What is Asian Action?

How is Hong Kong action cinema different than Hollywood action cinema? Why is it different?

Hong Hong actors are often expected to do their own stunts. Jackie Chan is not the exception. When Brandon Lee, Bruce Lee’s son, made films there, he was forced to do his own stunts to save face. In one stunt, Jackie Chan almost died because he turned his cheeks to make sure the camera could see his face.

This caused him to miss his target, and he ended up falling several floors. He landed on his head, but did not die. Even Michelle Yeoh did her own stunts in some of her films including driving a motorcycle onto a moving train in Police Story 3 (1992).

Hollywood Action

Hollywood often has fight doubles. For example, Chuck Norris often has a fight double. When you see someone in a cowboy hat and don’t see his face, it probably isn’t Chuck Norris. Often his brother doubled for him. Hollywood does this because of insurance. Having the main actor injured on an expensive film is too dangerous.

To Die For: Hong Kong

Jackie Chan takes care of the medical expenses for his stunt men. The teahouse gun fu scene from John Woo’s Hard-Boiled (Lat sau san taam 1992) comes out of the Kung Fu genre of action and shows what Hong Kong filmmakers evolved into. Gun fu would influence Hollywood in such film as the Matrix.

There is a sense of pride for Hong Kong actors/stunt men. Bruce Lee on the set of Enter the Dragon was constantly challenged. He without wavering tagged his challengers with punch or kick and then sat down.

He had to save face. Bruce Lee change Hong Kong films because he claimed to be a martial artist who could act, instead of an actor trying to act like a martial artist. This would not be allowed on a Hollywood set.

Fight directors are in a sense valued more in Hong Kong. Fight scenes might take days and even weeks to set up while the talking sequences are quickly taken. Hollywood will spend more time setting up the drama than the action scenes.

Now Hollywood is hiring Hong Kong fight directors for such films as the Matrix or Charlie’s Angels.

French action cinema has been directly influenced by Asian action cinema.