedy there. It was good to see that good fight movie outside Wuxia setting.
Project A is his funniest work. I saw it last year with hole of my family, we laughed like fools.
Project A is his funniest work. I saw it last year with hole of my family, we laughed like fools.
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
At least you have the good taste to like Sammo Hung, he is great
I enjoy far more Sammo flicks than I do Chan flicks.
Sammo is amazing. He's just an all around talented dude.
Plus, he choreographed the spectacular, one of a kind, super-film, the one and only, Knock Off, directed by my favorite director, Tsui Hark.
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
We're Going to Eat You (1980) - Dir: Tsui Hark
Anticipation can be like a double-barreled shotgun, held by a hyperactive child all hopped up on goofballs, pointed straight at your face – a precarious situation to be sure. If you happen to live through the moment, the exhilaration can be euphoric, and nearly orgasmic, but usually, the spastic kid's trigger finger twitches and – BLAMMO – you've got a bloody-nubbin spurtin' gore where your head used to be. Tsui Hark's We're Going To Eat You is a film that I anticipated for many, many years – almost nine to be exact - ever since I was first exposed Once Upon a Time in China, back in 1993. I had heard about, and dreamed of seeing this legendary film, but up until last year (2005), it had been completely unavailable in a subtitled, official, remastered capacity. So, it is with great relief, and honest excitement, that I am able to say this film far surpassed my heightened anticipation – yeah, it is really dang good.
We're Going to Eat You is the finest kung fu-cannibal-comedy you will ever see – perhaps it is the only film in this rarest of sub-genres: the kung-can-com. The film perfectly strikes a balance between the outrageously funny, gory, scary, and action packed sequences with skill and style not often seen. The way Hark and the actors expertly straddle and execute the shifting tones and styles is masterful, and offers a scrumptious treat for the senses. The film stars Norman Chu as Agent 999, a man sent on a mission to investigate some strange occurrences in a remote village deep in the heart of an Asian jungle. Upon arriving at the village, Agent 999 soon discovers an entire gang made up of Leatherface-wannabes, that kidnap unsuspecting victims to be killed, carved, and eaten by the village's bizarre inhabitants.
Tsui Hark and action-choreographer Corey Yuen create some truly memorable set pieces. While the action isn't quite up to snuff, or comparable to best from time period, they make up for the lack of martial-skill with style and frenetic pacing to spare. Norman Chu moves quite well, and keeps his cool, while dispatching cannibal after cannibal in a variety of wacky showdowns. One moment in particualr that will surely leave jaws on the floor, and fans scrambling for a pause-rewind-slow-mo-retake, is when Agent 999 takes a brief break in the middle of a chaotic bout of fisticuffs to roll a cigarette on a goon's face. He then lights it, and continues to fight while smoking his face-rolled ciggy – perhaps the only time this feat has ever been attempted on screen! And oh yeah, make sure you're prepared for some amazing roller skating antics.
There are a ton of little moments like this peppered throughout the film, moments that demand strict attention – blink and you might miss something awesome. There is almost always something cool happening on screen, and Hark captures it all with the grace of a camera-equipped ninja. Whether laughs, gasps, groans, or cheers are elicited, one thing is certain: the pacing never lets up – the film is full of Hark-patented kinetic energy. The entire thing is framed like some kind of live-action comic book, and I mean this as the best of possible compliments. Each shot looks like an expertly laid-out comic book panel, as the utmost attention to detail, lighting, and composition is used in almost every frame. Just as there are moments of physical action, and comedy, that will be remembered far after the film is over, so too are there shots that will continue to haunt the mind's eye after the end credits roll.
We're Going To Eat You just oozes with style. It is a grotesque, bizarre and gonzo journey into the heart and mind of a filmmaker that loves to let it rip. It has the action martial-arts fans demand, the comedy to shake things up, and the gore and scares to quench the horror fan's thirst. However, under Hark's watchful gaze, all of these elements fit together like a well designed puzzle – nothing feels forced or out of place. The quickly-written and balls-out style of the narrative is perfectly complemented by the zig-zagging work of the camera, and it all comes together due to the wonderful cast and crew. It truly is a rare film – a film that is fun, exciting, and nearly perfect, and a film that lives up to its legendary status.
We're Going to Eat You is the finest kung fu-cannibal-comedy you will ever see – perhaps it is the only film in this rarest of sub-genres: the kung-can-com. The film perfectly strikes a balance between the outrageously funny, gory, scary, and action packed sequences with skill and style not often seen. The way Hark and the actors expertly straddle and execute the shifting tones and styles is masterful, and offers a scrumptious treat for the senses. The film stars Norman Chu as Agent 999, a man sent on a mission to investigate some strange occurrences in a remote village deep in the heart of an Asian jungle. Upon arriving at the village, Agent 999 soon discovers an entire gang made up of Leatherface-wannabes, that kidnap unsuspecting victims to be killed, carved, and eaten by the village's bizarre inhabitants.
