Wuxia: Encyclopedia II - Wuxia - Films

Wuxia - Films

Wuxia film (or wuxia pian, Mo Hap film, Mo Hap Pin) (Traditional Chinese: 武俠片; Simplified Chinese: 武侠片; Hanyu Pinyin: wǔxiá piān) is a film genre originating in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Because of its distinguishing characteristics (a historical setting, action scenes centred on swordplay, a stronger emphasis towards melodrama and themes of bonding, friendship, loyalty, and betrayal), this genre is considered slightly different to the martial arts film styles. There is a strong link between wuxia films and wuxia novels, such as those of Jinyong. Many of the films are based on novels; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is an example of this.

The modern form of the genre has existed in the Pacific Rim region since the mid 1960s, although the earliest films date back to the 1920s. King Hu, working from Taiwan, and the Shaw Studio, working from Hong Kong, were pioneers of the modern form of this genre, featuring sophisticated action choreography with plentiful wire-assisted acrobatics, trampolines and under-cranking.

The storylines in the early films were loosely adapted from existing literature. Actors, actresses, choreographers and directors involved in wuxia films became famous. For example Cheng Pei-Pei and Jimmy Wang-Yu were two of the biggest stars in the days of Shaw Studio and King Hu. Jet Li was a more recent star of wuxia films, having appeared in the Swordsman series and Hero amongst others. Yuen Woo Ping was a choreographer who achieved fame by crafting stunning action-sequences in films of the genre. Mainland Chinese director Zhang Yimou's foray into wuxia films was distinguished by the imaginative use of vivid colours and breathtaking background settings.

Wuxia was introduced to the Hollywood studios in 2000 by Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Following Ang Lee's footsteps, Zhang Yimou made Hero targeted for the international market in 2003, and House of Flying Daggers in 2004. American audiences are also being introduced to wuxia through Asian-television stations in larger cities, which feature well-produced miniseries such as Warriors of the Yang Clan and Paradise, often with English subtitles. With complex, almost soap-opera storylines, lavish sets and costumes, and veteran actors in pivotal roles, these tales can possibly appeal to Western viewers whether or not they catch the subtle nuances.

Wuxia film style has also been appropriated by the West. In 1986, John Carpenter's film Big Trouble in Little China was inspired by the visuals of the genre. The Matrix trilogy has many elements of wuxia, although the heroes and the villains of The Matrix gain their supernatural powers from a different source. Similarly, when Star Wars was released in the late 1970s, many Chinese audiences viewed it as a western wuxia movie set in a futuristic and foreign world.

Significant wuxia films include:

• Torching the Red Lotus Temple (《火燒紅蓮寺》1928) — one of the earliest wuxia movies, followed by 17 sequels until the whole genre was banned by the Chinese government in 1931. Copies of the film were confiscated and burned. In March of 1935, filmmakers in Hong Kong (then a British colony) introduced the 19th episode of the series in Cantonese. Its popularity launched a revival of the series.
• Ru Lai Shen Zhang (《如來神掌》1964) — Hong Kong's popular black and white wuxia movie series starring Cho Dat Wah (曹達華) and Yu So Chow (于素秋).
• Dragon Gate Inn (《龍門客棧》1966) — King Hu introduces wire-work into the genre. This style is later dubbed wire fu.
• The One-armed Swordsman (1967) — extreme bloodshed and a male hero.
• A Touch of Zen (1971) — King Hu's masterpiece of aesthetic style which would heavily influence later directors, including Western popularizers Ang Lee and Zhang Yimou
• The Magic Blade (《天涯明月刀》1976) — definitive Shaw Brothers wuxia.
• Zu - Warriors from the Magic Mountain (《蜀山:新蜀山劍俠》1983) — Tsui Hark wuxia fantasy.
• Ashes of Time (1994) — Wong Kar-wai arthouse wuxia.
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) — genre's debut in Hollywood.
• Hero (2002) — another international box-office success.
• House of Flying Daggers (2004) — most recent globally released wuxia.
• Kung Fu Hustle (2004) - Stephen Chow's mo lei tau (無厘頭) parody of the wuxia genre, and one of the highest grossing films in Hong Kong's history

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Films", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki