While
popularized in America
in the late 70's and early 80's by shows like Kung Fu Theater,
traditional Asian martial arts movies have been around since the late
1940's. While there were a few martial arts films before then, the
genre was officially launched with the release of the Hong Kong films
using authentic martial arts forms. In the 1950's, the genre was
dominated with films centering on Wong Fei Hong, a Chinese folk hero.
In
the 1960's, the
emigration of mainland Chinese talent to Hong Kong resulted in two
distinct styles of martial arts movies. The mainland, Mandarin
influenced films were more artistic and focused more on drama. They
used special effects, romance and the infusion of fantastic elements to
popularize the genre. The Shaw Brothers, prolific and extremely popular
kung fu movie makers, were some of the directors of this period.
The
1970's saw a new
player enter the field. The impact that Bruce Lee had on the genre
cannot be measured. The first true international Kung Fu superstar, Bruce Lee
began as a martial artist. His popularity shifted the focus of the
genre from the director to the actor. This was the decade that saw the
term Kung Fu movie become popular. Building on his success, martial
artists like Jackie Chan and Jet Li became global stars, and the entire
genre became a cinematic force to be reckoned with.
With the rise in the
genre's popularity, it is no surprise that western cinema has been
influenced. Directors like John Woo have found success in Hollywood.
Martial arts are featured in many western movies, such as the Matrix.
This trend towards the eastern fighting style in movies is well
illustrated by the popular Star Wars movies. Compare the more European
styled deliberate light saber duels in the original trilogy with the
wild battles seen in the prequel films. While once a niche genre,
popular on Saturday mornings, Kung
Fu movies have become a dominant force in action cinema.
About
the Author
Yahpet Scott is a Kung Fu movie enthusiast, please visit his store to
view the kung fu dvd and contemporary asian
films he has for sale.
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