Tsui Hark and action-choreographer Corey Yuen create some truly memorable set pieces. While the action isn't quite up to snuff, or comparable to best from time period, they make up for the lack of martial-skill with style and frenetic pacing to spare. Norman Chu moves quite well, and keeps his cool, while dispatching cannibal after cannibal in a variety of wacky showdowns. One moment in particualr that will surely leave jaws on the floor, and fans scrambling for a pause-rewind-slow-mo-retake, is when Agent 999 takes a brief break in the middle of a chaotic bout of fisticuffs to roll a cigarette on a goon's face. He then lights it, and continues to fight while smoking his face-rolled ciggy – perhaps the only time this feat has ever been attempted on screen! And oh yeah, make sure you're prepared for some amazing roller skating antics.
There are a ton of little moments like this peppered throughout the film, moments that demand strict attention – blink and you might miss something awesome. There is almost always something cool happening on screen, and Hark captures it all with the grace of a camera-equipped ninja. Whether laughs, gasps, groans, or cheers are elicited, one thing is certain: the pacing never lets up – the film is full of Hark-patented kinetic energy. The entire thing is framed like some kind of live-action comic book, and I mean this as the best of possible compliments. Each shot looks like an expertly laid-out comic book panel, as the utmost attention to detail, lighting, and composition is used in almost every frame. Just as there are moments of physical action, and comedy, that will be remembered far after the film is over, so too are there shots that will continue to haunt the mind's eye after the end credits roll.
We're Going To Eat You just oozes with style. It is a grotesque, bizarre and gonzo journey into the heart and mind of a filmmaker that loves to let it rip. It has the action martial-arts fans demand, the comedy to shake things up, and the gore and scares to quench the horror fan's thirst. However, under Hark's watchful gaze, all of these elements fit together like a well designed puzzle – nothing feels forced or out of place. The quickly-written and balls-out style of the narrative is perfectly complemented by the zig-zagging work of the camera, and it all comes together due to the wonderful cast and crew. It truly is a rare film – a film that is fun, exciting, and nearly perfect, and a film that lives up to its legendary status.
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
Holy Flame of the Martial World (1983) - Dir. Lu Chin-ku
Holy Flame of the Martial World is one wicked kung fu film. Imagine the zaniest most bizarre thing you have ever seen, all hopped up on goofballs, with many moments of sheer brilliance sprinkled about a gaggle of freaked out fisticuffs and enough crazy weapons to fill a museum. Now imagine something even crazier and more fun than that: if you can’t fathom a film so full of awesomeness, (and I fear for those who can) then just click on over to hkflix.com and order yourself up a helping of Holy Flame. This is a premier example of what I like to call, WTF-Cinema.
Holy Flame is a tough film to describe because so much of what makes it so damn amazing is in the unique visuals. The blazing colors pop off the screen, the sets are a gaudy kaleidescopic mess of neon nick-nacks, and the pure visceral aesthetic energy is a treat for the eyes. At its core, the film is a simple kung fu tale about the ultimate weapons in all of the jiang hu, The Holy Flames, and the quest to find and utilize said weapons. The film also uses the old two-twins-separated-at-birth-one-raised-by-good-the-other-by-bad trope that seemed to be oh so common during the glory days of my beloved genre.
So we’ve got two twins, each looking for a magic sword called the Holy Flame, and each must battle their way through a motley crew of the craziest bunch of kung fu masters this side of a Robert Tai film. I know, it sounds like a clichéd disaster just waiting to happen – but here’s the thing: it’s not. The two main characters, however, are not the most memorable characters in the film. As a matter of fact, they are actually quite boring, and their personalities are rather passé. Luckily for us, the rest of the cast of madcap players is brimming with some of the most bizarre and outlandish kung fu fighting, back flip flipping, high jump jumping, snake controlling, green suit wearing, zombie conjuring characters you will ever lay your eyes on. And, just to prove my point check out these examples:
Er Mai - Man, this chick is crazy and really pissed. Just look at her scowl in the mug shot and you can see what I mean. She’s got this really cool gray hair, and to tell you the truth I am bit baffled by her appearance. You see, I am not sure if she is playing a woman who is disguised as a man (a common trope in the wuxia genre) or if she is playing a woman being a woman who just happens to look like a man. Anyhow, I bet she wishes she were a man, because she is the leader of a school full of nothing but hot assassin chicks who really kick ass.
The Phantom - Alright, this guy wins the “Freaking Insane Laughter” award, and as all of you long time Shaw Brothers fans know, there are a ton of crazy-laughing kung fu masters – but this guy’s laugh truly dominates the martial world. One laugh to rule them all and in the darkness bind them, and all that jazz! The Phantom uses his Ghostly Laughter as a weapon to create a sonic wave of sound that causes people to go crazy. It also causes the wind to blow really violently. Oh yeah, and did I mention he is played by none other than Philip Kwok, Venom and fight choreographer extraordinaire? So yeah, he pretty much rocks the world.
Crazy Green Corpse Zombie WWF Robot Fighting Guy - Eeven without a proper name, this guy still kicks ass and he is totally memorable. Green Corpse is a fighter that is under the control of the poison clan's crazy master. He wears skin tight green pajamas, and constantly pounds his chest and screams and yells a lot, while kicking a ton of butt. He fights like some crazy robotic WWF fighter with stiff arm techniques and a ton of drop kicks, throws and grabs. So basically, he is really, really freaking awesome.
