 |
| “Origin,”
“cultural exchange,” and “evolution”
are the dominant words in this second part
of our study of the origins and evolution
of fight scenes. To discover the true meaning
behind fight scenes, we must consider questions
that inevitably take us back to ancient
times: What influenced martial arts films
in China and Japan? How was wire-fighting
developed? Which era gave Japanese swordplay
its beginnings? How has it influenced Western
cinema and evolved within it? As we watch
contemporary films, it becomes obvious that
the symbolism and tradition of martial arts
have taken the original “kung-fu-style-flick”
to an entirely new level — that rooted
in literature, history, and myth.
This article includes a more detailed analysis
of the origins of “Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon,” definition of the
popular Chinese movement Wuxia Pian commonly
adapted to cinema, an elaborate guide to
the techniques of wire-fighting and swordplay,
and insight on martial arts films with Jackie
Chan, Keanu Reeves, Jet Li, and Wesley Snipes.
|
|
 |
| The
origins: Literature, myth, performing arts.
Chinese martial arts novels
Before wire-fighting was invented to add
appeal to theatrically staged fights, altercations
in ancient China were based upon old ideas
of cultivation and enlightenment. Inspiration
came from old martial arts novels which
spoke of controlling flying swords with
hand or mind. Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon was the fourth in a five-book
series of martial arts novels by Chinese
writer Wang Du Lu. It was released after
1910, prior to the fall of Ching, the last
imperial (Manchu) dynasty which existed
during 1644-1912 AD. During this time, Chinese
readers were bound to Taoist values, and
the book became the precursor to a popular
cultural movement called Wuxia.
Wang Du Lu was born in China and suffered
a great deal of tragedies during World War
II, Chinese Civil War, and the Chinese Cultural
Revolution. He was raised in a poor family,
a struggling writer who worked a multitude
of different jobs, from a servant to a teacher.
In his lifetime (1909-1977), he wrote 16
martial arts novels, most revealing his
anguish and suffering in the storyline.
What is the “Wuxia Pian?”
Wuxia — where wu stands for
“martial” and xia for
“knight-errant” — is a
Chinese genre of mythical storytelling.
Works within the genre generally revolve
around warrior figures who embody honor,
loyalty, and individual sense of justice.
In core values, the concept is quite similar
to American tales of the Old West and Greek
mythology (i.e. good vs. bad, Gods vs. monsters).
These popular Chinese tales give birth to
heroes who can develop the ability to fly,
among other supernatural powers, through
intensive training in martial arts. Kung
Fu was, perhaps, the martial art most commonly
used when portraying a battle where the
focus was on the internal, rather than physical,
strength.
Elements of the Wuxia Pian (film of martial
chivalry) formula are diligently incorporated
into many martial arts films, from the ability
to climb walls (think Jackie Chan films)
to balancing on the tips of bamboo trees
(e.g., Ang Lee's “Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon”), and flying over buildings
(e.g., all that Neo, Keanu Reeves’s
character in “The Matrix,” has
to do to fly over a street from one rooftop
to another is believe in his ability
to do it). These and other spectacular scenes
all serve one purpose — highlighting
the importance of the main character’s
belief in inner power. This genre has been
reinvented time and time again and continues
to evolve in contemporary cinema —
in keeping with the audiences' preferences
and cultural changes.
Martial arts within the performing
arts
The Beijing (Peking) Opera was born in the
late 18th century as a synthesis of music,
dance, art, and gymnastics. Initially, performances
were held at outdoor events, with stages
set up in markets, streets, teahouses, or
temple courtyards. Characters and plots
were inspired by Wuxia and always featured
generous use of martial arts. Performers
groomed by the Beijing Opera would have
similar training to those studying martial
arts for purposes other than entertainment.
There are four main roles in the Chinese
opera: Sheng (male), Dan (female), Jing
(warrior or hero, usually played by a male
with an elaborately painted face), and Chou
(clown, recognized by a white patch on the
nose). Facial painting — as opposed
to more traditional and less exaggerated
theater make-up — is used to symbolically
portray supernatural beings and different
personalities. Yellow and white paint colors
represent intelligence or bravery (used
in warrior roles); red stands for righteousness
and loyalty; black means valor and wisdom;
blue and green indicate stubbornness and
pride (rebellious heroes); and gold and
silver represent mystical or supernatural
powers.
A female character in a Beijing
Opera performance, complete with
the symbolic vibrant outfit and
facial paint. (Image courtesy
of the Beijing Opera.) |
|
The motto of the Beijing Opera is something
along the lines of, “It is the ideal,
not the real.” The goal is to present
an artistic, creative show — constructed
of the elements of fantasy, mysticism, and
surrealism — without heeding the detail
of real life. Even the stage on which the
performance takes place is not a major concern;
the props are very basic and usually include
a table(s), chair(s), and curtain(s), which
symbolically represent a mountain, throne,
and well. Imagination is what holds the show
together and keeps viewers intrigued.
In many cultures, martial arts have been
incorporated into performing arts such as
opera, theater, and dance. Japan’s
Kabuki theater consistently makes use of
the ancient arts of Kenjutsu and Ko-ryo.
The elegant, acrobatic Brazilian art of
Capoeira has always two seemingly conflicting
purposes; it is both a dance technique and
a combat sport. The Muay Thai, ritual dance
kickboxing accompanied by music from a four-instrument
ensemble, is an adaptation of the Thai military
arts with strong roots in Buddhism; it is
also the national sport of Thailand.
|
|
Wire-fighting
“Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon”
+ zoom image |
“The Matrix”
+ zoom image |
During the reign of the Ching Dynasty
(1644-1912 AD), elaborate wire-fighting
was used in Chinese opera to create
the illusion of levitation. The technique
furthered the portrayal of fantasy worlds
and superhuman characters, as it allowed
creation of more complex acrobatic fight
scenes. A good example of this is presented
in the old Chinese opera “Journey
to the West,” which is a classic
tale of Monkey and Tripitaka who journey
to the ancient “West” (which
was India). The performance requires
the Monkey King to “fly”
and fight off demons; the use of wirework
was necessary to create the appropriate
theater sequences.
Predictably, the opera-born wire-fighting
technique was adapted by Asian cinema,
where actors fly through the air with
the help of wires, as if they were
marionettes, practicing Kung Fu. Apart
from the obvious cultural tradition
reasons, this adaptation was largely
due to the fact that many well-known
film actors — Jackie Chan, Yuen
Wo Ping, and Sammueal Hong (Bruce
Lee's father), among others —
began their careers in opera houses.
Wire-fighting is usually set up with
the actor wearing a heavy corset to
which metal cables are attached. The
actors are strung 75 feet up in the
air, hanging from a crane. The crane
supports wires on pulleys, while being
manipulated by various crew specialists.
This airborne stunt choreography is
also known as “wirework,”
and many specialists, including master
Yuen Wo-Ping, truly believe it to
be an art form whose beauty lies in
the poetic combination of dance movements
and elegant gestures in combat.
Born into a family of Beijing Opera
performers in 1945, Yuen
Wo-Ping became and remains the
world's leading vaulting-wire specialist
with expertise in the ancient sword
and chivalry genre Wuxia. His father
(an opera performer turned movie actor)
trained him personally, and in the
late 1950s, Wo-Ping entered the Hong
Kong film industry as a stuntman and
back-up fighter. Wo-Ping was widely
acknowledged for his early directorial
work such as “Snake in the Eagle's
Shadow” (1978) and “Drunken
Master” (1979), the films which
propelled Jackie Chan to international
stardom. Wo-Ping’s popularity
increased through the years with films
such as “Exciting Dragon”
(1981), “Tiger Cage” (1988),
“The Iron Monkey” (1993),
and “Fist of Legend” (1997).
In 1999, he was hired to work on the
“The
Matrix” — a film directed
by the Wachowski
brothers and one that took acrobatic
fight scenes to a new level in Western
cinema. Although wirework and special
effects certainly contributed to the
overall presentation of this smash
hit, it should be noted that in order
to provide the required degree of
depth and realism, the cast of “The
Matrix” underwent intensive
training from October 1997 through
March 1998 under Wo-Ping's supervision.
Swordplay
“Swordman II”
+ zoom image |
“Star Wars”
+ zoom image |
“Blade”
+ zoom image |
The origins of swordplay can be traced
to many parts of the world, from Europe
to the Orient. Art created during the
Renaissance makes it clear that sophisticated
sword techniques were well-known and
used extensively by gladiators in the
time of the Roman Empire, as early as
the second century AD. Further, historians
usually date the beginnings of Fencing
as an organized art to the Renaissance.
However, as the films in focus of this
study are primarily influenced by fighting
styles of the Orient, a more detailed
look at Japanese sword art would be
beneficial.
The sword has a profound place in
the history and culture of Japan and
its people. For instance, the ancient
legend of Shinto (Shinto shrine at
Ise, near the Imperial Family's home)
speaks of a bladed weapon which was
dipped into the sea, and drops of
water off the tip became the islands
of Japan. During feudal ruling, the
sword was one of the three possessions
required to be Emperor. The jewel,
the mirror, and the sword were passed
down from generation to generation.
