from action to arthouse

Transcription

FROM ACTION
TO ARTHOUSE
A CELEBRATION OF THE CINEMA
OF HONG KONG AND MAINLAND CHINA
FROM ACTION TO ARTHOUSE
PAGE 1
SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW (SEE P14)
FROM ACTION TO ARTHOUSE: A CELEBRATION OF THE
CINEMA OF HONG KONG AND MAINLAND CHINA
The cinema of Hong Kong and China has it all: martial arts mayhem, robust comedy, insane horror
and heartbreaking drama. With heroes who risk life and limb to create iconic screen personas,
pioneering directors and incredible stories set against a turbulent political history, there’s something
for everyone.
Now increasingly intertwined as a result of commercial and cultural exchange, this brochure
celebrates a vibrant period of filmmaking when the identities of these cinematic territories were
more distinct and more reflective of specific cultural sensibilities. We explore titles from the prolific
and varied output of Hong Kong powerhouse Golden Harvest, classics from local heroes and
global action stars such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, and a selection from China’s perennially
political national cinema. Join the celebration, and start to plan your audience’s (re)discovery of
some of East Asia’s true cinematic wonders.
For updates and further details - see www.parkcircus.com/china
Words: John Berra is a lecturer in Film Studies at Tsinghua University. He is the co-editor of World
Film Locations: Beijing (Intellect, 2012) and World Film Locations: Shanghai (Intellect, 2014). He is the
co-editor of the East Asian Journal of Popular Culture, while his academic articles on the cinema of
East Asia have been published in Asian Cinema, Geography Compass, and Science Fiction Film and
Television. John is also a regular contributor to the industry publication The Chinese Film Market and
the Asian popular culture website VCinema.
Images: © the appropriate studio. All rights reserved.
Brochure designed by and © Park Circus Limited, 2014. All rights reserved.
COVER IMAGE: HERO (SEE P18)
PAGE 2
ENTER THE FAT DRAGON (SEE P6)
DISTRIBUTION MATERIALS
Some titles are available on DCP. These are marked throughout this brochure with DIGITAL .
MARKETING MATERIALS
We have high res publicity images and copy for each film available for inclusion in your own brochures
and websites. For some titles we can supply trailers, posters or print ready poster files for you to duplicate
locally to help promote screenings.
TERRITORY AVAILABILITY
Note that inclusion of a title within this catalogue does not guarantee rights or print availability for a
specific territory. Please get in touch for further details.
BOOKING TITLES
Please contact your usual sales person to make bookings.
UK Office - for International/UK enquiries:
Park Circus Limited
T: +44 (0) 141 332 2175
E: [email protected]
France Office - for France enquiries:
Park Circus Films SARL
US Office - for US Domestic enquiries (Miramax titles only):
Park Circus LLC
T: (661) 702 2136
For US Domestic enquiries about Sony titles, please contact Sony Repertory directly:
Sony Repertory
T: 310-244-7913
For US Domestic enquiries about Warner titles, please contact WB Classics directly:
WB Classics
T: 818-954-5886
PAGE 3
THE GLORY DAYS OF GOLDEN HARVEST
THE GLORY DAYS OF
GOLDEN HARVEST
IMAGE: THE BLADE (SEE P5)
Founded in 1970 by Raymond Chow and Leonard Ho, the Hong Kong film studio Golden
Harvest released hundreds of films before it withdrew from production in 2003. Chow
and Ho were former employees of Shaw Brothers - the largest production company in
Hong Kong, and one that was notorious for its restrictive control of talent. However,
they were determined to go in a different direction with their new venture. Golden
Harvest would quickly build vital relationships with directors and stars, allowing them
the greater creative freedom that reinvigorated the Hong Kong film industry through a
run of box office smashes across a range of popular genres.
For much of the 1970s-1980s, Golden Harvest thrived on a broadly appealing mixture
of kung fu, comedy, fantasy, and horror. Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and
Tsui Hark are just four of the names closely associated with the studio during this boom
period when it was producing 25-30 films per-year, many of which enjoyed further
success in export markets. In the 1990s, Golden Harvest would diversify by dabbling in
art-house fare, while also tapping into new urban trends such as the ‘triad youth’ genre.
This section celebrates the studio’s legacy through an eclectic selection of fully-fledged
classics, cult favourites, and some fabulous obscurities that are ripe for rediscovery.
This section gives just a flavour of the 170 Golden Harvest titles we have available.
Please
get inTO
touch
if you would like us to send you the full list.