The best fight in the film, and there are quite a few, takes place right after Wan, one of the main twins, finds his Holy Flame. He teams up with Duan, a pupil of the master named Monster Yu, and together they attack the poison clan’s fortress. Man, this sequence is so cool it hurts my brain. First of all, the evil cult master uses his evil Taoist magic to animate four zombie-skull fighters from some hanging tapestries. The zombie skull-fighters are birthed from their cotton-womb, and proceed to bust some heads. This fight is straight out of a crazy-ass comic book ,with the six combatants jumping, flying, dashing, swinging, slashing, punching, kicking and generally beating the crap out of one another.
Once the four zombie-skull fighters are dispatched, the Taoist cult master unleashes the above-mentioned Green Corpse Zombie fighter guy. Our two heroes and Green Corpse fight a battle that is so loopy, and so over cranked, that it turns into pure action-comedy gold. The camera work during this fight is brilliant, as the DP utilizes super quick zooms and pans, and really makes the fight seem chaotic. This is pure wuxia magic here folks, and should not be missed.
There is one set piece that without a doubt is truly remarkable. It occurs after Wan enters the Moonlight cave to obtain his Holy Flame. In the cave there is a secret room (behind a, wait for it, waterfall! Who would have guessed?) with a large drum at one end sitting in front of a huge yin-yang symbol on the floor. Around the symbol are a series of buttons, that once pressed unleash – okay are you sitting down? – giant Chinese words that attack the protagonist. Yeah you heard me, Wan gets the beat down from a sentence, a real grammar assassin, and a group of ruthless letters.
The killer-calligraphy flies around the dark Tron-like, neon-lit room, spinning and dashing at Wan as he nimbly avoids contact, jumps, ducks, and eventually even rides one of the characters like the Monkey King on his nimbus. Wan proves to be the master of the sky surfing killer-calligraphy and smacks each one down in order to display the answer to the riddle of the cave. If you thought the cool cave scenes from the Indiana Jones films were awesome, trust me, compared to this crap they are less so.
If you haven’t guessed by now, Holy Flame of the Martial World is one long series of great lasting impressions. The film is just so wacky and entertaining that it’s hard to believe how much crazy crap they crammed into this cinematic-wunderkind. 1983 was a pivotal year for the kung fu and wuxia genres, with the focus then on new special effect techniques and extravagant wirework to lure back the genre's shrinking fan base. Holy Flame, along with Tsui Hark’s groundbreaking Zu Warriors, helped to usher in a new era of kung fu cinema, while changing the landscape of Chinese action films.
If any thing, Holy Flame is almost too gonzo, as everything in the film is designed for ultimate sensory overload. The colors are garish, the sets are overly decorated, the characters are boisterous, and their actions preposterous. After watching this film for the first time, I actually had a really freaking strange dream. I dreamt that the characters in the film were all played by the cast of the British television show The Office. They all spoke in their British accents, but performed the entire film totally straight in my dream. As weird as that sounds, it’s really not all that bizarre when compared to the actual film.
Holy Flame of the Martial World is one wicked kung fu film. Imagine the zaniest most bizarre thing you have ever seen, all hopped up on goofballs, with many moments of sheer brilliance sprinkled about a gaggle of freaked out fisticuffs and enough crazy weapons to fill a museum. Now imagine something even crazier and more fun than that: if you can’t fathom a film so full of awesomeness, (and I fear for those who can) then just click on over to hkflix.com and order yourself up a helping of Holy Flame. This is a premier example of what I like to call, WTF-Cinema.
Holy Flame is a tough film to describe because so much of what makes it so damn amazing is in the unique visuals. The blazing colors pop off the screen, the sets are a gaudy kaleidescopic mess of neon nick-nacks, and the pure visceral aesthetic energy is a treat for the eyes. At its core, the film is a simple kung fu tale about the ultimate weapons in all of the jiang hu, The Holy Flames, and the quest to find and utilize said weapons. The film also uses the old two-twins-separated-at-birth-one-raised-by-good-the-other-by-bad trope that seemed to be oh so common during the glory days of my beloved genre.
So we’ve got two twins, each looking for a magic sword called the Holy Flame, and each must battle their way through a motley crew of the craziest bunch of kung fu masters this side of a Robert Tai film. I know, it sounds like a clichéd disaster just waiting to happen – but here’s the thing: it’s not. The two main characters, however, are not the most memorable characters in the film. As a matter of fact, they are actually quite boring, and their personalities are rather passé. Luckily for us, the rest of the cast of madcap players is brimming with some of the most bizarre and outlandish kung fu fighting, back flip flipping, high jump jumping, snake controlling, green suit wearing, zombie conjuring characters you will ever lay your eyes on. And, just to prove my point check out these examples:
Er Mai - Man, this chick is crazy and really pissed. Just look at her scowl in the mug shot and you can see what I mean. She’s got this really cool gray hair, and to tell you the truth I am bit baffled by her appearance. You see, I am not sure if she is playing a woman who is disguised as a man (a common trope in the wuxia genre) or if she is playing a woman being a woman who just happens to look like a man. Anyhow, I bet she wishes she were a man, because she is the leader of a school full of nothing but hot assassin chicks who really kick ass.
