Chinese kung fu Market

The Hollywood film industry has become the most popular and globally dominant film market when compared to the rest of world. For instance, 90% of the films watched in Taiwan and 63% watched in Japan are labeled as foreign films coming directly from Hollywood. Laws have been created in foreign countries in order to help protect their films. The Chinese film industry must work in collaboration with Hollywood, so that their films will have a chance of achieving global recognition and fame. The development of a Hollywood group called the New International Division of Cultural Labor has resulted in some foreign films being distributed throughout the entire world. As a result of the (NICL) group three recent Chinese kung fu films have become extremely successful. The three successful films are Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero and House of the Flying Daggers.

It was shocking to learn how the Chinese film industry has been deteriorating rapidly ever since the 1980s. Close to 300 films were created back in the 1980s, and that number dropped dramatically to only 64 films in the year 2004. The main reason for this reduction is because Hollywood films were being distributed in China.

Hollywood has decided to add film production and marketing sites overseas to help alleviate the total cost of making a film. The success of these three well-known kung fu films prompted Hollywood to work with China and provide them with a production base.

This article explained how the film Hero has earned a tremendous amount of money because of its cinematic elements and outstanding story. It contained both originality and distinctiveness with made it stand out compared to previous kung fu films. On this blog, Mike explained more in depth about the film Hero and what was good about the film.

It was interesting to note that the films Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hero and House of the Flying Daggers all operated in a similar manner as Hollywood when selecting their actors. The majority of the profitable Hollywood films have actors who are popular actors, which is what the Chinese film industry did also. This was due to the fact that the group NICL played a strong role in several aspects of these films. In these three films this was the first time multiple famous actors were casted to be in the same film. For example, kung fu films in the past would only cast one major actor like Jackie Chan to draw an audiences’ attention. Casting several stars in a film would ultimately increase its success rate domestically and overseas. Every step that these three films took were in line with those that Hollywood would normally follow. The article stated, “This trend indicates that the new Chinese martial arts films have become more like Hollywood films in that they are now transitional and global in terms of labor and production” (Chung, 419). It has been recognized that Chinese films do have the possibility of being distributed over the entire world and making a great deal of money in return.

Chinese kung fu films are starting to emerge more often in both the United States and in many other countries. This has only happened because of the direct intervention of Hollywood in the Chinese film industry. By collaborating with Hollywood, Chinese films are now much likely to be well produced, have a wide distribution and be profitable.

Work Cited:

Chung, Peichi. "Hollywood domination of the Chinese kung fu market." Inter-Asia Cultural Studies 8.3 (2007): 414-24. Print.

The Twilight Samurai

For my third movie, I watched The Twilight Samurai. This was a very different form of fighting, because swords were used instead of fists or kicks. There weren’t a lot of really high-tech camera shots. The camera was stationary most of the time, and if it did move, it would just zoom in or out. Also, the camera would switch back and forth from one person talking to another. I felt like the director used a lot of natural lighting in this movie. When there were scenes outside, it was very bright, but inside it was very dark. During the fighting scenes, the director used widescreen shots to show all the fighting; there were no close up shots. The main character noticed flowers blooming on the tree, and I think that was supposed to symbolize that his life was going to bloom and get better. People would always find dead bodies being carried by the river from peasants, usually children that have starved. I think the river was supposed to symbolize life in a weird way. Every time bodies were found, people were either fishing, or washing clothes, or something that were necessities of life. When the bodies were found, the people who found them would send their souls up to Buddha. Even though people died in the river, when they were found, they were sent to Buddha to start a new life and be blessed. One of the main character’s daughters was the narrator and would narrate what was going on in her head or with others during different parts of the movie. When the main character was fighting with this one samurai, I kind of felt like it was a horror film. They started fighting in the living room, but went behind this wall; the camera never moved, but you could still see the two men because the wall was made out of spaced out boards. Then they went around the corner, and you couldn’t see them because the camera stayed in the same place. While they were behind the wall, you could hear what was going on, but you couldn’t see anything. Also, one of the two men would be pushed out from behind the wall, but then they would go back behind it. It gave you the feeling of suspense and it kept you guessing.

Ip Man 2.

Rachel Pitzer

I wanted to watch Ip Man 2 to try and see if the director used the same techniques, but I did not find a lot to be similar. The plot was basically the same, but this time he was fighting a British boxer. The opening scene was a flashback of when the Japanese invaded their town, and it was in black and white and in slow motion. Then after that scene, it was the exact same as the opening scene in the first movie with him practicing on the wooden post. Also, he started his own school; after the first movie, Ip Man and his family fled to Hong Kong, and this is where this movie is taking place. Throughout this whole movie, the colors were very bright, so I got the sense that there was more hope in this movie than the first one. This time, however, when there was any kind of fighting, the coloring got very dull, and sometimes the lighting would get darker. In the first movie, there was no change in color or lighting when there was fighting taking place. There were a lot of flashbacks in this movie as well. When Ip Man was fighting the boxer, he had a flashback of when another Master fought the boxer and was killed; this gave him much inspiration to not give up and keep fighting. Also, when Ip Man saw his friend from the first movie, he discovered that he was shot in the head, and suffered severe brain damage which made him not remember anyone. During this time, the movie flashbacked to when his friend was shot, and then it made Ip Man flashback to when his friend was normal. For the fight scenes, there were still a lot of close ups like in the first movie. In this movie, Ip Man’s wife was pregnant with their second child. I think this symbolized a new beginning. She had the baby during his fight with the boxer. Then, after the fight was over, Ip Man’s friend that was shot heard Ip Man’s name on the radio and remembered him. When the fight was over, Ip Man ran home to see his wife and new baby. I think this baby symbolized that there was a new, bright beginning for them and the Chinese people.