FROM
ACTION
ARTHOUSE
PAGE 4
Dir: Tsui Hark, 1995, 101 mins, Warner
Starring: Zhao Wen-zhou, Xiong Xin-XIn
Tsui Hark’s typically frenetic reimagining of the
wuxia (martial hero) classic The One Armed
Swordsman (1967) follows the violent destiny
of Ding On (Zhao Wen-zhou), an orphan who
takes over the running of a sword-making
foundry when the master abdicates. However,
when he learns that one of bandits who has
been terrorising the surrounding area (Xiong
Xin-Xin) is also the man who killed his father,
Ding On rejects a life of stability in favour of
a quest for vengeance. Hark reinvigorates
the wuxia genre with thoroughly modern
techniques, such as fast editing and a roving
camera. The director’s use of colour is at its
most expressionistic, with Ding On’s fierce
bloodlust seeping on to the screen through
Hark’s near-psychedelic palette. The Blade
was rejected by Hong Kong audiences on
release as contemporary visions were more in
fashion, but has since become a classic due to
its dizzying deconstruction of genre tropes.
BLOOD REINCARNATION
Dir: Ding Sin-Saai, 1974, 98 mins, Warner
Starring: Peter Yang
A ghoulish collection of horror stories derived
from various Chinese superstitions are made
all the more terrifying by the visceral charge
that was characteristic of Golden Harvest’s run
of 1970s shockers. In The Treasure, a greedy
couple murder an elderly lady and attempt
to steal the ‘fortune’ that she has buried in
a remote field; in The Wanton, a dead body
‘refuses’ to be disposed of when an adulterous
pair try to get rid of the woman’s husband; and
in the title story, a wrongly executed doctor
(Peter Yang) returns to haunt his home as a
ghost, but only has seven days to settle the
score for the injustice he has suffered. Although
these are tried-and-tested horror narratives,
director Ding Sin-Saai pulls off a number of
plot surprises, with the ensuing shocks often
enhanced by ear-splitting audio effects.
Blending black comedy and melodrama into
his trio of twisted tales, Sin-Saai balances all
the elements with skill to ensure a genuinely
spooky atmosphere throughout.
PAGE 5
THE BLADE
Dir: Peter Chan, 1996, 116 mins,
Warner, Starring: Maggie Cheung,
Leon Lai, Eric Tsang
Peter Chan’s award-winning
masterpiece
follows
the
intertwined fortunes of two starcrossed Chinese immigrants,
Xiao-Jun (played by pop star
Leon Lai) and Qiao (Maggie
Cheung) over the course of
ten years in Hong Kong. They
engage in a casual romance
that is interrupted by changes
in economic circumstance
or the presence of other
romantic partners: he has a
wife back in Guangzhou, and
she becomes involved with
local gangster Pao (Eic Tsang).
Although they choose to ignore
matters of the heart in favour
of pursuing individual wealth,
Xiao-Jun and Qiao prove to
be forever bonded by their
immigrant status, while Hong
Kong undergoes disorientating
change that further intensifies
their mutual dislocation. Chan’s
sensitively restrained handling
of this deeply involving nearaffair between two people
who try their best not to fall
in love with one another is
perfectly complemented by
a nostalgic soundtrack of
songs by the pop idol Teresa
Teng. Cheung’s performance
is emotionally affecting yet
seemingly effortless, while Lai known primarily as a pop star
- matches her with a layered
characterisation that reveals
previously untapped depths.
PAGE 6
COMRADES:
ALMOST A LOVE
STORY
ENTER THE FAT DRAGON
Dir: Sammo Hung, 1978, 100 mins, Warner
Starring: Sammo Hung
Made at the peak of the Brucesploitation period, this absurdist action-comedy finds pudgy pig farmer
Lung (Sammo Hung) travelling from his rural home to Hong Kong where he plans to work at his uncle’s
noodle shop. However, he finds himself trying to defend the business from a local gang, a task that he
is not physically up to, despite his best efforts to emulate his idol, Bruce Lee. A further chance to prove
himself comes when a female friend is kidnapped and Lung leaps to the rescue. Lung may admire Lee,
but lacks his physique, leading to some fitfully amusing impersonations when he tries to find courage by
channelling the famous stances of his hero. Taking aim at the industry’s desperate attempt to find ‘the
new Bruce Lee’, Hung even includes a hilarious face-off between a pair of rival Lee imitators! Enter the
Fat Dragon was only Hung’s second directorial credit, but he was already just as comfortable behind
the camera as he was in front of it.
KITCHEN
Dir: Yim Ho, 1997, 124 mins, Warner
Starring: Jordan Chan, Law Kar-Ying, Yasuko Tomita
Louie (Jordan Chan) is a Hong Kong hairdresser who
lives with his transsexual mother Emma (Law KarYing). He visits a remote Chinese province to attend
the funeral of a former client where he encounters the
deceased’s beautiful but enigmatic granddaughter, Aggie
(Yasuko Tomita). After discovering that the emotionally
traumatised young woman is spending most of her time
sleeping on the kitchen floor of an apartment that is
scheduled for demolition, Louie takes her home and an
unusual relationship develops between these two lonely
souls. Loosely adapted from Banana Yoshimoto’s 1988
novel, writer-director Yim Ho creates a spellbinding
atmosphere that makes this film a fascinating companion
piece to the original text. Ho uses a languid blue lighting
scheme to create a deeply melancholic mood, while
achingly vulnerable performances from Chan and Tomita
complete the director’s dreamlike vision. Kitchen is a
hypnotic meditation on mourning and human connection
that richly deserves a wider international audience than it
has received to date.
PAGE 7
Dir: Billy Chan, 1990, 90 mins, Warner
Starring: Joyce Godenzi, Agnes Aurelio
Kuang (Joyce Godenzi) is a member of a family
of thieves who ends up behind bars after being
betrayed by her ruthless sister, Ngan Ping (Agnes
Aurelio). On release she seeks to settle the score
and reluctantly teams-up with the cops for a
sting operation. Licence to Steal is a riotous
action-comedy which features one of the best
performances from model-turned-actress Godenzi
who puts her ‘fighting femme’ persona to good
use when sparring with scheming nemesis Aurelio
and the ever-villainous Billy Chow. In the late1980s, Godenzi was tipped for success within
the ‘fighting femme’ genre as she seemed to be
following in the illustrious footsteps of Michelle
Yeoh, but she would instead become more
famous for marrying Sammo Hung. Nonetheless,
Godenzi has since acquired a cult following from
Hong Kong action aficionados, with Licence to
Steal being a particularly good example of her
briefly realised star potential.
PEDICAB DRIVER
Dir: Sammo Hung, 1989, 95 mins, Warner
Starring: Sammo Hung
With its hectic mix of audacious action, slapstick
comedy, tragic romance, and thirst for vengeance,
Pedicab Driver exemplifies that, however wildly
uneven the Hong Kong cinema of the 1980s
could be in terms of tone, it was just as wildly
entertaining. Lo Tung (Sammo Hung) and Mai
Chien-Tang (Max Mok) are hard-working pedicab
drivers in 1930s Macau. They both fall in love with
local girls: Lo Tung meets baker’s apprentice Ping
(Nina Li Chi), while Mai Chien-Tang romances
the rather secretive Hsiao Tsui (Fennie Yuen) after
he accidentally knocks her down. Complications
ensue as Ping’s boss, Fong (Suen Yuet), also has
his eye on her despite being much older, while
Hsiao Tsui is connected to local Triad boss Master
5 (John Shum). This second obstacle to true
love causes the initially light-hearted narrative to
take an altogether darker turn as Lo Tung finds
himself taking on the mob in spectacular fashion.
Highlights include a chase sequence in which Lo
Tung’s pedicab gradually falls to pieces and a pole
fight in a gambling den featuring the legendary
Lau Kar Leung.
PAGE 8
LICENCE TO STEAL
PORTLAND STREET BLUES
Dir: Raymond Yip, 1988, 114 mins, Warner
Starring: Sandra Ng, Kristy Yeung, Shu Qi
Portland Street Blues is a gritty spin-off from
the Young and Dangerous series that focuses
on the exploits of Sister 13 (Sandra Ng), the
lesbian leader of Hong Kong’s Portland Street
gangs. Her life up until this point is recalled in
flashbacks while attending the funeral of her
luckless gambler father: we see how a rough
upbringing and unrequited love have made Sister
13 a boss to not only be feared, but respected.
The supporting players include Kristy Yeung as
Sister 13’s young lover and Shu Qi who sheds
her starlet image with a breakthrough dramatic
performance as a junkie seeking vengeance
against the cop who dumped her. Portland Street
Blues packs a lot drama into its running time,
but it’s a propulsive saga with Ng proving to be
a charismatic anchor. Ng’s portrayal of Sister
13’s journey from innocent tomboy to hardened
underworld figure won her both Hong Kong Film
Award and the Hong Kong Film Critics Society
Award for Best Leading Actress.
PROJECT A
Dir: Jackie Chan, 1983, 106 mins, Miramax
Starring: Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao
After struggling to break into the US market with
a The Big Brawl (1980) and The Cannonball Run
(1980), Jackie Chan returned to Hong Kong to
team-up with Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung for the
period spectacle of Project A. Set in the 1800s, it
follows the efforts of Chan’s marine police officer
to stop ship-raiding pirates at a time when the
British rule the land but nefarious bandits are very
much in control of the waters. It’s not particularly
accurate with regards to Hong Kong history, but
Chan deftly balances action and slapstick comedy
against the background of handsomely mounted
sets. Many of the humorous set-pieces reference
Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, with a clock
tower stunt by Chan paying homage to Lloyd’s
silent classic Safety Last! (1923). Also included is
a hysterical bike chase with Chan navigating the
increasingly narrow city streets, and an explosive
climax involving some wayward grenades.