Clearly, Japan’s sword is both
a weapon and an art form that has
shaped through practice, centuries
of battles, and tradition of secrecy.
According to historians, early Japanese
blades were influenced by Chinese
and Korean culture. During the Keian
period (794-1118), Japanese bladesmiths
developed and improved bladed weapons,
finally arriving at the country’s
now traditional weapon, the classic
Samurai sword — a single-edged,
curved blade with a two-hand grip
used for slashing rather than thrusting
at the opponent. The Kamakura period
(1185-1333) was the golden era of
Japanese swords, as Samurai took their
craftsmanship and skills to new levels.
+ In 1867, the Samurai were
banned from carrying swords.
This attempt to end centuries
of Japanese tradition was
not accepted by the honorable
warrior class, and the “stick”
Katana sword was born. These
were walking canes which
contained a classical style
blade hidden inside, and
the “Soul of the Samurai”
lived on. |
|
It is common knowledge that, when
it comes to weaponry, a Japanese sword
blade is about the sharpest thing
there is. It is designed to cut through
tempered steel, and even thick nails
don't make an interesting challenge.
A lot of historical detail is offered
by early observers of swordmaking.
For example, in the 1560s, one of
the Jesuit fathers visited a particularly
militant Buddhist temple, The Monastery
of the Original Vow at Ishiyama. He
had expected to find the monks armed
with swords, but he had not expected
the swords themselves to be quite
so formidable. They could cut through
armor, he reported, “as easily
as a sharp knife cuts a tender rump.”
Dutchman Arnold Montanus wrote that
“Their Faulchions or Scimeters
[sic] are so well wrought, and excellently
temper'd, that they will cut our European
blades asunder, like Flags or Rushes.”
George Cameron Stone, a distinguished
20th century arms collector, once
took part in a test where an ancient
Japanese sword was used to cut a modern
European sword in two.
Although the advent of firearms eventually
devalued the sword and its usage in
military combat, there is actual film
footage showing a machine-gun barrel
being sliced in half by a sword from
the forge of the great 15th century
maker, Kanemoto II. However improbably
this might seem, smiths like Kanemoto
hammered and folded and rehammered
each sword, day after day, until the
edge of the blade contained about
four million layers of finely forged
steel. The rest of the sword was made
of much softer steel. European swords
were never this sharp, as the region’s
swordsmiths never perfected the technique
of varying the hardness of steel in
different areas of the blade.
Kendo, “the
way of the sword,” is one of
the oldest martial arts in Japan.
It is a technique used for training
in Kenjutsu, the Japanese sword-fighting
or art of war. Kendo evolved from
ancient techniques of Samurai swordsmanship,
and continues to be a popular competitive
sport enjoyed by millions of people
worldwide in modern day.
Japanese swordplay has influenced
many filmmakers during the 1950s and
the early 1960s. Consequently, Chinese
Wuxia Pian films brought sword-fighting
into a new context of magical, surreal
worlds. Fantasy films emerged in China;
these were based on martial arts novels
and Japanese movies produced by major
cinema studios (e.g., Shaw Brothers).
One emblematic classic is “The
One-Armed Swordsman” (1967)
directed by Cheh Chang.
During the mid-70s, swordplay became
less appealing to Hong Kong cinema
audiences, giving way to the global
popularity of Kung Fu flicks. Nonetheless,
the 1980s and 1990s revived the ancient
art of swordplay, combining it with
different martial art forms in new
films. Japanese sword arts continue
to influence Eastern and Western cinema
until present day, with productions
such as “The Blade” (1990)
by Hark Tsui, “Swordsman II”
(1991) by Siu-Tung Ching, "Blade
of Fury" (1993) by Sammo Hung
Kam-Bo, “Blade” (1998)
by Stephen Norrington, “Star
Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace”
(1999) by George Lucas, “Crouching
Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000)
by Ang Lee, and “Blade II”
(2000) by Guillermo Del Toro. Yet
even with the multitude of these new
films and directors, the most remarkable
and influential filmmaker of Japanese
swordsmanship remains the same —
the late director Akira Kurosawa who
immortalized this genre with “Yojimbo”
(1961).
Top main photo "Crouching
Tiger Hidden Dragon" ©
Sony Pictures
All cinema photos are displayed
for the context of the analysis,
for information purposes only.
+
analysis by Adriana
de Barros, about
the author |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Hosted by