Abstract
This paper examines how Chinese Martial Arts Movies explore nationalism, colonialism, gender, heroism, and social problems through examining recent films made around Bruce Lee's Chinese martial arts master Ip Man. Between 2008 and 2013, five movies and an extended television serial were made on Ip Man, Bruce Lee's Chinese Martial Arts master. The first three, starred by actors with real martial arts training, are like the Bruce Lee films with the Chinese hero fighting against Japanese aggression in China and British Colonialism in Hong Kong. The fourth film released in 2013 was made by Wong Kar-wai with international superstars: Tony Leung as Ip Man and Zhang Ziyi as his opponent Gong Er. Going beyond nationalism and colonialism, the film features both a male Grandmaster and a female Grandmaster. The film studies heroism in the light of gender and factionalism. Rather than the above larger-than-life personalities, another 2013 film with Hong Kong Best Actor Anthony Wong explores how Ip Man encounters down-toearth social problems in post-war Hong Kong. While he is still morally good, courageous, humble, and virtuous, Ip Man is humanized and personalized, shown battling not just martial arts opponents but also the challenges of everyday life. The most recent edition is an extensive, high-budget television serial made in mainland China with a mixed cast and crew from Hong Kong. Together the films show that martial arts movies can go far beyond breathtaking physical action to intense philosophical explorations of big issues. From showing how Ip Man upholds big issues of nationalism and anticolonialism, the films probe deep into martial arts itself and its place in the global context. They resituate the martial arts hero in this broadened global context. The open, diverse, inclusive notion of grandmaster has global validity as it can be interpreted anywhere.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