PAGE 9
PROJECT S
Dir: Stanley Tong, 1993, 104 mins, Warner
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Jackie Chan
Following a 5-year break from the film industry due to her marriage to a Hong Kong business tycoon,
martial arts queen Michelle Yeoh returned to the big screen opposite Jackie Chan in Police Story 3:
Supercop (1992) in the role of mainland police officer Jessica Yang. She then continued her comeback
with this exciting spin-off vehicle in which Yang is dispatched to Hong Kong to investigate a series of
crimes carried out by robbers with high tech resources, only to discover that she has a very personal
connection to the ringleader. Project S pitches the get-rich-quick attitude of Hong Kong with the patriotic
duty of mainland China, as Yang sacrifices her future happiness in the name of law and order. Highlights
include a hand-to-hand battle which pits Yang against an opponent twice her size, and a shoot-out in a
crumbling factory. There is also an outrageous cameo from Chan who turns up in drag in a sequence
unrelated to the main plot in order to lighten the otherwise largely serious tone.
RUMBLE IN THE BRONX
Dir: Stanley Tong, 1996, 104 min, Warner
Starring: Jackie Chan
‘No Fear. No Stuntman. No Equal.’ More than a decade
after Jackie Chan last tried to crack the US market with the
ill-fated cop thriller The Protector (1985), the promotional
tagline for Rumble in the Bronx sought to emphasise his sheer
physical bravery over that of the Hollywood action stars of
the period. An aggressive campaign by distributor New
Line Cinema resulted in crossover success for this Golden
Harvest production, proving that Chan’s signature brand of
action could appeal to an American audience, if the star
had sufficient control over the set-pieces. The storyline follow
a predictable ‘fish out of water’ arc with Jackie visiting the
US for a family wedding, only to end up taking on the local
gang which is causing trouble at the neighbourhood market.
Vancouver doubles unconvincingly for New York, but Rumble
in the Bronx is all about the jaw-dropping stunts: they include
an incredible leap from a rooftop parking lot and a motorcycle
chase which sent most of the main players to the hospital. Due
to insurance concerns, Chan’s subsequent Hollywood studio
outings would be comparatively risk-free.
PAGE 10
Dir: Andrew Lau, 1996, 97 mins, Warner
Starring: Ekin Cheng, Jordan Chang, Michael Tse
Set in the high-stakes underworld of Hong Kong Triad society,
Young and Dangerous is a flashy ensemble piece that combined
the risky allure of its milieu and a cast of appealing stars (Ekin
Cheng, Jordan Chan, Michael Tse) into a hugely successful
franchise that would be rebooted in 2013 with Young and
Dangerous: Reloaded. Adapted from a comic book series, it
follows a close-knit crew of young men who rapidly establish
themselves as enforcers in an underworld organisation. But
their friendship is ruptured by ambition, accusations of violating
orders, an ill-fated assassination attempt and enforced exile.
The film’s emphasis on unapologetically slick urban imagery
and insistence that Triad organisations can evidence virtuous
behaviour infuriated some critics on release. Yet such controversy
only served to fuel the immense popularity of Young and
Dangerous with the local audience, which ultimately responded
to the bond between the main characters rather than the film’s
more vacuous elements. Three sequels would be swiftly released
within the following year, not to mention a number of vastly
inferior ‘Triad youth’ rip-offs.
See also: Infernal Affairs, the first in the Hong Kong
crime trilogy that inspired Scorsese to remake it as The
Departed (and win his first Oscar®).
ZU WARRIORS FROM THE
MAGIC MOUNTAIN
Dir: Tsui Hark, 1983, 95 mins, Miramax
Starring: Yuen Biao, Adam Cheng
Fantastical events take place in Fifth Century mythic China where
Sichuan province is being torn apart due to decades of civil
unrest. Ti Ming-Chi (Yuen Biao) is warrior caught in the midst
of a battle between warring clans, but finds himself allied with
martial arts master Ting-Yin (Adam Cheng) on a quest to find
the legendary twin swords which are the only weapons that can
possibly stop the supernatural evil that is about to sweep through
the land. The abundance of special effects contributed to Hark’s
reputation as the ‘Steven Spielberg of Hong Kong’, even though
they were not exactly state-of-the-art at the time of production.
Yet however dated Zu Warriors from the Magic Mountain may
seem in this respect, it remains a giddily entertaining spectacle
due to its madcap genre-splicing with wuxia (martial hero),
horror, and broad comedy all generously stirred into Hark’s
cinematic pot. The film developed a cult following in the US,
with John Carpenter stating that is was a significant influence on
his action-fantasy Big Trouble in Little China (1986).
