Why Hong Kong Movies Have Always Been a Mainstay

Hong Kong martial arts films and the spirit of traditional Chinese culture

Abstract: As a unique and influential genre in China, martial arts films have occupied an important position in the history of the development and evolution of Chinese cinema, and they have pushed Hong Kong cinema into an era of internationalization, branding and stardom, forming a unique and fascinating landscape in the overall cultural structure of China. The reason for the popularity of martial arts movies is closely related to the spirit of traditional Chinese culture reflected in them. The heroic image of "chivalry" and the spirit shown by the heroes in the movies have y attracted the audience, and therefore martial arts movies have been recognized by the general audience mainly from the psychological point of view.

Keywords: Hong Kong, knight-errant movies, traditional Chinese cultural spirit

"Wherever there are Chinese people, there are people watching knight-errant movies" is not an exaggeration at all. As a unique and influential genre in China, knight-errant movies have occupied an important position in the history of the development and evolution of Chinese cinema as early as 1928 with the release of the movie "Fire and Fury". As early as in 1928, after the launch of the "Burning Red Lotus Temple" caused a sensational effect, martial arts films gradually became a unique cultural connotation of the traditional film genre in the Chinese film pattern. 1960s, martial arts films have become the center of the Hong Kong film industry, and reached its peak in the 1970s, and in the 80s and 90s Hong Kong's martial arts films were combined with a variety of genres, and achieved remarkable success. The martial arts films pushed Hong Kong cinema into an era of internationalization, branding and stardom, forming a unique and attractive landscape in the overall cultural structure of China. The product of Hong Kong's martial arts films has long exceeded 1,000 titles to date, and as the best display of the spiritual circle of Hong Kong society, it is in a sense these martial arts films that have supported Hong Kong culture at a particular time on an audio-visual level.

The reason why martial arts movies are so popular is that, in addition to their gripping storylines, intense and violent images, and handsome and dashing actors, a more important reason is that they reflect the spirit of the martial arts movies, an image of "chivalry", which has y touched the audience.

Jin Yong in the "Divine Eagle Warriors" Guo Jing's mouth to say his understanding of "chivalry": "Chivalry of the small, to weed out the strong and help the weak, to help justice; chivalry of the big, for the country and the people, to the end of his life." Jin Yong's novels focus on the word "chivalry", and several of his popular protagonists are often heroes who have achieved chivalry in the midst of chaos, such as Xiao Feng, Guo Jing, Yang Chao, Zhang Wuji, Yuan Chengzhi, and so on, which breaks through the role of the traditional chivalry of the old martial arts novels, i.e., not only limited to chivalry, but also to go a step further for the country and the nation. The role of chivalry in old martial arts novels is not only to fight for justice, but also to further fight for the country and the nation, and to take a step back to fight for the sake of the world's people, which is also the style of chivalry stipulated by the Confucian ethic.

The image of chivalry has been portrayed to the fullest extent in various martial arts movies, and every word and action of the chivalrous man has y embodied the spirit of the Chinese tradition, forming a kind of "chivalrous culture".

Yu Chenghui (who played Wang Renzhe in "Shaolin Temple" and is now a professor at Shandong Institute of Physical Education) believes that the culture of chivalry includes Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism, and in fact, a great deal of it is devoted to the issue of outlook on life. He believes that martial arts culture itself is an outlook on life, is the closest to a modern pursuit, because its purpose is not to seek revenge, do not leave a name, is tantamount to only do good things not for the future, in fact, it reflects the spirit of China's traditional culture as well.

Wuxia movies are precisely a fusion of Chinese literature, martial arts, ethics, philosophy and aesthetics. Through unique narrative strategies and artistic means, they interpret and explain traditional Chinese moral philosophy, ethical concepts, religious beliefs, and aesthetic psychology in a unique way, and convey their unique national spirit and cultural qualities through the image spectacle they deliberately create.

The narrative mode and thematic expression of Hong Kong's wuxia films have historical roots in Chinese literature. They are more absorbing the performance techniques of chivalry novels, focusing on "chivalry", i.e. "chivalry", which can be expressed in three aspects:

1. Advising good and punishing evil, many of the martial arts movies express their concern for "evil", "chivalry", and "chivalry". The theme of "goodness" and "love" is expressed in many wuxia movies, which is to punish "evil" and "greed" and to help "goodness" and "love". Because in martial arts movies, the ultimate goal of chivalry is to persuade the good and punish the evil, and through the power of "chivalry" (i.e., martial arts), to express the theme that the creators want to show. Whether it is the early martial arts movies, such as "Heroes", "Warrior Revenge", or the fifties "Wong Fei Hung movie", or the nineties Tsui Hark director of the "New Dragon Inn", "The East is undefeated" and so on, are more or less to promote this theme, in such a form that can produce social education.

