Once Upon a Time in China

 

 

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Wong Fei Hung is an important figure, not only to Chinese history, but also to me as a student of the style, which he helped make famous. The Hung Gar Style is traced back to Hung Tsi Kwan (there are lots of debates over the spelling of his name) who taught Luk Ah Choy, and Wong Tai (Wong Fei Hung's grand father) who taught Wong Kei Ying (Fei Hung's father) who refused to teach Fei Hung, forcing him to turn to Luk Ah Choy for lessons. Fei Hung then went on to teach Lam Sai Wing (who is depicted in this film, albeit inaccurately) who wrote the book that more or less made the style famous. Hung Gar is a very common style in Southern China, but is very rare stateside with only a small number of schools teaching it. Wong Fei Hung is therefore a matter of great interest to me, which is why I bought this film without actually seeing it first. Lucky for me it ended up being a very worthwhile purchase.
While some of the events of the film are based on real history (or legend) much of this story (and its sequels) remains a matter of fictional entertainment. Althogh Wong Fei Hung was married three times in his life, he was never involved with his by-marriage cousin (or 14th aunt if you're not watching the English dub), so introducing an arguably incestuous love interest is a bit odd, but the romance aspects of this film aren't really the reason to see this film, Jet Li and his incredible action scenes are. The action in this film was a landmark in Hong Kong Cinema and may have pioneered the "wire fu" so popular in today's movies. The story is very good as well, dealing with the idea of resisting change, and staying true to one's traditions and heritage. As a Kung Fu student and fan I love this movie through and through, as a critic, however I really wish the writers of this movie could have done something less awkward for a love interest for a man whose memory is revered not just in China, but to any and all students of the Hung Gar style. After all, Wong Fei Hung invented the Tiger Crane set that is now the trademark set for Hung Gar practitioners, and so it is a bit odd to see him portrayed in a potentially incestuous relationship. Still this movie remains at the top of the list for fans wanting to collect Hong Kong flicks, as it is one of the absolute best out there.

Alright, I'll admit that when I first got my order of the first three of Jet Li's ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA series, I was a bit disappointed that the audio tracks wer only Cantonese and Mandarin. True, English subtitles were available on all of them, but I was living under the illusion that htis might comprimise my ability to fully enjoy these masterpieces.
I had seen none of them before, but I had ordered them sight unseen because of the fact that I'm a military kid living in another country, and so copies of the OUATIC series were quite scarce. I had never actually seen any Asian films before in their original languages, so you can see that i felt like ihad might have made a mistake.
Boy was I wrong! I had never seen anything like this before, and I was with the movie every step of the way, carefully following my trusty english subtitles for plot references, although I could absolutely not take my eyes off the screen in any one th fabulous fight scenes, especially the finally, in which good old Wong Fei-Hung (Jet Li, about the umpte-millionth Wong Fei-Hung) engages in a fierce martial arts battle with the sinister Master Yim, whose in cahoots with the bad guys, who are kidnapping Chinese for slave labor and prostitution, and who wants to defeat Wong so that he can be the number one kung fu master.
This particular scene starts out on an elaborate structure of ladders, and then goes to the ground for some more fightin'. True, the OUATIC series is not a wire-fu movie, but the occasional assistance of wires allows some of the more breathtaking stunts to come out.
The point is that ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA holds a spot in the hall of fame of those martial arts movies that have surpassed all standards and expectations, and will no doubt stand the test of time. The other films in this "Kung Fu Hall of Fame" include (but aren't limited to) ENTER THE DRAGON, FIST OF LEGEND, CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON, the DRUNKEN MASTERs, RAPID FIRE, THE ONE, and loads of others. If you have not seen any of these, ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA is as good place to start with as any. Just sit back, and feast your eyes.

FILM REVIEW:

At the time of this writing I've seen Once Upon a Time in China parts 1-5, and essentially my feelings on the series can be summed up as such: There's Once Upon a Time in China, and then, there are the sequels. This is not to say that I dislike the sequels; in fact, I have yet to be entirely let down by a Once Upon a Time in China picture. But the original is unquestionably the paramount of the series, a martial arts movie which breaks through and transcends the usual limits of the genre.

The qualities of Once Upon a Time in China are manifold. Its story is sophisticated and densely layered for a martial arts film, its pace unrushed, its action satisfying, its length generous, and its climax genuinely gripping. Once Upon a Time in China is, indeed, the only movie in the series in which I actually felt genuine concern for the fate of any of the characters, or put another way, empathized any real sense of physical, emotional, or spiritual danger. Some will argue that the martial arts choreography of part 2 is superior, but for all their technical strength, part 2's action sequences lack the sense of harmony and resonance with the overall picture which can be readily found here. A strength of the series in general is that the action sequences rarely seem to be entirely arbitrary - but never in the many sequels are they fused this satisfyingly into the overall experience.