PAGE 11
YOUNG & DANGEROUS
HEROES AND HEROINES OF HONG KONG ACTION
ENTER THE DRAGON (SEE P13)
HEROES AND HEROINES
OF HONG KONG ACTION
Being an action star in Hong Kong is truly a full-time job. Although
some of the main players featured here have appeared in other
genres, each has remained a staple of the Hong Kong action scene,
undertaking a range of heroic roles in exciting stories of pride, justice,
revenge, and social duty. Usually performing their own death-defying
stunts, fearless stars such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen and
Chow Yun Fat have constructed identities that are synonymous with
that of Hong Kong itself, becoming both local legends and global icons.
Whether their weapon of choice is a sword, a gun, or their bare hands,
the characters portrayed by these stars always exude a strong sense of
purpose. Yet the shared heroic masculinity that has been constructed
through collaboration with the world’s finest fight choreographers
is also informed by highly individual approaches to drama, humour,
and the cultivation of screen presence. The following selection of titles
celebrates some of their finest achievements as they battle their foes
against backdrops both ancient and contemporary.
PAGE 12
DIGITAL
Dir: Yuen Woo-ping, 1978, 111 mins, Sony
Loosely based on the early years of legendary martial artist
Wong Fei-hung, this Hong Kong classic has a mischievous
and undisciplined young man nicknamed Naughty Panther
(Jackie Chan) learning Drunken Fist Kung Fu from the
demanding Beggar So (Simon Yuen). In contrast with most
portrayals of the sifu (master) figure, the cantankerous
Beggar So appears to be a borderline-alcoholic geriatric.
However, he is also a martial arts master who has been
known to cripple his students with an overly-rigorous training
regime. Drunken Master takes the main plot elements
and principal players from Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow
(1978) (see p14), which was released just a few months
earlier, and imbues them with the comedic sensibility that
would become the key ingredient for Chan’s superstardom.
Although it provides a steady stream of laughs, Drunken
Master is also respectful to its martial arts legacy.
See also: Drunken Master 2 (aka The Legend of
the Drunken Master for more drunk boxing and
Chan heroics. Time Magazine named Drunken
Master 2 as one of the top 100 best films of all
time in 2005.
ENTER THE DRAGON
DIGITAL
Dir: Robert Clouse, 1973, 102 mins, Warner
Starring: Bruce Lee
Much-imitated, often-parodied, never equalled: Enter the
Dragon became an international phenomenon on release
with its fusion of Bruce Lee’s formidable fighting style and
impressive Hollywood production values, not to mention
Lalo Schifrin’s playfully stylish score. The plot blends James
Bond with Fu Manchu as Lee’s martial arts expert goes
undercover as a tournament participant on the island of
the evil Mr Han (Shih Kien), who is suspected by British
Intelligence of being involved in drug trafficking and
prostitution. The other contenders in the contest include two
Americans: Roper (John Saxon), a playboy on the run from
the mob, and Williams (Jim Kelly), an activist who has fled
the US following an altercation with a pair of police officers.
Both get the chance to show their skills, but this was always
intended as a vehicle for Lee, whose cool charisma was
at its peak in his last completed role. The scene in which
Lee takes on dozens of Han’s guards – including a young
Jackie Chan, who he dispatches with a vicious neck break
– remains a blistering demonstration of the star’s absolute
control of mind and body.
PAGE 13
DRUNKEN MASTER
DIGITAL
Dir: Yuen Woo-ping, 1978, 98 mins, Sony
Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow not only launched Jackie Chan as a major film star, but also marked the
directorial debut of Yuen Woo-ping, who would become a pioneer of martial arts cinema in terms of
both local and global production. It tells the story of an orphan adopted by a kung fu school (Chan)
who is used as their janitor and often abused by the teachers until he befriends an elderly master and
receives training in the Snake-style of kung fu. Prior to Snake in the Eagle’s Shadow, Chan had been
under contract to Lo Wei, whose had unsuccessfully tried to mould the star as “the new Bruce Lee” in five
films that had successively failed at the box office. Chan was loaned to Seasonal Films and partnered
with Yuen, who allowed the performer the freedom to develop his more comedic screen persona. This
collaboration resulted in a box office smash that would serve as the template for Chan’s next film,
Drunken Master (1978) (see p13), while also showing that the local audience wanted something new
rather than a rehash of former screen glories.
FULL CONTACT
Dir: Ringo Lam, 1992, 96mins, Sony
Starring: Chow Yun Fat
Revenge, Heroic Bloodshed-style. Chow Yun Fat’s club
bouncer hijacks a truck full of weapons with his friend
Anthony Wong, but is double-crossed and left for dead.