The Phantom - Alright, this guy wins the “Freaking Insane Laughter” award, and as all of you long time Shaw Brothers fans know, there are a ton of crazy-laughing kung fu masters – but this guy’s laugh truly dominates the martial world. One laugh to rule them all and in the darkness bind them, and all that jazz! The Phantom uses his Ghostly Laughter as a weapon to create a sonic wave of sound that causes people to go crazy. It also causes the wind to blow really violently. Oh yeah, and did I mention he is played by none other than Philip Kwok, Venom and fight choreographer extraordinaire? So yeah, he pretty much rocks the world.
Crazy Green Corpse Zombie WWF Robot Fighting Guy - Eeven without a proper name, this guy still kicks ass and he is totally memorable. Green Corpse is a fighter that is under the control of the poison clan's crazy master. He wears skin tight green pajamas, and constantly pounds his chest and screams and yells a lot, while kicking a ton of butt. He fights like some crazy robotic WWF fighter with stiff arm techniques and a ton of drop kicks, throws and grabs. So basically, he is really, really freaking awesome.
The best fight in the film, and there are quite a few, takes place right after Wan, one of the main twins, finds his Holy Flame. He teams up with Duan, a pupil of the master named Monster Yu, and together they attack the poison clan’s fortress. Man, this sequence is so cool it hurts my brain. First of all, the evil cult master uses his evil Taoist magic to animate four zombie-skull fighters from some hanging tapestries. The zombie skull-fighters are birthed from their cotton-womb, and proceed to bust some heads. This fight is straight out of a crazy-ass comic book ,with the six combatants jumping, flying, dashing, swinging, slashing, punching, kicking and generally beating the crap out of one another.
Once the four zombie-skull fighters are dispatched, the Taoist cult master unleashes the above-mentioned Green Corpse Zombie fighter guy. Our two heroes and Green Corpse fight a battle that is so loopy, and so over cranked, that it turns into pure action-comedy gold. The camera work during this fight is brilliant, as the DP utilizes super quick zooms and pans, and really makes the fight seem chaotic. This is pure wuxia magic here folks, and should not be missed.
There is one set piece that without a doubt is truly remarkable. It occurs after Wan enters the Moonlight cave to obtain his Holy Flame. In the cave there is a secret room (behind a, wait for it, waterfall! Who would have guessed?) with a large drum at one end sitting in front of a huge yin-yang symbol on the floor. Around the symbol are a series of buttons, that once pressed unleash – okay are you sitting down? – giant Chinese words that attack the protagonist. Yeah you heard me, Wan gets the beat down from a sentence, a real grammar assassin, and a group of ruthless letters.
The killer-calligraphy flies around the dark Tron-like, neon-lit room, spinning and dashing at Wan as he nimbly avoids contact, jumps, ducks, and eventually even rides one of the characters like the Monkey King on his nimbus. Wan proves to be the master of the sky surfing killer-calligraphy and smacks each one down in order to display the answer to the riddle of the cave. If you thought the cool cave scenes from the Indiana Jones films were awesome, trust me, compared to this crap they are less so.
If you haven’t guessed by now, Holy Flame of the Martial World is one long series of great lasting impressions. The film is just so wacky and entertaining that it’s hard to believe how much crazy crap they crammed into this cinematic-wunderkind. 1983 was a pivotal year for the kung fu and wuxia genres, with the focus then on new special effect techniques and extravagant wirework to lure back the genre's shrinking fan base. Holy Flame, along with Tsui Hark’s groundbreaking Zu Warriors, helped to usher in a new era of kung fu cinema, while changing the landscape of Chinese action films.
If any thing, Holy Flame is almost too gonzo, as everything in the film is designed for ultimate sensory overload. The colors are garish, the sets are overly decorated, the characters are boisterous, and their actions preposterous. After watching this film for the first time, I actually had a really freaking strange dream. I dreamt that the characters in the film were all played by the cast of the British television show The Office. They all spoke in their British accents, but performed the entire film totally straight in my dream. As weird as that sounds, it’s really not all that bizarre when compared to the actual film.
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
Thanks.
Although, it's not much of an original effort.
Just copying and pasting from my top 100 and my website.
Glad you like reading though, thanks!
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
Project A (1984) - Dir. Jackie Chan
Note - I wanted to include better screenshots, but my DVD kept on crappin' out.
Project A is Jackie Chan's best film, and the best film co-starring his Peking opera brothers, Sammo Hung and Yeun Biao. Project A is a swashbuckling, high-flying, tightly-paced, entertaining adventure yarn complete with pirates, kung fu, comedy and action sequences galore. In other words, it totally rocks, and delivers a non-stop series of laughs and action in a way that only a Hong Kong film can. And, as good as everyone else in the film is, Jackie Chan totally steals the show. It has often been said (even by the man himself) that Jackie is his own special-effect, and this film proves the notion true.
Like a live action Lupin III cartoon, Project A is a boy's own film that preys upon the desire for grand adventure and action. It approaches its action and adventure with an innocence and lightheartedness, and even when the violence erupts it maintains a sense of fun and naivety. In many ways, the film reminds me of the imaginative adventures I had as a kid, and it is this quality that I admire most. Its “awe-shucks” earnestness and tangible energy bolster each other, and the filmmakers use these qualities to craft a film that is highly endearing, memorable, and effective.
