Kung-fu in the Movies
Chinese Kung-fu, a type of Chinese martial art, is a traditional kind of physical activity with a history thousands of years long. Now a representative element of China's culture, kung-fu was, for a long time, shrouded in mystery.
It was kung-fu films that popularized Chinese martial arts throughout the world. Early kung-fu movies featured lots of action, usually containing more than a few fight scenes. Modern-style kung-fu movies, on the other hand, still contain action, but with new elements added in. Here we’ll take a look at these two different styles of kung-fu films by introducing an example of each.
- Traditional Style - Drunken Master
In this movie, the main character, played by Jackie Chan (成龙, ChénɡLónɡ), is a man who appears to be drunk most of the time he is on screen: bleary-eyed, tottering, slurring his words. However, this is just an act, a façade meant to conceal his kung-fu skills from his enemies. This act in and of itself is a manifestation of the Chinese concept “柔中带刚（róu zhōnɡ dài ɡānɡ）” or “firmness cloaked beneath gentleness.”
Traditional kung-fu movies emphasize the action, the kung-fu itself. This means that a lot of focus is placed upon the actors and the kung-fu skills they actually do possess. It was this style of movie that helped actors like Jackie Chan and Jet Li (李连杰, Lǐ Liánjié) rise to international stardom.
- Modern Style - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
According to a survey conducted in 2007, this kung-fu movie was among the most familiar Chinese movies to western people. One of the film’s most memorable fight scenes is between characters Li Mubai (Chow Yun-fat) and Yu Jiaolong (Zhang Zi-yi) in a dense bamboo forest. With the help of special effects, the two of them appear to be standing on and flying among the tall stalks as if weightless.
In modern-style kung-fu films, though there is action (usually in the form of fight scenes), more focus is placed on the overall artistic feel of the movie. This means that the kung-fu in these movies is usually dance-like and, in most cases, heavily enhanced by special effects. This often results in fight scenes that have a very surreal feel. In addition, more recent kung-fu movies are inclined to include other elements, especially ones that are very characteristic of China. For example, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon includes many beautiful landscapes that are characteristically Chinese, while a panda was chosen as the main character in the animated kung-fu film, Kung-fu Panda.
Whether considered a traditional-style or modern-style kung-fu film, there is one thing that these movies have in common: the spirit of the kung-fu itself is not for fighting, but for improving one’s inner world. In other words, the underlying message in these movies, no matter what style they belong to, is that by learning this art, not only can one maintain a healthy physical condition, but can also discipline themself and promote their understanding of life to a higher spiritual level.
