Once Upon a Time in China

A traditional kung fu movie with elements of the Wuxia sub-genre, Once Upon A Time In China is considered by many to be one of the finest martial arts movies of all time; I don't rate it so highly, preferring my action to be a little more realistic and a tad more 'bone-crunching'.

Set in a troubled 19th century China, where centuries of tradition is being threatened by an influx of foreigners, this historical epic is directed by Tsui Hark and stars the incredible Jet Li, ably supported by Rosamund Kwan, Biao Yuen, Jacky Cheung and Kent Cheng. With a pedigree like that, I was expecting something truly astounding, but what I got was an overlong, over-stylised and definitely over-rated film. Saddled with a dreadfully dull story and some particularly poor comedic moments, it does not entertain as much as I had hoped.

Li plays Wong Fei Hung, martial arts master and all round good guy, who, along with his students, battles the foreign invaders who are plundering China. Kwan plays his love interest, Aunt Yee, who has recently returned from America, and who tries to educate Hung about the wonders of the Western world. As the troubles mount, Aunt Yee becomes the target of unscrupulous traders who try to sell her into prostitution, leaving Hung and his men no option but to pit their fighting skill against guns in a daring rescue attempt.

Although the movie admittedly features some well choreographed fight scenes which will undoubtedly appeal to fans of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (as will the breath-taking cinematography), the action relies too much on clever wire-work and skillful editing for its impact, and the whole affair left this particular viewer rather disappointed.

The first of the new wave of Chinese movies is a masterpiece of action cinema, and looks gorgeous. Jet Lee plays Wong Fei Hung, a popular Chinese folk hero, although I gather he was doubled a fair bit due to an injury. Regardless, the set-piece fights are impressive and memorable, with imaginative wire work and use of scenery.

This is not to underplay the plot of the movie, which is a poignant view of China's cultural identity being chipped away by western invaders. As always, a lot appears to be lost for those like myself who don't speak Chinese, but the subtitles are clear and well produced. On DVD the option is there to play the movie dubbed, but please resist. Very few kung-fu movies aren't ruined by terrible dubbing, and this is no exception. The DVD I was watching had a very interesting commentary by man-in-the-know Bey Logan, a picture gallery and an interview with Jet. It's certainly worth updating your old VHS copy of this classic movie.

Watched this again as an antidote to "The One". Jet Li's done some good films, some TERRIBLE films, and then again he's done a few genuine epics, like the Once upon a time in China series. These films are also among the best work of Tsui Hark.

The modern Wong Fei-Hung series contains elements of humour without being just broad slapstick (if you want kung fu comedy, rent a Jackie Chan film), but are mostly films about a troubled China where traditional values are being overwhelmed by Western style and influence. Iron-Robe Yim's line "you can't fight bullets with kung fu" resonates achingly with the failed boxer rebellion, during which chi-gung practitioners mistakenly believed they were protected from foreign guns.

Wong Fei-Hung's struggle to find an honourable, peaceful path through the collision between cultures should strike a chord with anyone who has moved on from chop-socky and realises that a kung fu movie can feature a great story as well as great cinematography.

When most people thinks of martial arts movies, the immediate thought will be either a Bruce Lee film, or one of his countless imitations that filled the screen through the 70s and part of the 80s. And while it's true that some great films were made in those years, it's also sadly true that most were of average quality, due not only to their low-budget, but also to the fact that most were cut and awfully dubbed when shipped overseas. Being a patriot and a nostalgic, Hong Kong's legendary director Hark Tsui decided to resurrect the martial arts genre in the 90s, using one of the most respected Chinese national heroes: Wong Fei Hung. Hark's retelling of the life and times of the legendary healer and martial artist became one of the best epic stories ever filmed, the series of films known in America as "Once Upon a Time in China".

In this first chapter of the saga, we are introduced to Wong Fei Hung (Jet Li) and his China, a land who by the late 19th Century is discovering the Western civilizations and is forced to open to the world. Made leader of a team of militia warriors, Wong Fei Hung discovers that a group of Americans are kidnapping women to send to America as prostitutes. To make things worse, another Kung-Fu master, "Iron Robe" Yim (Yee Kwan Yan), arrives to town and is decided to defeat Wong Fei Hung to prove his martial arts are better. Soon the skilled warrior Wong Fei hung will experience first hand the pros and the cons of the clash of cultures his people and the newly arrived Westerners.