While the film does come up pretty short in the plot and character departments, it more than makes up these shortcomings with pure energy. The film benefits from the stars' unique personalities, youthful charm, grace, and energy. Project A was Chan's first major, and financially successful, directorial effort, and it is clear that he approached the film with the exuberance of kid free of adult supervision in giant toy store. Jackie and his “brothers,” Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, create some of the most fun and memorable action pieces of the era.
Key sequences include a musical-like bar brawl, complete with food-in-face gags, broken chairs, prop-assisted action, and Yeun Biao's signature tumbling, a siege of a pirate's hidden cove, a restaurant fight, with Sammo and Jackie cracking wise, and an amazing sequence that begins with an incredibly inventive bike chase and ends with Jackie facing off against my favorite bit-player, Lee Hoi-San, in, and on, an imposing clock tower. This clock-tower set-piece contains one of Chan's most famous and deadly stunts: a nearly 5-story free-fall, broken only be a series of flimsy awnings, at the end of which Jackie lands painfully on his melon. And oh yeah, he does the stunt multiple times to get the best take for the film.
The film's setting is also unique, and helps the film break free from the plethora of old-school martial arts flicks churned out by the Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest studios during the previous decade. Set in the nineteen-thirties, against the backdrop of civil unrest, the film comically examines the impact of British Naval control in Hong Kong. Gone are the typical kung fu masters, training sequences, and tournament style battles. Also gone are the pangs of vengeance, the classical weapon combat, and the Shaolin-style open-handed combat. Project A approaches its action and drama in an all together different way. The city in which the film is set is more modern, and the milieu feels more alive and vibrant. Everything is on a much grander scale, and the tangible surroundings make for many memorable sights and sounds.
There are a few films that typify the mid-school era of Hong Kong action cinema, but none do so as well as Project A. The nineteen-eighties were a time of incredibly creative output from this small Island, and spearheading this cinematic-advancement was Jacki Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao. Like a perfect mix between the Three Stooges, Fred Astaire, Harold Lloyd, and Bruce Lee, these three young men helped to define a nation's cinema, and Project A is a premier example of their creative output. It is a joy to watch, contains many moments of breathtaking stunt work and action choreography, and is simply far too much fun to look away.
Note - I wanted to include better screenshots, but my DVD kept on crappin' out.
Project A is Jackie Chan's best film, and the best film co-starring his Peking opera brothers, Sammo Hung and Yeun Biao. Project A is a swashbuckling, high-flying, tightly-paced, entertaining adventure yarn complete with pirates, kung fu, comedy and action sequences galore. In other words, it totally rocks, and delivers a non-stop series of laughs and action in a way that only a Hong Kong film can. And, as good as everyone else in the film is, Jackie Chan totally steals the show. It has often been said (even by the man himself) that Jackie is his own special-effect, and this film proves the notion true.
Like a live action Lupin III cartoon, Project A is a boy's own film that preys upon the desire for grand adventure and action. It approaches its action and adventure with an innocence and lightheartedness, and even when the violence erupts it maintains a sense of fun and naivety. In many ways, the film reminds me of the imaginative adventures I had as a kid, and it is this quality that I admire most. Its “awe-shucks” earnestness and tangible energy bolster each other, and the filmmakers use these qualities to craft a film that is highly endearing, memorable, and effective.
While the film does come up pretty short in the plot and character departments, it more than makes up these shortcomings with pure energy. The film benefits from the stars' unique personalities, youthful charm, grace, and energy. Project A was Chan's first major, and financially successful, directorial effort, and it is clear that he approached the film with the exuberance of kid free of adult supervision in giant toy store. Jackie and his “brothers,” Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, create some of the most fun and memorable action pieces of the era.
Key sequences include a musical-like bar brawl, complete with food-in-face gags, broken chairs, prop-assisted action, and Yeun Biao's signature tumbling, a siege of a pirate's hidden cove, a restaurant fight, with Sammo and Jackie cracking wise, and an amazing sequence that begins with an incredibly inventive bike chase and ends with Jackie facing off against my favorite bit-player, Lee Hoi-San, in, and on, an imposing clock tower. This clock-tower set-piece contains one of Chan's most famous and deadly stunts: a nearly 5-story free-fall, broken only be a series of flimsy awnings, at the end of which Jackie lands painfully on his melon. And oh yeah, he does the stunt multiple times to get the best take for the film.
The film's setting is also unique, and helps the film break free from the plethora of old-school martial arts flicks churned out by the Shaw Brothers and Golden Harvest studios during the previous decade. Set in the nineteen-thirties, against the backdrop of civil unrest, the film comically examines the impact of British Naval control in Hong Kong. Gone are the typical kung fu masters, training sequences, and tournament style battles. Also gone are the pangs of vengeance, the classical weapon combat, and the Shaolin-style open-handed combat. Project A approaches its action and drama in an all together different way. The city in which the film is set is more modern, and the milieu feels more alive and vibrant. Everything is on a much grander scale, and the tangible surroundings make for many memorable sights and sounds.