After recuperating, he returns to seek vengeance and win
back his ex-girlfriend (Ann Bridgewater) who is now involved
with his sworn enemy. Full Contact performed poorly at the
Hong Kong box office on release as Chow’s audience was
less than enamoured with the usually well-groomed star’s
more rugged appearance. However, the image of a gunblazing Chow on a motorcycle has since become a crucial
part of his iconography. Full Contact is also one of the best
examples of Ringo Lam’s approach to action cinema which
is fairly pared-down when compared to John Woo’s balletic
aesthetic. The fights, shoot-outs, and stabbings are delivered
with brutal efficiency, although Lam does let loose with a
legendary ‘bullet cam’ shot during a nightclub gun battle.
Full Contact adopts the cynical worldview of an American
crime thriller, but Lam’s expert handling of the pyrotechnics
ensures that this is unmistakably a Hong Kong product.
PAGE 14
SNAKE IN THE EAGLE’S SHADOW
Dir: Yuen Woo-ping, 1993, 85 mins, Miramax
Starring: Donnie Yen, Rongguang Yu
The corrupt officials of a Chinese village are
continually robbed by the masked bandit known
as Iron Monkey (Rongguang Yu). When traveling
physician Wong Kei-ying (Donnie Yen) arrives in town
with his young son and demonstrates great martial
arts skills during an attempted robbery, he is arrested
on suspicion of being Iron Monkey. Pressured into
finding the real bandit by the authorities in order to
prove his innocence, Wong accepts the mission, but
ultimately teams-up with Iron Monkey to combat the
untrustworthy government. Widely regarded as one
of the greatest martial arts films to emerge from
Hong Kong in the 1990s, Iron Monkey was written
and produced by Tsui Hark, who insisted on adding
a few comedic scenes for light relief. However, the
dominant sensibility here is that of director Yuen
Woo-Ping who stages a succession of thrilling
combat scenes that become increasingly audacious
in terms of scale and sheer technique. Amongst
the incredible fight choreography on display is the
staggering climactic ‘wire-fu’ sequence in which
the heroes battle their nemesis on burning wooden
poles over a pit of fire.
SO CLOSE
Dir: Corey Yuen, 2002, 110 mins, Sony
Starring: Shu Qi, Zhao Wei, Karen Mok
Lynn (Shu Qi) and Sue (Zhao Wei) are sisters and
partners in industrial espionage, who use their late
father’s secret satellite technology to gain an edge
over their rivals and law enforcement agents. Lynn
carries out the missions while computer hacker
Sue provides remote technical support: Sue wants
to be more involved in field work but Lynn tries to
protect her by keeping her at a distance from the
action. They become fascinated by the cop on their
trail Kong Yat-hung (Karen Mok), who becomes
an unlikely ally when their latest assignment goes
wrong. Often summarised as a Hong Kong spin on
the Hollywood blockbuster Charlie’s Angels (2000)
due to its emphasis on the physical prowess of its
similarly glamorous leading ladies, So Close is fastpaced entertainment with plenty of moves of its own.
It’s also a throwback to the ‘fighting femme’ films
that were a staple of 1980s Hong Kong cinema
featuring copious action set-pieces and some
pleasing interplay between the stars.
PAGE 15
IRON MONKEY
More than simply the beloved court jester of the Hong Kong film industry, Stephen Chow is
action comedy royalty. He is the chief proponent of one of the region’s most idiosyncratic and
identifiable exports, the “Mo lei tau” (literally, nonsensical) style of comedy filmmaking that he
practically came to define throughout his work in the 90s. Starting that decade as an actor –
with his major breakthrough coming in 1990’s All for the Winner – by its end Chow had also
began to turn his hand to producing, directing and screenwriting. Already established locally
as a polymath of the preposterous, Chow’s international breakthrough came in 2001 with
Shaolin Soccer and his success was cemented with 2004’s Kung Fu Hustle.
Chow’s crossover success played a part in the increased international awareness of Hong
Kong and Chinese cinema. His parodies and pastiches play-off existing cultural and generic
expectations by distorting and subverting them. Chow puts Hong Kong cinema through a
manic auteurist blender: gone are elegant floating wire fights and refined choreographic
sequences, in are outrageous CGI melees and cartoonish brawls. These films are perfect for
late night cult classic screenings or as a double bill.
SHAOLIN SOCCER
Dir: Stephen Chow, 2001, 113 mins, Miramax. Starring: Stephen Chow, Zhou Wei
In addition to producing, writing and directing, Chow stars here as Sing, a former shaolin monk turned
streetcleaner who recruits a motley crew of his former brethren into a soccer team in order to promote
the Kung Fu good news to the masses. Team Shaolin enters a major tournament and a head-tohead with the unambiguously named and performance-enhanced Team Evil is inevitable. The acrobatic
sporting action that forms the centerpiece of the film laughs in the face of modern science and good
taste as soccer balls fly through the air so quickly they catch fire, bodies are pulverised, grandstands
destroyed and the collective jaws of the audience hit the floor.
