The Importance of Kung Fu Movies
(03/23/02)

As a young child, i grew up watching Kung Fu movies on cable television. The USA Network used to host kung fu movies every Sunday morning as part of their "Kung Fu Theater" program. As silly as you may think it sounds, i've learned alot about life from kung fu movies. Despite the subtle doses of communistic propaganda thrown into the scripts by some studios, i have found kung fu movies to be one of the greatest sources of inspiration available onscreen. My goal in this essay is to give reason for the joy i feel when i watch a good kung fu movie, and also to persuade you to watch some of the best kung fu entertainment available on DVD. There are thousands of martial arts movies out there. Martial arts movies have been made all over the world, representing every style of martial arts. Of all of the styles and all of the countries producing martial arts movies, kung fu movies from Hong Kong reign supreme. The Japanese films lack interesting fight choreography. The American films are laughable. The European films are even more laughable. And all the others just immitate the Chinese. All styles of martial arts originated in China, so it is no wonder that China leads the martial arts movie industry as well. ....... Kung fu movies can be dissected into the following seven important aspects. It is not that other types of movies neglect these principles. Some may mention one or two. Kung fu movies are exceptional because they are based on all seven principles, and they exercise these principles with zeal. 01. Self-Perfection 02. Individualism 03. Achieving the Impossible 04. Spiritual Significance 05. Justice 06. Respect for Those Who Deserve It 07. Fun ....... 01. Self-Perfection The quest for personal perfection is the greatest highlight of any good kung fu movie. Most often, the main character begins as a slothing idiot, underachiever, or half-wit. Through his training, he becomes the greatest student and an important hero. While his personal motivation varies from film to film, the concept of self perfection always remains. The hero suffers through torturous training rituals to harden his body, mind, and spirit...making himself impenetrable to both swords and unjust social conditions. 02. Individualism The hero makes himself impenetrable as an individual. Quite often, the hero is a social outcast or orphan. He is not ostracized because of his wrong-doings, but because of society's irrationality and closed-mindedness. Even if it is not spoken in the dialogue, the hero learns to love himself BECAUSE HE HIS GOOD. He purifies his self from all negativity (again, physically, mentally, and spiritually). And perhaps most importantly, his success is dependent on his individuality. The villain always has an army of followers. But the hero usually stands against them alone. If he were to work with a unified group, the intentions of each person would blur together, and nothing would be accomplished. 03. Achieving the Impossible One warrior against the army of death. Heroes in kung fu movies achieve the impossible in battle as well as personal struggles. By starting off as a small person, and ending as the largest of all, the chastised hero stands as an example for everyone that nothing is impossible. Whether it is strengthening your finger tips so that they can pierce the skull of a human or strengthening your persona so that you are idolized by your community, the hero always accomplishes the tasks that others fear. 04. Spiritual Significance Most kung fu heroes see the universe universally -- beyond the material world. Their training always has a spiritual component. The results of their actions have both physical and spiritual consequences. 05. Justice Part of the spiritual significance is the balance of good and evil. Personally, i'm not interested in a balance. I wish for the good to outweigh the evil. But one of the limitations of their Buddhist traditions is the yin and yang philosophy. Even though this limitation is often apparent in kung fu films, i'm still happy to see someone risking his life to uphold justice. I suppose it is better to fight evil to maintain a balance than to not fight evil at all. Most often, people describe the plots of kung fu movies as being driven by revenge. I dislike this terminology. DRIVEN BY JUSTICE IS MORE ACCURATE. 06. Respect for Those Who Deserve It The hero is almost always young, and he almost always finds his way to be in the company of an older master. Kung fu movies portray old people favorably. The wisest and most cherished characters are always the elders. They are not cherished simply because they are old, but because they have accomplished great things in their youth and THEY CONTINUE TO ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS IN THEIR OLD AGE. Old masters are respected because they deserve to be. In most other movies, old people are made fun of, disrespected, and thoughtlessly disposed of. Without the elder to lead and teach, the youth would never accomplish anything, let alone supersede them. 07. Fun While it may seem farcical to include humor in films of bloody violence, i find it important. The humor is never directed towards the hero. The hero is not the target of the fun (being made fun of), he is making fun of the target (having fun). It is critical to understand the difference. The hero in a kung fu movie has a great time winning against his enemies. He loves it. His life is to be enjoyed. His self-perfection, individualism, achievements, spirituality, just motivation, and respect are the reasons he remains alive and happy. ....... Perhaps the biggest criticism of all kung fu movies is that "they always find some excuse to fight". I've heard from many cynics that the fight scenes always seem too contrived. So what. In a good kung fu movie (of course not all of them are good), each fight scene represents a different stage in the hero's development. The scenes stand as a test for the hero, each one building up in intensity as his abilities increase. This is why the final fight of a kung fu movie is always a luxurious grand finale of well-honed violence. Yes, the fight scenes are contrived. Why shouldn't they be? Fight scenes in kung fu movies are not disposable like those in Hollywood films. They are memorable, unique, and imaginative. They are what MAKES kung fu movies. Of course the rest of the story is going to be based-around, or more accurately, IN SUPPORT OF the fight scenes. This doesn't mean that the plot is insignificant. There has to be a motivation to fight. Otherwise you end up with trash like "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" where the fights meant NOTHING because the hero was a bitch, even though they were well-choreographed. ....... The word "Kung Fu" means "The Ability to Do Work". The principles of kung fu can be applied to every aspect of a non-martial artist's life. Anyone who wishes their work to be the best can learn from kung fu movies. Most Americans have only seen bastardized versions of mediocre kung fu movies. Usually, when released in America, the dialogue is dubbed by unprofessional voice actors, the plots are changed, and complete scenes are edited out. The true intentions of the artists is rarely seen. To get a clearer understanding of what kung fu movies have to offer the world, i'd ask you to watch at least one of the following fifteen movies, unedited, letterboxed, and subtitled in English. I recommend these movies first because each one exhibits all seven of the principles mentioned above. They are also examples of the best of classic kung fu fight choreography. The best place to find these incredible films in their native format is from Poker Industries, HKFlix, or Ebay. Champions, The Drunken Master Drunken Master II Fearless Hyena Knockabout Legend of a Fighter Magnificent Butcher, The Miracle Fighters, The Monkey Kung Fu Prodigal Son, The Snake in the Eagles Shadow Sword, The Swordsman II Tai Chi Master Warriors Two ....... The recent decline in quality of kung fu movies can only be attributed to a lowering of standards amongst film producers and fans alike. It is easy to see the effects of Americanization on Asian entertainment. Unfortunately, the most common American traits that are influenced are the worst traits America has to offer the world. Everything becomes gray. Therefore, it is important to hold on to the classic romanticism of kung fu movies. We should never forget their importance. We must find ways to implement their great qualities into contemporary art and entertainment. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to contact me. Thank you for your attention.