10TH ANNUAL OLD SCHOOL KUNG FU FEST: REVIEW ROUND-UP #1 of 2
Kung Fu films and horror have a lot of overlap in the genre Venn diagram. For one, many Kung Fu films offer excessive amounts of violence that are handled in both shocking and playful ways. Second, they both dabble in the fantastic, albeit in different ways. Horror films err towards the side of grotesque fantasy, whereas Kung Fu films tend to be more fantastical in how characters defy physics and are often positioned as legendary characters. At Macabre Daily, we love and appreciate Kung Fu films as for many of us they were foundational in our exploration and understanding of genre films. The exploitative elements in Kung Fu films often serve as a nice companion to some of the more grindhouse-like horror films of previous decades. In fact, many of these martial arts films were part of the grindhouse theater rotation and a large part of the reason why the genre was able to garner fans here in North America. But enough about history, let’s talk about the present!
The end of April serves as a special time for marital arts film fans, especially those who reside in New York City. For the past decade, SUBWAY CINEMA has made NYC the home of the OLD SCHOOL KUNG FU FEST (OSKFF). In its 10th year, OSKFF embraces the theme of SWORD FIGHTING HEROS, with a special emphasis on the beautiful ballet that is Wuxia. Known for their operatic stories, wire-rigged stunts, and lush costumes and settings, Wuxia films embrace Chinese history and Martial Arts fighting wholly uniquely. Even those who are unfamiliar with the genre probably know of its most successful film, ANG LEE’s CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON. Well, we have been blessed here at Macabre Daily with the opportunity to watch and review a selection of the films screening during the festival, and for those who are interested in learning more please check out this link to learn more!
THE ASSASSIN (2015)
Director: HOU HSIAO HSIEN
Runtime: 105 minutes
THE ASSASSIN is a lot of things, but above all, it is a beautiful film. One of the hallmarks of Wuxia films has been the attention to detail both in the costuming, sets, and scenery and THE ASSASSIN caters to all of those with impeccable levels of detail. Like many films of this genre, the story is one of politics, families, and betrayal centered around an orphan come assassin who is coming to terms with the fact that those who order her to kill may be the ones most worthy of death.
THE ASSASSIN has previously won some pretty major accolades at places as prestigious as Cannes, and based on the visual storytelling it’s easy to (literally) see why. However, one of the challenges this film presents to Western viewers is glacial pacing that favors visual articulation over narrative exposition. To be quite frank, it can be a bit boring to watch in spite of how beautifully crafted the whole thing is. One of the reasons for this lies in the choice to focus on the more political aspects of the period rather than the hand-to-hand and sword-to-sword combat for which this genre is famous. This is not to say THE ASSASSIN is a bad film, on the contrary, it’s quite good so long as you are willing to subscribe to the extremely beleaguered pace of it all.
The handful of action-oriented scenes are technically impressive and visually interesting, even if they are few and far between. In this way, THE ASSASSIN is more akin to an art-house film than it is a traditional Kung-Fu fill. Favoring breathtaking landscapes and long meditative nature scenes over the wire-rigged fighting that would find in similar films. This makes THE ASSASSIN a hard film to recommend outright, and the best way to assess if this is for you hinges entirely on how much you care about style over substance. If you don’t mind excessive amounts of the former and sparing amounts of the latter, it might be wise to skip this one. However, if you often find yourself clamoring for more Criterion-esque martial arts films you’d be hard-pressed to find a better example than THE ASSASSIN.
THE SWORDSMAN OF ALL SWORDSMEN (1968)
Director: JOSEPH KUO
Runtime: 85 minutes
THE SWORDSMAN OF ALL SWORDSMEN is what I would consider the ideal Wuxia film in almost every way. The story is one of revenge and the complications that humanity and loyalty present counter to the dish that is best served cold. Stylistically, it embraces the wonderful colors and costumes germane to the genre, but it is the action and pacing that set this one apart from its peers.
Retribution and vengeance are central themes in martial arts films, regardless of genre. Japanese samurai films are beholden to codes of honor as much as Chinese Wuxia films are centered around familial betrayal and revenge. Here, Tsai Ying-Jie is on a mission to avenge the 5 martial arts masters who murdered his family. Along the way, he becomes endeared and indebted to another martial arts master, Flying Swallow. This is really all you need to know as divulging too much more would ruin some of the surprises that may seem familiar to genre veterans, but still maintain their oomph regardless.
Where THE SWORDSMAN OF ALL SWORDSMEN excels is in how action-oriented the story is. Not more than 5 minutes pass between hand-to-hand and/or sword-to-sword action, and none of it ever feels superfluous since the world we are watching is one akin to the American “Wild West”. People fight to defend the honor of their friends and themselves and must humble themselves before their ego gives way to a weakness for their enemies to exploit. One of the reasons I think I enjoyed this so much is that it feels similar to Japanese Samurai films in regard to tone, story, and violence. What makes it different, however, is the emphasis on the Wuxia style of wire-fighting and dazzling choreography. If someone were to ask me what the template for Wuxia cinema is, I’d surely recommend they watch THE SWORDSMAN OF ALL SWORDSMEN as a starting point.
THE GHOST HILL (1971)
Director: TING SHAN-HSI
Runtime: 90 minutes
One of the things I love most about martial arts films is how often they borrow from other genres to supplement their visual and narrative choices. One such example is THE GHOST HILL, the third entry in the SWORDSMAN OF ALL SWORDSMEN film trilogy. Unlike the first film in the series, this is a more fantastical entry that still centers around betrayal and vengeance, albeit with a macabre twist as the returning heroes, Tsai Ying-Jie and Flying Swallow, are tasked with their most powerful threat; the ruler of Hell himself!
When it comes to style, this film has it in spades. The colorful art direction and costuming seen in the first film are still here, and this time around we have even more lush imagery in Hellscape that is created and ruled over by the nefarious Lord Chin. Lord Chin and his cronies attempt to frame another for the murder of Flying Swallow’s father. I cannot understate how much fun Lord Chin and the realm of Hell is in this film. Lord Chin bathes in hot oil while the various layers of the underworld offer striking visual scenery including Hell of Fire and Hell of Ice. This doesn’t even begin to touch on the adversaries that Tsai Ying-Jie and Flying Swallow face. It’s a cadre of some of the most interesting and diabolical-looking villains in Wuxia films, made even more impressive by the increased level of blood and the advancement of the wire-fighting techniques the genre is famous for.
If I had to recommend one Wuxia film to any novice, especially those who like horror and/or fantasy-based films, it would easily be THE GHOST HILL. Not only is it one of the most fun and fast-paced entries in the genre, but it’s also one of the most accessible. Requiring no knowledge of the previous films, anyone can jump right into the narrative and be no worse off for it. Films like THE GHOST HILL showcase the craft of Wuxia films in a way that invites curiosity from ignorant audiences. While the basic plot somehow becomes slightly confusing along the way, it doesn’t detract from just how much fun this film is to watch. Easily one of my favorite finds of the year so far, and I’m sure you’ll think so too!
CHECK BACK THIS WEEKEND FOR PART 2 OF THE REVIEWS!
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