KUNG FU HUSTLE
Dir: Stephen Chow, 2004, 99 mins, Sony. Starring: Stephen Chow
Roger Ebert perhaps best captured the delight (and confusion)
Chow’s second crossover hit provoked in international
audiences when he described it as “like Jackie Chan and
Buster Keaton meet Quentin Tarantino and Bugs Bunny”. Ever
irreverent, Kung Fu Hustle’s all but arbitrary plotline blends
a chaotic sample of pop culture references as it follows the
showdown between the inhabitants of a Shanghai slum called
Pig Sty Alley and the violent members of the Axe Gang. This
forms a backdrop for some of Chow’s typically outlandish fight
sequences, this time featuring an ensemble cast populated by
Hong Kong legends such as Yuen Wah and Bruce Leung.
PAGE 16
STEPHEN CHOW
IMAGE: CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON (SEE P19)
The commercial cinema of Mainland China
is often defined by restriction, but the works
featured in this section directly tackle national
history and contemporary society with style,
passion, and, in several cases, a wicked sense
of humour. China’s film industry has rapidly
developed since the instigation of ‘opening up’
reforms, allowing Fifth Generation directors
such as Tian Zhuangzhuang and Zhang
Yimou increasingly wider canvases on which
to paint visions that are often more politically
complex than their frequently ravishing visuals
suggest, while satirists like Feng Xiaogang
have been able to skewer social trends under
the guise of crowd-pleasing humour. By using
such popular narrative forms as adventure,
comedy, wuxia (martial hero), and the biopic,
these directors have captured the attention of
the domestic audience, while striking a chord
with international cinemagoers. Whether it is
the madcap modernity of Big Shot’s Funeral,
the respectful period recreation of The Go
Master, or the rough-hewn reality of Not One
Less, these are films which reflect China’s
ever-changing landscape from feudal past to
capitalist present.
PAGE 17
MAINLAND CHINA’S MYTH, HISTORY AND HARD REALITY
MAINLAND
CHINA’S MYTH,
HISTORY AND
HARD REALITY
Dir: Feng Xiaogang, 2001, 100 mins, Sony
Starring: Ge You, Donald Sutherland, Rosamund Kwan
Feng Xiaogang has been so successful in the comedy
genre that the term ‘Feng comedy’ has been coined
to describe the director’s brand of broad satire, which
aims to entertain the popular audience by peppering
farcical situations with sharp references to current
social trends. Big Shot’s Funeral is ‘Feng comedy’
at its best, with the director poking fun at the rapid
commercialisation of China in the early-2000s.
Opportunistic cameraman YoYo (Ge You) seeks to
make a fortune by selling advertising space against the
proposed public funeral of a major American director
Don Tyler (Donald Sutherland) who has fallen into a
coma while shooting a movie in Beijing. He also tries
to win the affections of the director’s assistant, Lucy
(Rosamund Kwan), who is taken in by YoYo’s everyman
charm but repelled by the crassness of his scheme.
Hilarity ensues as YoYo is swept up in the free market
rush, dealing with demands from a variety of corporate
sponsors and heading towards a manic breakdown
as the lure of big money rapidly transforms the event
from respectful ceremony to vulgar spectacle.
THE GO MASTER
Dir: Tian Zhuangzhuang, 2006, 104 mins, ICA (UK rights only)
Starring: Chang Chen
This handsomely mounted biopic from Fifth Generation
figurehead Tian Zhuangzhuang covers the life of Wu
Qingyuan (Chang Chen), whose talent for Go (a board
game for two players using black and white playing
pieces) took him from his native China to Japan in
1928 at the age of 14. Embarking on a professional
career during a politically tumultuous period, Wu
dedicates himself to mastering the game of Go, even
when the breakout of Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s
threatens to intrude on his family life and intensely
focussed state. Taiwanese actor Chen immerses
himself in the title role, while Tian’s formal aesthetic
perfectly reflects the stoic reserve of his subject with
its exquisite distancing and unhurried craftsmanship.
Tian celebrates the sanctuary that comes from Go as
Wu uses his efforts to remain its undisputed champion
as a means of escaping the complicated climate of the
period. Yet politics refuse to be pushed to the periphery,
as Tian skilfully notes how the significant moments in
the player’s remarkable career intersect with some of
the most devastating events of the 1940s.