There are a few films that typify the mid-school era of Hong Kong action cinema, but none do so as well as Project A. The nineteen-eighties were a time of incredibly creative output from this small Island, and spearheading this cinematic-advancement was Jacki Chan, Sammo Hung, and Yuen Biao. Like a perfect mix between the Three Stooges, Fred Astaire, Harold Lloyd, and Bruce Lee, these three young men helped to define a nation's cinema, and Project A is a premier example of their creative output. It is a joy to watch, contains many moments of breathtaking stunt work and action choreography, and is simply far too much fun to look away.
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
The Bride With White Hair (1993) - Dir. Ronny Yu
Asian film directors are able to create worlds, situations, characters and action traditionally limited only to animation. One of the greatest examples of this phenomena is Ronny Yu's The Bride With White Hair, starring the late Leslie Cheung and the incredibly gorgeous and talented Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia. Like the classic Romeo & Juliet, The Bride With White Hair is a tale detailing the doomed relationship of two lovers from warring political factions. The film is made of visual and poetic dualities; it is both a beautiful, touching and poetic romance, and a tragic, violent, and gruesome action film, often at the same time. Ronny Yu, Peter Pau, the cinematographer, and David Wu, the editor, craft a world that is visually dark, yet alluring, violent, yet peaceful, and so full of visual imagery that it can easily cause vast sensory overload. From the opening scene of a swordsman protecting a flower whose power might restore his lost love's humanity, to the climatic bloodshed of action, every moment of this film is worthy of framing and displaying.
Leslie Cheung plays, Zhuo Yi-Hang, a Wu Tang student who is fed up with the traditions and "pleasantries" of his martial discipline. He doesn't want to be involved in the day-to-day politics of the jiang hu, and lives, instead, for romantic adventure. Brigitte Lin plays, Lian Nichang, a top assassin of an evil cult hell-bent on the total destruction of the various martial schools. Leung and Lin have a link in their past, and are drawn closer to one another while also manipulated byu the political corruption of their warring schools. Zhou, a romantic at heart, wants nothing more than the love of Lian, however, the more realistic Lian knows that this love cannot be. She ultimately becomes so full of rage and hatred, stemming from and directed towards her brain-washing cult, that she becomes the spirit of lost love incarnate, the Bride With White Hair, a hateful, beastly woman destroying all who stand in her way, including the only person who ever loved her, Zhou Yi-Hang.
After seeing Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China for the first time, I needed more, and I will be forever grateful to the video store clerk for suggesting this film to me. I could not have asked for a better follow up to Tsui's mind-blowing epic. Upon repeated viewings, The Bride still stands up, and I am often surprised at just how effective it is. There is a magical quality at work in the film, a magic that Ronny Yu never quite found in any of his other Hong Kong productions, and a magic lacking from many other films of the era. The film seems to exist completely in its own world ,and we the audience are some how privy to view this world through the eyes of the director.
Ronny Yu generously opens up the window to his imagination and allows us a glimpse of the greatness within. The Bride With White Hair is a superior genre film, and a film that transcends genre conventions and boundaries. It contains moments of hard-hitting action, a musical interlude, sadness, depravity, violence, and elements of horror all, wrapped around a narrative of passionate romance. It is a film that would be perfectly at home on the DVD shelf of an avid kung fu junkie or an admirer of art house cinema. This is one of those rare films that really does get everything right, and a film that Ronny Yu should be eternally proud of.
Asian film directors are able to create worlds, situations, characters and action traditionally limited only to animation. One of the greatest examples of this phenomena is Ronny Yu's The Bride With White Hair, starring the late Leslie Cheung and the incredibly gorgeous and talented Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia. Like the classic Romeo & Juliet, The Bride With White Hair is a tale detailing the doomed relationship of two lovers from warring political factions. The film is made of visual and poetic dualities; it is both a beautiful, touching and poetic romance, and a tragic, violent, and gruesome action film, often at the same time. Ronny Yu, Peter Pau, the cinematographer, and David Wu, the editor, craft a world that is visually dark, yet alluring, violent, yet peaceful, and so full of visual imagery that it can easily cause vast sensory overload. From the opening scene of a swordsman protecting a flower whose power might restore his lost love's humanity, to the climatic bloodshed of action, every moment of this film is worthy of framing and displaying.
Leslie Cheung plays, Zhuo Yi-Hang, a Wu Tang student who is fed up with the traditions and "pleasantries" of his martial discipline. He doesn't want to be involved in the day-to-day politics of the jiang hu, and lives, instead, for romantic adventure. Brigitte Lin plays, Lian Nichang, a top assassin of an evil cult hell-bent on the total destruction of the various martial schools. Leung and Lin have a link in their past, and are drawn closer to one another while also manipulated byu the political corruption of their warring schools. Zhou, a romantic at heart, wants nothing more than the love of Lian, however, the more realistic Lian knows that this love cannot be. She ultimately becomes so full of rage and hatred, stemming from and directed towards her brain-washing cult, that she becomes the spirit of lost love incarnate, the Bride With White Hair, a hateful, beastly woman destroying all who stand in her way, including the only person who ever loved her, Zhou Yi-Hang.