Additionally, I've noticed that the Once Upon a Time in China series has gotten more "comic-booky" as its gone along. I have no overt problem with these "comic-booky" aspects in and of themselves: the mysterious cult-leaders and quasi-supervillains of parts 2 and 4, or the pirates and treasures and gunfights of part 5, or the introduction of the Clubfoot character in part 3, are all entertaining in their way. But I do appreciate the slightly more down-to-earth atmosphere of the original, as it seems to have been conducive to the development of more interesting characters. While there are other antagonists I've enjoyed in the series, none have come close to matching the thorough spiritual bankruptcy and cruelty of this film's Shaho gang leader. He has no special powers or tricks - in fact he doesn't even prove to be a particularly formidable fighter - but he's the only villain they ever bothered to develop enough so that you really come to despise him by the end.

And what of Iron Robe Yim's nuanced part in the tale? Not quite a villain proper, more a tragic figure - but an interesting tragic figure, and one successfully interjected (in place of the Shaho boss) as a formidable martial arts antagonist, thus allowing for the film's classic final battle. Above and beyond this he is also nicely interwoven into the greater fabric of the tale's many moral quandaries by his temporary relationship as mentor to Foon. (Incidentally, the mentor/student relationship between these two characters would have been well served by just a bit more development, but when everything comes to a head in that last half-hour, it still manages to pull itself off nicely.) Yim occupies an interesting space as a character in this story, a space unfilled in subsequent Once Upon a Time in China chapters: he is a character who we feel could have been great, could even have been a friend or brother to Wong Fei Hung and his coterie, but who sadly crumbles (under the pressure of poverty) to his darker, greedier side, and pays the price in a bloody and undignified demise - (a scene which proves powerful on several levels.)

Without getting into each in detail, I appreciate this film's well-rounded cast of characters, several of whom disappear and/or are replaced by different actors in subsequent Once Upon a Time in China films. With the exception of the unused Kai, every major character is given his moment(s) in this movie. Even Buck Tooth So - a character I initially found too annoying and zany - manages a convincing emotional and moral complexity by the end (relative to what you'd expect of such a character, at any rate.)

Last but not least, I should probably reaffirm that Jet Li himself is indeed excellent in Once Upon a Time in China. He brings a poise, dignity, style, and romantic vulnerability to the character of Wong Fei Hung which I doubt I'll ever see matched, and his focused and perfectly executed martial arts are a thing to behold.

So when all is said and done, I feel I must insist that Once Upon a Time in China has far more going for it than any of its sequels, and manages not only to juggle everything successfully - action, romance, politics, religion, national identity, melodrama, and brotherhood - but also to bring it together into a climax far more satisfying than anything I've seen from the series since. It boasts competent, artful direction, good production values, a fully realized 19th century environment, and everything in the film radiates with a glow which even the best of the sequels never quite match.

DVD REVIEW:

The Columbia TriStar release of Once Upon a Time in China is, to my mind, the most adequate of their three OUATIC releases. Picture and sound are both reasonably good, format is original widescreen, and the subtitles are clear, well-placed, and well-paced. The Cantonese and Mandarin audio tracks are both included. The English dubbed version is included as a special feature. Other special features include an interesting audio commentary (albeit it from a somewhat annoying and occasionally sarcastic commentator) and a few trailers. Nothing exceptionally mind-blowing, but a worthwhile purchase for sure. See Amazon info for more technical details.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
1 star for the displays of Jet Li's impressive skills. 1 star for some really evocative scenic shots. Other than that, this movie is a disappointment. Read more

Published on Jan 21 2003 by cbatt75

5.0 out of 5 stars Super Movie!!!
This movie is absolutely a masterpiece. When there was a fight going on, the music starts. The music is as good as the movie itself. It's a shame if you don't watch the movie. Read more

Published on Dec 31 2002 by Cookie Du

5.0 out of 5 stars Super Movie!!!
This movie is absolutely a masterpiece. When there was a fight going on, the music starts. The music is as good as the movie itself. It's a shame if you don't watch the movie. Read more

Published on Dec 31 2002 by Cookie Du

5.0 out of 5 stars best
Okay first off,the first 2 Once Upon A Time movies are,in my opinion,the only 2 in the series that matter. Read more

Published on Aug 28 2002 by marc

5.0 out of 5 stars Good!!
This is one of Jet Li's finest movies. He acted as "Huang Fei Hong" who is a famous person in China. He is righteous and always protect the weak from the ruthless. Read more

Published on Aug 24 2002 by M. Wei

5.0 out of 5 stars Double Plus Good
This has to be the greatest martial arts film. It has some of the best fighting in all of filmed entertainment history, it has a fantastic story, centering around Po Chi Lam and... Read more

Published on July 20 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars Great.
"Once Upon A Time In China" is perhaps the best all-around martial arts movie you'll ever see. I say all-around because it has both wirework and straightforward fighting. Read more

Published on Jun 29 2002 by Rock

2.0 out of 5 stars GREAT MOVIE -- AWFUL DVD
The bad news first -- this DVD transfer is awful! Unless you enjoy getting eye strain from unconsciously squinting through the whole movie (hoping that'll improve the picture... Read more

Published on Jun 27 2002 by menkey

5.0 out of 5 stars Jet Li is ICONIC in this!
If you love martial arts films you cant miss out on this one because every single person I know who has seen it has enjoyed it. ... Read more

Published on May 27 2002

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites ever
This movie is suberb, one of my all time favs; Jet Li is the man in this, great action great story and cinematography!!!

Don't forget to watch the other 3 sequels

Published on May 15 2002 by D. Jones

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