Both Ip Man movies reminded me of American films because they were both about good defeating bad.

Ip Man.

Rachel Pitzer

For my first movie, I decided to watch Ip Man. This movie is about Chinese martial arts, and it is based off of a true story. The movie starts out with many students at a martial arts school. The one teacher—master—goes to challenge this very humble man, Master Ip; he is supposedly the best martial artist in the town. Although he is very good, he continually turns down offers to open up his own school and take in disciplines. Then, the Japanese army took over China, and killed much of the Chinese population. Martial arts was not practiced anymore, and people had to take up hard labor jobs, including the once wealthy Master Ip. However, the Japanese general that was in charge of their town would have fighting competitions. Master Ip decided to go one day after his friend had went and never returned. When he went to the competitions, he discovered how corrupt they were, and wanted to seek justice. He arranged to fight the general, and won. He did not fight to show who was better or stronger, but he wanted to fight to gain some respect back for his people.

The first thing I noticed when watching this movie is that Ip Man’s wife and the Japanese general were the tallest people in the film. I think the director made them the tallest people to show that they were the most influential people in his life. During one of Ip Man’s battles in the beginning of the movie, his wife was mad that he was fighting and did not want him to. When his opponent saw that Ip Man was hesitating on fighting because his wife was upset, he made the comment that Ip Man was scared of his wife. Ip Man came back with the comment “Men are not scared of their wives; they only show much respect for them.” This was very apparent throughout the whole movie. Ip Man tried to respect his wife’s wishes the best he could. He tried to make the best life for his wife and son, and when she presented him with a problem, he tired to accommodate to it as best as he could. So, I think the director made his wife tall to show that his decisions were made with his wife’s best interest in mind, and that she had a huge impact on his life. The general also had a huge impact on his life, but in a different way. When the Japanese invaded their town, he finally decided to start teaching so people could defend themselves.  Also, when he saw what the general was doing to his people, it made him realize what was really important, and that is why he started fighting again. Once he defeated the general, the people in his town took over the Japanese and got their lives back.

During the first half of the movie, the lighting and scenery coloring was very bright; you could tell life was good. However, when the Japanese invaded their town, the coloring became very dull and the lighting was darker. In the film, it showed the transition of when the Japanese took over. The director made this part of the film in black and white, and only the Japanese flags were in color. Also, this part of the film was in a slower motion. For the fighting scenes, there were song long shots of the camera to show the fighting, but there were a lot of close up shots of the fighters’ fists and kicking. In the very opening scene of the movie, Ip Man was practicing his fighting on this wooden post that kind of resembled a human with arms and legs sticking out. When he was fighting the general, it flashed back to when he was practicing, and the general looked like the wooden post. Ip Man fought the general the same way he practiced on the wooden post. When he would strike the general, it would flashback to the wooden post, and each time he would strike the general, he showed the exact same thing on the post.

Fearless

Jet Li's Frearless is a tale of redemption of a young up-and-coming Kung Fu master. We find the main character growing up in a competitive culture of fighters to see who can be the best fighter in the land. His rise to the top made him very prideful and foolish. At the top of his fame, he kills a rival master. Consequently his whole family is kill by the opposing side. Our hero retreats into the country side where he morns the death of the ones he truely loved. During this time he is taught by simple rice farmers the virtues of patience and self-control, which he takes back to his home region to regain his honor as Kung Fu master. He eventually forms the Jingwu Sports Federation and is challenged by Foreign Chamber of Commerce to see who is the best fighter in the world. Even though this fight will kill him, his virtues still prevailed in the end, making him the best fighter in the world.

This movie is stunning to watch. The camera captures the fluidity of the fighting along with the intensity and skill of the fighting. What we gather from just simply watching the film is a very up-close view of Kung Fu and how the fighters fought.  Also color is an important visual trope in this film. The first half of the film, though there is color, it is not vibrant at all. In fact I will argue that this was a careful choosing of the film makers to show the redemption process through out the main character's life. This is true when he is living and working in the village. The country side is much brighter and vibrant than the city, which gives the audience a inclination that there is some sort of change that will happen during his stay.

Another important visual trope in this film is the blindness of his caretaker. She was blind at birth but I know this shows a very definite truth in this film. Even though she was blind, she knew more about living and the values of life than our hero. We realize that our hero is the one who is truly blind and eventually regains his sight on what is important and what is the value of Kung Fu.

This movie is a wonderful example that Kung Fu is more than just a fighting style, is a disposition on life. Fighting is the expression of the discipline and self control of Kung Fu. This powerful film of redemption is a modern way of capturing the true essence of what particular fighting styles are for.

Globalization

When it comes to the globalization of film industries within the US and Asia, the martial arts play an important role. In the article “Martial arts and the globalization of US and Asian film industries” from Comparative American Studies, Christina Klein addresses the use of martial arts in film to reach a more global audience. The article talks about how the US and Asian industries are becoming more intertwined with one another. Both industries are moving toward each other, Hollywood is becoming more “Asianized” and Asia is becoming more “Hollywoodized.” I found this article to be extremely intriguing and important when it came in comparison to the movies that the group watched.

One major topic Klein addresses is that of Jack Chan. Chan had made an appearance in a movie that I watched, Robin-B-Hood. Chan has been popular among the Asian film industry since the 1970s and 80s with his break through to the Hollywood scene being in the 1990s. Years of hard work in the Peking Opera martial arts, self done stunts and the ability to tie comedy into it all made Chan the first Asian star to make it big in Hollywood. Another reason both US and Asian film goers find Chan so appealing is his refined athleticism and his creative use of props. There are many examples of this in Robin-B-Hood. In the movie Chan is able to make his way down a roller coaster (cars racing by him and all) while carrying a baby on his chest. Another example is his ability to make it down the side of a building by jumping from one air conditioner to another. It is this type of athleticism the Klein addresses in the article.

Another example Klein points out is the movie Hero directed by Zhang Yimou. Hero was widely accepted across Asia but exploded onto the western scene. It was nominated for four Academy Awards and was second to Titanic as the highest grossing film. The use of first class cinematography, beautiful costumes, extraordinary sets, internationally recognized actors (including Jet Li), and special effects set Hero apart from other Asian films. The elaborate fight scenes can draw in a wide audience. Klein also points out that the movie is deeply rooted in its East Asian culture but is also flexible so it can relate to a more global audience. It is this kind of movie making that can help tie together both US and Asian audiences.

Work Cited:

Klein, Christina. (2004). Martial arts and the globalization of US and Asian film industries. Compartative American Studies, 2(3), 360-384.

Four Dragons

Kinta, or better known in the United States as Four Dragons, is a visually stunning action martial arts film. Set back in the year 1881 in Kinta when large quantities of tin were discovered which was very profitable. As a result of this sudden tin discovery, hundreds of men migrated to this area in search of work and a better life. However, all these men quickly realized that they were no longer free men, but instead prisoners to Tin Sok, Master Hoong and Master Sam. Four key prisoners emerged named Dragon, Blaze, Ace and Tiger trying desperately to become free men again. This story contains elements of escape, betrayal and love intertwined perfectly throughout.

Within the first ten minutes, unique cinematic characteristics distinguish this film from other martial arts films. This film delivers a knockout punch in the area of visual effects and editing during intense fight scenes. The use of slow motion and bright, red colored blood in large quantities was utilized to make the fight scenes more intense and dramatic. I personally believe that director C.L. Hor did a terrific job of balancing the use of these visually stunning fight scenes showcasing blood. The picture below is a great example of the use of blood as a cinematic device while fighting.

Further into the film, the four prisoners, collectively known together as the four dragons, were ambushed from the order of Master Honng. This high-ranking evil official would not tolerate anybody trying to hinder his lucrative tin business. Each of the four dragons survived which led to the sudden questioning of several people. Dan Dan the daughter of Master Hoong became distant from her father because of how he was treating all of his workers. She however, falls in love with Tiger against her father’s wishes.

Blaze, who was raised by Tin Sok, eventually discovered in a letter that his father was Master Sam who abandoned him as a child. Blaze quickly grew attached with Master Sam and Master Hoong and their interests in expanding the tin business. As a result, Blaze killed his friend, Dragon, as a request from his father.

At the end of the film there is a fighting tournament with the belief that whoever is the last man standing becomes the new leader. Blaze threw himself into the cage fighting on behalf of Master Sam and Ace enters to challenge him. They both become knocked out which sets up two more contenders. The last fight scene is between Forest who is on Master Sam’s side and his opponent Tiger. Finally, Tiger who is being cheered on by Dan Dan overcomes all odds and defeats Forest to set all of the tin workers free.

Thinking that Tiger has successfully saved the day and also hundreds of lives is completely incorrect. By the year 1884, Kantin became the biggest exporter in the entire world of tin. So the unbalance of power, the struggles and hardships of all people will continue.

A narrator was used frequently throughout the course of the film, which is considered a narrative pattern. The narrator was able to provide more information pertaining to certain situations that otherwise would not have been understood. A second narrative pattern was the use of flashbacks that both Tiger and Dragon would have the night they were ambushed. These two characters would frequently dream about that night and how they barely survived.