Samuel L Jackson presents and narrates an exploration of the origins of the martial arts genre - the pioneers of the movement, change makers throughout the decades, and those who carry on the legacy today. Originating in China in the mid 1700s when Shaolin monks instructed Peking Opera performers, the martial arts genre has become synonymous with action and drama that would later be injected with romance, humour and visual wizardry. The program is structured in a question and answer format and focuses on key performers, characters, and directors: Wong Fei Hung, Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Tsui Hark, Ang Lee, Sammo Hung, John Woo and Michelle Yeoh to name a few. It also looks at the prominent role of women in the genre, the contribution of the Shaw Brother’s company in the 1950s, the influence of Japanese cinema (in particular the work of Akira Kurosawa), American cinema, and the direction of martial arts films in the 21st Century. Boasting an abundance of film clips and interviews with (unfortunately unnamed by visual clues) practitioners of the trade, this DVD provides an excellent history of the genre.
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How to watch
Collection
In ACMI's collection
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
317945
Languages
Dutch
English
English
English
French
German
Italian
Spanish
Audience classification
M (15+)
Subject categories
Action & Adventure → Martial arts films
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Exoticism in motion pictures
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Martial arts films
Advertising, Film, Journalism, Mass Media & TV → Motion pictures - Excerpts
Documentary → Documentary films - United States
Family, Gender Identity, Relationships & Sexuality → Exoticism in motion pictures
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Holdings
DVD; Access Print (Section 1)