Jan 28, 2023

Is Enter the Dragon (1973) or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) a kung fu film? Technically no.

What Is Real Kung Fu?

Those films originated in Hollywood mixing Hong Kong actors, action directors and money with Hollywood producers, script writers and money. Those films only did moderately well in Asia. Many Hong Kong film watchers felt those films were inauthentic.

Though the West thinks of Enter the Dragon as a martial arts classic, Fist of Fury (Chinese Connection) had a greater impact and appeal in the East.

Though the West considers Crouching Tiger one of the greatest foreign films of all times with its postmodern feminist action, the East was somewhat bored by the film.

The plot was stale and having flying swordswomen seemed old to their cinema. Indeed, Asian audiences were already familiar with Yuen Woo Ping’s fight scenes. Furthermore, neither Chow Yun Fat or Michelle Yeoh were fluent in Mandarin, and Yeoh’s pronunciation was less than authentic for some Mandarin speakers.

She couldn’t read the Chinese script because she went to an “English” school in Malaysia, so she had to memorize the Chinese phonetically for the film. Interestingly, the script was written in English by an American (James Schamus) from a Chinese novel, then translated back to Chinese.

Wuxia Pian (Sword Films, 1950’s-1960’s)

Before there were Kung Fu films, sword fantasy films ruled, influenced by Japanese samurai films. Jimmy Wang Yu would be famous for the One Armed Swordsman (1967) film which was the first Hong Kong film to make one million dollars at the box office.

Wong Fei Hong, the First Kung Fu Hero

Over a two hundred films have been made about this real kung fu hero. These films usually starred Kwan Tak Hing, who made 99 Wong Fei Hong films. He was himself a martial artist. Both Jackie Chan and Jet Li would portray this kung fu hero: Drunken Master series and Once Upon a Time in China series.

Little Dragon (early 1970s)

Bruce Lee’s The Big Boss (1971) and Fist of Fury (1971) broke box office records in Asia and introduced a new kung fu star. Originally, when Bruce Lee arrived in Hong Kong, he refused to sign up with Shaw Brothers and instead signed up with Golden Harvest. Within a few years, Shaw brothers would stop making films and concentrated on television. They also failed to sign up Jackie Chan which became two big mistakes.

Death of Kung Fu (1973), Rise of the Bruce Clones

With Bruce Lee’s death in 1973, kung fu films would start to die out and become boring for Asian audiences. Indeed, many kung fu films were made for global audiences and were not even released in Asia. Everyone tried to imitate Lee, including Jackie Chan. However, Jackie would re-invent the Kung Fu film and create the underdog as hero and throw in some slapstick comedy.

Kung Fu Comedy, a New Sub-genre

In 1978, Chan became bigger than Bruce Lee. Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow and Drunken Master grossed more than any Bruce Lee film in Hong Kong. Shaw Brothers again missed the chance to have the greatest Asian star in its lot. Golden Harvest signed him on and allowed him to make films with unlimited budgets, artistic control and time.

Something unheard of in any film industry. The kung fu comedy film had arrived. However, Jackie Chan realized that audiences had tired of the genre. He quickly moved away from kung fu films. Indeed, his films make fun and became parodies of the genre.

Action Films

Jackie Chan would become the second Hong Kong star to become an international success. But by the time Jackie Chan came about, the term kung fu films would transform to action films because Jackie Chan’s films are as full of stunts, explosions and chase scenes as there are of kung fu fights.

Project A and Police Story were different types of action films. Bruce Lee had introduced fighting realism. Jackie brought about a different type of realism: he performed his own stunts. Like Bruce Lee, he also grew up making films though he did so while learning martial arts in the Chinese Opera.

Rebirth of Kung Fu Films (early 1990’s)

Kung Fu films changed the Hong Kong movie industry into an internationally known entity. In 1991, Tsui Hark with Jet Li as star created Once Upon a Time in China, which would bring back Wong Fei Hong and the Kung Fu film. In 1993, Jackie Chan would star in a sequel to Drunken Master, as (guess?) Wong Fei Hong helping to revitalize the Kung Fu film. Drunken Master II is considered a Kung Fu classic.

Transformations: Wuxia/Swords and Kung Fu

In 1990, Tsui Hark started a series of sword films. He reinvents the sword films by combining great martial arts with sword fights. Though King Hu, the great filmmaker of the 1960’s Hong Kong sword films was originally hired, he left production when Hark became too possessive of the project.

The Swordsman 2 with Jet Li in second of the series brought back a dead genre. Sequels and copycats abounded. By the end of the decade, John Woo like gangster films, dramas and comedies would become more popular in Asia. It would seem a the genre of Kung Fu films had dissipated.

Green Screen Crouching Swordsmen

Ang Lee’s film, Crouching Tiger, again revived a dead genre, but like Swordsman (1990), elements of the kung fu film genre remained intact. The film would be more popular outside of Asia. Wire-Fu and green screen changed the Hong Kong genre. CGI would have a huge impact on the genre.

Storm Riders (1998), based on a comic book, directed by Andrew Lau was a greater success in Asia mostly because of the rock stars and young handsome actors who tried to act like swordsmen. Bichunmoo (2000), the most expensive film ever made in Korea at its time, used the same formula of green screens and flying swordsmen.

Kung Fu films had been reinvented once more though CGI. Storm Riders II (2009) will continue the success.

3D Wuxia Cinema

Wuxia and kung fu films are not doing so well in Asian markets. With the success of Avatar (2009), Chinese directors have begun to make 3D films. The Sorcerer and the White Snake  (2011), directed by Ching Sui-tung, based on the myth of the White Snake. Flying Swords of Dragon Gate (2011), directed by Tsui Hark and starring Jet Li is a huge hit in China.

It is a remake of New Dragon Gate Inn (1992). Chuck Comisky who worked on James Cameron’ Avatar helped in this film. Even a 3D wuxia version of Don Quixote is coming. Even Sex and Zen, a Chinese 3 D porn has been made.

–Doc Nirvana

AKA Dr. Wayne Stein