After seeing Tsui Hark’s Once Upon a Time in China for the first time, I needed more, and I will be forever grateful to the video store clerk for suggesting this film to me. I could not have asked for a better follow up to Tsui's mind-blowing epic. Upon repeated viewings, The Bride still stands up, and I am often surprised at just how effective it is. There is a magical quality at work in the film, a magic that Ronny Yu never quite found in any of his other Hong Kong productions, and a magic lacking from many other films of the era. The film seems to exist completely in its own world ,and we the audience are some how privy to view this world through the eyes of the director.
Ronny Yu generously opens up the window to his imagination and allows us a glimpse of the greatness within. The Bride With White Hair is a superior genre film, and a film that transcends genre conventions and boundaries. It contains moments of hard-hitting action, a musical interlude, sadness, depravity, violence, and elements of horror all, wrapped around a narrative of passionate romance. It is a film that would be perfectly at home on the DVD shelf of an avid kung fu junkie or an admirer of art house cinema. This is one of those rare films that really does get everything right, and a film that Ronny Yu should be eternally proud of.
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
Disciples of the 36th Chamber (1985) - Dir: Lau Kar Leung
Disciples of the 36th Chamber literally begins with a punch to the gut, and the film continues to assault the senses at each and every turn. The film, in a word, is grand: the production values soar, the action is sophisticated and expertly choreographed, the humor - while broad at times - works within the narrative, and the story itself is simple yet moving. For Lau Kar Leung's last Shaw Brothers outing, he executed what might be considered a "best of" approach, as Disciples features everything that made his previous films so outstanding, polished to near perfection. We get the human drama from Executioners of Shaolin and Challenge of the Masters, the pageantry from Martial Arts of Shaolin and The Martial Club, the humor from Return to the 36th Chamber and Mad Monkey Kung Fu, and the jaw-dropping action from Heroes of the East and 8 Diagram Pole Fighter. This film only proves and solidifies Lau's standing as the premier force behind martial arts cinema.
In the film, Gordon Liu once again dons the robes of the monk San Te, and Hsaio Ho plays legendary shaolin rebel, Fong Sai Yuk – a dual force to be reckoned with for sure. The narrative begins with the hotheaded and angst-filled Fong Sai Yuk causing a ruckus in his school, and being a total punk at home - a true rabble-rouser full of disrespect and misplaced anger. Fong Sai Yuk takes his shenanigans one step too far when he insults and challenges an evil Manchurian governor, and finds himself being hunted by the Manchu-oppressors. Fong Sai Yuk's mother begs the shaolin temple's monks to take him in as a layman, and under the mentoring eye of the monk San Te, Fong Sai Yuk begins his apprenticeship.
In the original 36th Chamber, Lau Kar Leung defined what would come to be known as the "training sequence," and a good portion of that film was devoted to the training of the young San Te. In Disciples, less of the running time is devoted to the training of Fong Sai Yuk, but it works well within the narrative. Because Fong is already such a rockin' martial artist (his mother trained him at an early age), he constantly blows through the training exercises and mocks the other trainees and monks.
However, San Te notices Fong’s poor attitude and portentousness, and is present at every turn to beat some humility and level-headedness into the young rebel. Every time Fong thinks he can outsmart or outmatch San Te, he learns that he can't - the hard, painful and embarrassing way. During one such training sequence, Fong talks a ton of smack about his own tea-bench fighting skills, and San Te calls him out – oh yeah, it’s on. This particular sequence features prop-assisted choreography that even Jackie Chan would be proud of (or perhaps jealous of), as San Te and Fong lock hand and foot, as they deftly spin around, on, over and under the twisting and twirling tea-benches.
Disciples is not filled to the brim with action per se, but it is never boring. There really are only a few actual fights peppered throughout, but everything is handled with such aplomb that it really is a joy to behold – the film is a testament to the expertise of its makers. Structurally, the film resembles 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, in that the entire narrative is presented as a build up for one final and epic confrontation - only here the action is even more jaw dropping, as if that is even possible. Never ones to take the easy way out, Lau Kar Leung's and Gordon Liu's work in the final showdown is something of a true marvel, and Hsaio Ho's physical skill here is the definition of the word awesome. For the last 12 or so minutes, all hell breaks lose as monks and apprentices are jumping, diving, fighting, dodging and making fools of the Manchurian officials and their warlords. San Te busts out his super-custom three-section staff and lays some serious hurt down on those sad sap Manchus. Every inch of the screen is used to optimal effect, as fists and legs and bodies fly from the foreground to the background, and tumble from rooftops to the floor. The action during this sequence feels immediate and chaotic and the tension is as palpable as the rebel’s purpose.
It really is amazing to think of Lau Kar Leung’s career, and the work he did under the Shaw Brothers banner. It is safe to assume that the mark he left on genre cinema is second to no other filmmaker, Eastern or Western. I will rest easy when Lau’s name is mentioned casually along side other great directors like Leone, Scorsese, Kubrick, and Spielberg, but until then, his name must be praised by those of us who get it. Lau Kar Leung’s films are as hard hitting and spectacular today as they were over 20 years ago, and will continue to be an inspirational beacon of light for filmmakers and fans to come. The Disciples of the 36th Chamber is a perfect film to top off a perfect era of one of the all time great filmmakers.
