Here's a confession that will baffle you.I like fight movies, but kung fu, not gun fu and not that Steven Seagal stuff either. Chow Yun Fat is alright and all, but I much prefer the likes of Tony Jaa in Ong Bak, Jackie Chan in Rumble in the Bronx, or Jet Li in Fist of Legend.
Yes, the tea-drinking, non-meat eating yogini loves da kung fu. In fact, you should have seen my face when I saw the trailer for Ninja Assassin. Ex-cite-ment! I even giggled when I read the rating: Strong, bloody, stylized violence.
It just is, okay?
In my defense, I offer my love of the the human body and its many beautiful lines as an excuse. Many discount fight movies as gratuitous violence, but the choreography and physical feats often woven into the tales can take on the beauty of dance. Also, most of them feature far more developed scripts than current Hollywood blockbusters.
I like the dance of limbs - and not so much the bloody noses and broken bones. Does that make sense?
I was thinking about fight movies when I came across this interesting National Post piece about Pauline Kael, "the most passionate, stimulating and argument-starting critic in the history of film".
The one line that really stuck with me is something Kael said to a friend near the end of her life, "When we championed trash culture we had no idea it would become the only culture."
Do kung fu movies fall into the category of "trash culture"?
The thing is, I don't really care.
Watching kung fu movies makes me happy. They stimulate my senses and raise my heart rate. Kung fu movies are like a massage of the senses. I walk away from them feeling all adrenaline-y and I don't mind saying so, especially because Kael also said, "Trash has given us an appetite for art".
Watching kung fu movies feeds into my love of going to the movies, as does watching other (less-violent) favourites. They do not prevent me from enjoying more artistic films.
Doesn't an interest in culture mean taking in lower forms, as well as higher forms? And do kung fu movies necessarily have to be considered as trash?
Psst! Ninja Assassin is released on November 25. Who wants to go with me?
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7 comments:
Have you seen Chocolate? http://www.kungfucinema.com/trailer-chocolate-rain-of-martial-arts-blows-1173
And yes, I'd like to see the Ninja movie
Well my little Adri-Pants, it JUST SO HAPPENS that a CERTAIN GREEK FRENT OFF MINE gave me a handful of free movie passes that I must use before December. I, too, enjoy Kung Fu flicks. As long as I can sneak in my own snacks, I'm good to go!
Nicharee Vismistananda is awesome! Thanks Henri.
I grew up with my Dad getting a Bruce Lee movie on the way home from work about 2x's a week. Needless to say, I LOVE kung fu movies, cheesier the better:)
great blog!
Thanks for visiting, Mandy!
It's nice to know that kung-fu movies are well-loved by more than just the obvious suspects :)
I too enjoy the Kung Fu movies. I only got into them because of my boyfriends obsession but after watching Sammo Hung's 'Prodigal Son' I realized i love kung fu movies that are funny and stylized! Of course i like jackie chan but now my martial arts appreciation has stretched out to enjoy other movies too! Loved Chocolate!
I found a great kung fu fansite that is still being built at www.kungfu-movie-madness.com and look forward to keeping up with it there. Check it out you might like it.
Funny that you should comment on this article...
I was just thinking yesterday that I don't like war movies before I find the brutal deaths to be too... well, brutal. The scenes focus so much on the deaths. Whereas in kung fu, the scenes are lit by honour and physical strength and the interplay of egos...
Far more interesting than bayonets and machine guns.
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