Written by Hark himself and his usual team of collaborators, the movie is at first sight an overtly nationalistic story of patriotism and Chinese pride, however, "Wong Fei Hung" is not only about China, as it's more about changes and adaptation than about traditionalism. Through the character of Wong Fei Hung, we see a man that is at the same time intrigued and repulsed by changes, but that has to make up his mind about if he wants to be the leader and the hero his people needs. Sure, at its core it is a tale of the adventures of China's most representative hero, but the way the story is written make the story a more complex and interesting one. Literally, a story that transcends its own film genre.

"Wong Fei Hung" showcases Hark at his best, with his defined style (influenced by comic books and the cinema of his youth) reaching its full potential and enough creative freedom to make whatever he desired. Hark delivers a film that can not only be seen as another martial arts film, but also as the epic journey of a hero facing his most difficult challenge: an inner battle with himself. With amazingly choreographed scenes and a great vision for cinematography (by a great team lead by Arthur Wong and David Chung), Hark creates an epic film on the level of Sergio Leone or John Ford. "Wong Fei Hung" is a film that surely proves that Hark Tsui is more than a mere director of action films, and that the films he did in the U.S. ("Double Team" and "Knock Off") are not really a display of his talent.

Jet Li excels at playing Wong Fei Hung (one of the most portrayed character in movie history), in a performance that captures the essence of the film without making it over the top. While not exactly faithful to the real Wong Fei Hung's fighting style, Jet Li's skills showcase his enormous talent and ability as a fighter and choreographer and every move of his is perfect. Rosamund Kwan plays Siu Qun, a young woman who falls in love with Wong Fei Hung, but only creates more confusion as while not blood-related, she is technically her Aunt (he calls her Aunt 13th). She adds good humor to the film, and makes a great supporting actress to Jet Li.

Humor is indeed an important characteristic of the movie, and Biao Yuen (who surprisingly, has little chance to show his fighting skills), Jacky Cheung and Kent Cheng make great comedic performances. While not exactly a perfect cast, it's safe to say that overall they give a good job, although the dubbing for the Westerners is remarkably bad. "Wong Fei Hung" is probably one of Hark's best films, and it's hard to find a flaw in it, as it's also one of the best martial arts films ever made. Sure, it may feel overlong at times, but the film takes advantage of its runtime as almost every detail is of importance and very few scenes feel unnecessary.

"Once Upon a Time in China", or "Wong Fei Hung", is a must-see for every fan of martial arts films, and a very recommended movie to those who dislike them. The way it transcends its own genre has proved to be influential now after the releases of "Wo Hun Cang Long" ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon") and "Ying Xiong" ("Hero"), two films that reinvigorated the old Wu Xia genre in the same way this movie did for the martial arts genre. After this, Hark found a difficult time in the U.S. (and the flops of his two films done there), but what he did in this film (and its first sequel) remains an accomplishment rarely equaled. 8/10

Wong Fei Hung is a legendary Chinese hero (like James Bond) whoe has some 90 films about him before this movie. In fact Jackie Chan plays Wong Fei Hung in Legend of Drunken Master. So this movie is not merely a kung fu movie. This movie's main theme is of Chinese culture vs Western culture as it is embodied by martial arts vs guns. How can China remain beautiful in its art that requires years of dedication to master, when success can be so cheaply purchased with Western firearms? Wong Fei Hung must make sense of it somehow, and in the end shows that while you can't fight guns with kung fu, that kung fu in the right hands can be just as deadly as guns. (It's not the gun... it's the bullets.)

Woven into this main theme is the theme of a lost sense of Chineseness and lack of communication. The characters who cut off their queues (their symbol of loyalty to the Qing dynasty) because of desperation or confusion or ambition. The Chinese/American who cannot read Chinese. The mistaken Lion dance.

Beyond this conflict, the movie has countless inside jokes for the fans of Honk Kong cinema. The trampolines at the end were a tribute to the early kung fu movies that used them before wire techniques were introduced. The scene where the two disciples have to dress up in the Peking Opera: Sammo Hung (TV's Martial Law) traditionally played the role of the butcher in this series. He, along with the other character who dressed up in the movie were originally trained in Peking opera and form there entered kung fu movies. So it was an inside joke. The nerdy character is played by one of Hong Kong's most popular pop singers.

This movie is simply incredible, even though the kung fu is not as satisfying as in some of Jet Li's other movies (The Legend and Fist of Legend). I recommend seeing it on DVD. That way you can see the original movie with subtitles. Then you can go back and watch it with a running commentary. Stay away from the English dubbed version, as it cuts scenes from the movie.