Disciples of the 36th Chamber literally begins with a punch to the gut, and the film continues to assault the senses at each and every turn. The film, in a word, is grand: the production values soar, the action is sophisticated and expertly choreographed, the humor - while broad at times - works within the narrative, and the story itself is simple yet moving. For Lau Kar Leung's last Shaw Brothers outing, he executed what might be considered a "best of" approach, as Disciples features everything that made his previous films so outstanding, polished to near perfection. We get the human drama from Executioners of Shaolin and Challenge of the Masters, the pageantry from Martial Arts of Shaolin and The Martial Club, the humor from Return to the 36th Chamber and Mad Monkey Kung Fu, and the jaw-dropping action from Heroes of the East and 8 Diagram Pole Fighter. This film only proves and solidifies Lau's standing as the premier force behind martial arts cinema.
In the film, Gordon Liu once again dons the robes of the monk San Te, and Hsaio Ho plays legendary shaolin rebel, Fong Sai Yuk – a dual force to be reckoned with for sure. The narrative begins with the hotheaded and angst-filled Fong Sai Yuk causing a ruckus in his school, and being a total punk at home - a true rabble-rouser full of disrespect and misplaced anger. Fong Sai Yuk takes his shenanigans one step too far when he insults and challenges an evil Manchurian governor, and finds himself being hunted by the Manchu-oppressors. Fong Sai Yuk's mother begs the shaolin temple's monks to take him in as a layman, and under the mentoring eye of the monk San Te, Fong Sai Yuk begins his apprenticeship.
In the original 36th Chamber, Lau Kar Leung defined what would come to be known as the "training sequence," and a good portion of that film was devoted to the training of the young San Te. In Disciples, less of the running time is devoted to the training of Fong Sai Yuk, but it works well within the narrative. Because Fong is already such a rockin' martial artist (his mother trained him at an early age), he constantly blows through the training exercises and mocks the other trainees and monks.
However, San Te notices Fong’s poor attitude and portentousness, and is present at every turn to beat some humility and level-headedness into the young rebel. Every time Fong thinks he can outsmart or outmatch San Te, he learns that he can't - the hard, painful and embarrassing way. During one such training sequence, Fong talks a ton of smack about his own tea-bench fighting skills, and San Te calls him out – oh yeah, it’s on. This particular sequence features prop-assisted choreography that even Jackie Chan would be proud of (or perhaps jealous of), as San Te and Fong lock hand and foot, as they deftly spin around, on, over and under the twisting and twirling tea-benches.
Disciples is not filled to the brim with action per se, but it is never boring. There really are only a few actual fights peppered throughout, but everything is handled with such aplomb that it really is a joy to behold – the film is a testament to the expertise of its makers. Structurally, the film resembles 8 Diagram Pole Fighter, in that the entire narrative is presented as a build up for one final and epic confrontation - only here the action is even more jaw dropping, as if that is even possible. Never ones to take the easy way out, Lau Kar Leung's and Gordon Liu's work in the final showdown is something of a true marvel, and Hsaio Ho's physical skill here is the definition of the word awesome. For the last 12 or so minutes, all hell breaks lose as monks and apprentices are jumping, diving, fighting, dodging and making fools of the Manchurian officials and their warlords. San Te busts out his super-custom three-section staff and lays some serious hurt down on those sad sap Manchus. Every inch of the screen is used to optimal effect, as fists and legs and bodies fly from the foreground to the background, and tumble from rooftops to the floor. The action during this sequence feels immediate and chaotic and the tension is as palpable as the rebel’s purpose.
It really is amazing to think of Lau Kar Leung’s career, and the work he did under the Shaw Brothers banner. It is safe to assume that the mark he left on genre cinema is second to no other filmmaker, Eastern or Western. I will rest easy when Lau’s name is mentioned casually along side other great directors like Leone, Scorsese, Kubrick, and Spielberg, but until then, his name must be praised by those of us who get it. Lau Kar Leung’s films are as hard hitting and spectacular today as they were over 20 years ago, and will continue to be an inspirational beacon of light for filmmakers and fans to come. The Disciples of the 36th Chamber is a perfect film to top off a perfect era of one of the all time great filmmakers.
Connavar
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2007
- Messages
- 8,411
Wow thats the sequal to Master Killer which i loved.
Chia-Liang Liu is how i know Lau Kar Leung i understand much better now .
Since he is the director of 3 of my favorit martial art movies. Master Killer,Drunken Master,I,II.
Thats his name in imdb when i check out who made the movies.
Chia-Liang Liu is how i know Lau Kar Leung i understand much better now .
Since he is the director of 3 of my favorit martial art movies. Master Killer,Drunken Master,I,II.
Thats his name in imdb when i check out who made the movies.
D_Davis
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 14, 2008
- Messages
- 1,348
Yeah - in the States is more known as Lau Kar Leung, while in Europe he is more often known as Chia Laing Liu. Which is confusing, because his adopted brother/student, Gorden Liu, uses the Liu pronunciation in the states.
So when people speak of the Lau or Liu family of martial artists, they are speaking of the same family.
Master Killer is originally called 36th Chamber of Shaolin
Similar threads
-
Need help with my urban fantasy story about martial arts
- Started by Fire&Light65
- Replies: 27
-
-
-
How to make Martial Arts Credible in Fantasy Setting?
- Started by Braveheart174
- Replies: 32
-
