“The first movie in the series was really good,” says the action film expert and author. KFM Bruce Lee Association, Carl Fox. “This was the first time Ip Man was featured prominently in a movie. Donnie Yen was perfect for the role, even though he refused to shave his hair.”
Wayne Wang's early work and why Hong Kong irritated American directors
Wayne Wang's early work and why Hong Kong irritated American directors
In the first film, Yip and Yen tell a heavily fictionalized story about Yip's early life in the Chinese city of Foshan. Ip first demonstrates the power of Wing Chun to delinquent martial artists, and then suffers under Japanese occupation.
Despite modern production values, ip man It plays out like an old kung fu movie. The storyline relies heavily on Confucian values such as maintaining lifelong respect for oneself. Schiff (Martial arts master).
Yen's portrayal of the honorable and sophisticated Ip essentially overlaps with Kwan's portrayal of Wong, but replaces Wong's powerful Hung Nga style with the up-close and swift Wing Chun kung fu. .
“Challenge to” ip man The challenge was how to combine my character-driven storytelling with this amazing action movie actor's story. [Yen] We’ll be able to bring that to the table,” Yip said.
Like Wong, Ip always tried to avoid violence until he could no longer compromise. According to Yip, the way Master always tried to calm down his opponents worried his star.
“Mr. Yen was worried that viewers would see his character as a coward, but I told him that's not the case at all. It's not that he was weak. . he [Yen] I had to remember that Yip was just a normal guy who happened to know martial arts. – He wasn’t a superhero,” Yip said.
“I won't let Bruce Lee down”: Donnie Yen talks about his career in martial arts films
“I won't let Bruce Lee down”: Donnie Yen talks about his career in martial arts films
To prepare for the role, Yen studied Wing Chun for nine months with Yip Chun, Ip Man's eldest son and the film's advisor.
Ip thought that Hoon was the perfect person to choreograph his film.
Hoon's choreography is exciting and special effects are used, but not typically. Hung brought the genre back to reality through CGI enhancements. This is what the audience wanted.
“The choreography was very well done and reminiscent of old kung fu movies,” Fox says. “It was very true to the style of the art. I always like seeing Wing Chun depicted on screen. When Wing Chun is done in earnest, it's very honest and authentic art. Because it’s expressed.”
Ip Man 2 (2010)
Director Yip's second Ip Man movie targeted not only Hong Kong but also mainland China, with Ip Man being set in Hong Kong.
Yip gets into trouble with other martial arts schools because he refuses to follow their rules, but ultimately ends up defeating a brutal British boxer in the ring and defending China's honor.
Yip's desire to make a patriotic film meant that there were some important omissions. Notably, after the Japanese occupation of China, Yip worked as a police officer for the Kuomintang (Kuomintang). He fled to Hong Kong due to his involvement with the Nationalist Party, leaving behind his family for reasons that are unspecified.
Ip's time as a Kuomintang police officer is completely ignored in the film, perhaps because it undermines his credentials as a patriotic hero in Communist-controlled China.
The first half of the movie shows Yip fighting a rival kung fu school in Hong Kong, and it's a lot of fun. The highlight is a tabletop match between Yen and Sammo Hung, who plays the president of the Chinese Wushu Association. This match was one of his best one-on-one scenes in martial arts at the time.
Michelle Yeoh's mentor, Jackie Chan's boss – different sides of Sammo Hung
Michelle Yeoh's mentor, Jackie Chan's boss – different sides of Sammo Hung
The film cuts to the middle and follows Ip as he fights a British boxer who claims that Chinese martial artists are no match for Western boxing. Patriotism turns into chauvinism, and all foreigners in Hong Kong are portrayed as evil and cruel.
“Sadly, such attempts at emotionality transport the film back to the 1980s and '90s, when noble Chinese people rose up to overcome foreign evil,” the post read. reviewer Clarence Tsui wrote.
Mr. Fox, a Bruce Lee expert, said he was dissatisfied with the portrayal of Lee in the film.
“I didn't like it, but I rarely like how Lee is portrayed in movies. It's important to show Lee as a superhero who was always looking for a fight,” he said. said, pointing out that there are many other aspects to the legend.
Featuring the best of Hong Kong cinema, this regular feature series examines the legacy of classic cinema, reevaluates the careers of Hong Kong's greatest stars, and revisits lesser-known aspects of the beloved film industry. To do.