PAGE 18
BIG SHOT’S FUNERAL
Dir: Zhang Yimou, 2002, 99 mins, Miramax
Starring: Jet Li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Zhang Ziyi
China, the Warring States period: the nameless prefect of a small province (Jet Li) arrives at the state’s capital
city to meet King Qin (Chen Daoming), who has already survived several attempts on his life and now lives a
heavily-guarded existence as he tries to unify the nation. Li’s character claims to have killed the king’s wouldbe assassins, Broken Sword and Flying Snow (Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung), with his accounts of these
epic battles unfolding in ravishing extended flashbacks. Donnie Yen appears as the assassin Long Sky, while
Zhang Ziyi plays Moon, the dedicated apprentice of Broken Sword. Hero is a sumptuous wuxia (martial hero)
adventure which finds Zhang Yimou creating some of his most painterly compositions in collaboration with
renowned cinematographer Christopher Doyle, who provides an abundance of symbolic colour. They also
realise some dazzling displays of gravity-defying combat with each character being allocated a particular
fighting style, while their moves are complemented by the block-busting and stick-tapping percussion of Tan
Dun. The composer’s wonderful classical score also provides much of the film’s romanticism through subtle
yet significant re-workings of a beautiful main theme.
See also: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Ang Lee’s acrobatic spectaclular. Martial arts
masters Li Mu Bai (Chow Yun-Fat) and Shu Lien (Michelle Yeoh) battle against evil forces
to recover their stolen sword, the legendary Green Destiny. Winner of two Golden Globes,
four BAFTAs, and four Academy Awards.
KEKEXILI: MOUNTAIN PATROL
Dir: Lu Chuan, 2004, 90 mins, Sony
Starring: Zhang Lei
Kekexili, Tibet: poachers and volunteer vigilante rangers engage in a
dangerous game in this treacherous mountain region as the former
seeks to make a living by killing and skinning rare antelope for sale to
the luxury market, while the latter aim to stop them. When this battle
of wits results in a murder being committed, journalist Ga Yu (Zhang
Lei) is dispatched from Beijing to investigate, and accompanies the
rangers on their next patrol. Lu Chuan’s second feature following the
small town noir The Missing Gun (2002) is a gripping adventure which
finds the director making stunning use of his widescreen canvas. The illequipped crusaders for justice are not only out-gunned by their ruthless
adversaries, but also constantly under threat from the stunning yet
merciless surrounding environment with its tough terrain, shifting weather
conditions, and deadly quicksand. Kekexili: Mountain Patrol had a major
impact in China in terms of increasing general awareness of poaching
and the potential extinction of an increasingly rare species, leading the
government to pledge crucial support for wildlife protection in Tibet.
PAGE 19
HERO
Dir: Zhang Yimou, 1999, 106 mins, Sony
Starring: Wei Minzhi
Not One Less addresses the issue of education reform
in China. A 13-year-old teacher Wei Minzhi arrives in a
remote village to substitute for its school’s only instructor
while he goes away on family business, but struggles to
keep the attention of her more disruptive students due to
her lack of experience and only being able to use one
piece of chalk per day due to budget issues. Having
promised to ensure that none of the students leave to
work in the big city, she is forced to travel to Zhangjiakou
when one of the boys takes off in search money-making
opportunities. Using amateur actors whose roles reflect
their real-life experiences, and adopting a neorealist
style, Zhang Yimou has crafted a moving commentary
on the rural/urban divide. Issues of authority and
bureaucracy are raised throughout as Wei’s lack of
money or social status force her to overcome each
obstacle through sheer tenacity. Much early discussion
of Not One Less revolved around whether Zhang was
criticising the state or promoting its initiatives, but his
ninth feature is now widely considered to be one of the
director’s most emotionally compelling works.
A WOMAN, A GUN AND A
NOODLE SHOP
Dir: Zhang Yimou, 2009, 95 mins, Sony
Starring: Sun Honglei, Xiao Shenyang, Yan Ni
A remake of Blood Simple (1984), this slapstick thriller
transposes the murderous events of the Coen Brother’s
debut feature from 1980s Texas to 19th Century China.
In a small desert town, a noodle shop proprietor Wang
(Ni Dahong) regularly beats the young wife (Yan Ni)
who he had purchased several years earlier. She seeks
solace in the arms of shop servant Li (Xiao Shenyang),
but when her husband finds out, he enlists the assistance
of corrupt police detective Zhang (Sun Honglei) to take
his revenge. Flamboyant in design and performance, A
Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop transforms hardboiled noir into fabulous farce, although the grisly
elements of the original are maintained alongside its
broader sense of humour. The rural lyricism or epic
grandeur that are largely perceived as the director’s
forte are here entirely absent in favour of a nihilistic folk
tale where everyone is to some extent at fault. It’s a
true one-off in Zhang Yimou’s filmography, evidencing
a previously unseen mischievousness as events moves at
a hectic pace through a feudal landscape depicted as a
moral wasteland. FROM ACTION TO ARTHOUSE
PAGE 20
NOT ONE LESS
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PAGE 21
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from action to arthouse

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