The King Of Wuxia Part 1: The Prophet Was Once Here Movie Review King Hus Influence On Chinese Martial Arts Cinema Examined

• Director Qing Hu pioneered the wuxia genre and his influence on martial arts cinema cannot be underestimated.
• The two-part documentary chronicles Hu's work and has been praised by writers including John Woo, Samo Hung and Eng Lee.

4/5 stars

Without King Hu, Hong Kong's famed and enduring reputation as the home of martial arts cinema would be far less secure.

The director's pioneering work in the wuxia genre has not only spawned enduring masterpieces such as Drink With Me , Dragon Inn , and A Touch of Jane , but has also had a profound impact on some of the biggest names in the industry, influencing their style and aesthetics. . An entire generation. Action movie directors from John Woo and Sui Hark to Sammo Hung and Ang Lee.

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Many of these avid fans starred in Lin Jing-ji's massive two-part documentary The King of Wuxia , the first half of which was released in Hong Kong this week to celebrate the artist who transformed an entire genre of cinema and it helped them. Find your cinematic voice.

They will be joined by industry peers, journalists and Hu's notable colleagues, including cult stars Cheng Pei-pei and Xu Feng.

Between these interviews and excerpts from Hui's film, Lin's camera closely follows Shi Chun, now in his late 80s, as he explores some of the most iconic locations from his films for the first time in more than half a century.

© Cheng Pei-pei in the South China Morning Post

There are moments of real tension as the eight-year-old star of 'Dragon Inn' and 'Legend of the Mountain' navigates treacherous terrain, but those worries quickly dissipate when we see the original works he's created. Longing for the same bamboo grove and dry river bed.

This first part of Lin's epic, subtitled The Prophet Was Here, is devoted almost entirely to Hu's art and influence as a filmmaker. Inspired by Peking Opera, it uses a moving active camera to capture the fluid movements of its performers.

Inspired by spaghetti westerns and Japanese samurai films, he contrasts enclosed spaces - hotels, temples, castles - with boundless desert areas, forests and mountains, pits scientists against bandits and mixes brutality and spirituality.

© As part of Xi Chun's South China Morning Post

However, little is known about King Hu's person and the complex development of his career. We only hear occasional quotes from him, which is disappointing considering how much he has spoken and written about his process.

The second part, The Heartbroken Man on the Horizon, presents a rather introspective portrayal, but for now we can only playfully praise one of the greatest action writers.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), a leading news portal covering events in China and Asia.

Copyright (c) 2023: South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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