2, to promote the spirit of self-improvement and enterprise. Hong Kong martial arts movies in the focus on "martial arts" or "Chinese kung fu" at the same time, the protagonist of the molding also seeped into the spirit of self-improvement and enterprise. For example, in "Heroes of Heaven and Earth", the lieutenant Li, who has to fight his way up again and again in a desperate situation, and the films directed by Tsui Hark from the "Wong Fei-hung Movie" in the fifties to the "One-Armed Sword" and "Dragon Inn" in the sixties to the nineties, all of them have the tendency to have this theme. In particular, "Snake Dipper" and "Drunken Fist" (starring Jackie Chan), directed by Yuen Woo-ping, promote the spirit of self-improvement and enterprise in the form of comedy.

3, in the midst of chaos to shape the martial arts heroes, to promote the national spirit of not willing to be humiliated. This type of theme form is the largest proportion of Hong Kong martial arts movies, the collection of history is mainly the end of the Ming Dynasty and the early Qing Dynasty and the end of the Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China these two historical periods. The most representative films of this type are "Jingwumen" (directed by Lo Wei, starring Bruce Lee, and produced by Golden Harvest in 1972) in the 1970s, and the five "Wong Fei Hung Films" directed by Tsui Hark in the 1990s (including "Wong Fei Hung" (1991), "Wong Fei Hung Ⅱ - The Boys Should Be Self-Responsive" (1992), "Wong Fei Hung Ⅲ - The Lion King Contest" (1993), and "Wong Fei Hung Ⅲ - The Lion King Contest" (1993), and "Wong Fei Hung Ⅲ - The Lion King Contest" (1993), as well as "The Lion King Contest" (1993). The Lion King's Battle" (1993), "Huang Fei-hong ⅳ - The King's Wind" (1994), and "Huang Fei-hong V - The Dragon City Fighter" (1995)]. The former seeks to demonstrate the greatness of "Chinese Kung Fu", and portrays the heroic image of "Chinese people" who have lofty national temperament, demand equality and dignity from discrimination and bullying, and are cynical about evil. Such as Chen Zhen in the movie. The latter put Huang Feihong in the invasion of the great powers in China, the Chinese nation is facing the survival of the domestic anti-feudal imperialism, the establishment of *** and the rise of the national revolutionary movement, shaped his image as a perfect martial arts heroes, in the face of the invasion of the great powers and the status quo in the country, he made full use of martial arts to defend the dignity of the Chinese nation, to promote the indignity of the national temperament.

One, Huang Feihong series of films

Wuxia film as China's most original type of film, by the general public's favorite. Throughout the history of the development of martial arts movies, which "Huang Fei-hong" series of movies is an important part of the indispensable, "Huang Fei-hong" series of movies in an exceptionally brilliant form of China's national skills - Wushu presented on the movie screen. The "Wong Fei-hung" series of movies presents China's national skill - martial arts in an exceptionally splendid form on the movie screen, behind the beautiful and dazzling martial arts action, there is always the Chinese spirit of self-improvement, the more frustrated, the more courageous, and compatible in the towering. The development and evolution of the "Wong Fei Hung series" of films has also epitomized the artistic evolution of Chinese martial arts films, from which we can also explore the profound cultural connotations of Chinese martial arts films.

In "Huang Fei-hong", Huang Fei-hong once said, "The way of martial arts is based on virtue and forgiveness, and without virtue, martial arts cannot be established." In traditional Chinese culture, "virtue" is placed in an important position.

Wong Fei-hung series shows a kind of upward, self-improvement of the national spirit. The core of this national spirit is based on "martial arts virtue", the philosophical concept of overcoming oneself and one's opponents with the power of the spirit. Throughout the series, there are a large number of Wong Fei Hung and people to test martial arts passages, in these dazzling fights, Wong Fei Hung always point to the end, between the seemingly fierce but actually left a kind heart. From this, we can see that Hong Kong filmmakers are actually using these brilliant action scenes to convey a purely Chinese principle: only with love and kindness can we be invincible in the world.

The "Wong Fei-hung Films" of the 1950s, represented by Hu Peng, were clearly permeated by the traditional cultural spirit of "advising the good and punishing the bad", and the "Wong Fei-hung Films" in the 1950s*** produced 62 films. In the 1950s, 62 movies were made, and 13 more in the 1960s. These movies created a martial arts myth, portraying Wong Fei-hung as a real chivalrous figure, who strictly followed the character creed of "help the innocent when they see injustice", which in fact has a close relationship with Confucian culture.

The image of Wong Fei-hung in the nineties, draped in a navy blue tunic, a typical Chinese gentleman, a refined image, a reversal of the popular image of the playful kung fu movie, but the return to the 50s and 60s of the heyday of Wong Fei-hung, the "high and mighty" standard. In appearance, he is a modest gentleman who is gentle and generous, but in his "life of action", we can see the "quality" of Wong Fei Hung's chastity and solidity - the rich can not be obscene, the poor can not be removed, the mighty can not be removed, the powerful can not be removed, the powerful can not be removed. The rich can't be lustful, the poor can't be moved, the mighty can't be subjugated. The spirit of traditional Chinese culture always plays a main role in the movie.

Hong Kong Wong Fei-hung series of films in the Hong Kong film market in the beginning of the reason why the audience's popularity, in addition to it got rid of the past Hong Kong martial arts film stage, the idea of martial arts design, and strive to show the real martial arts, an important reason is that Wong Fei-hung played basically a role in the drama. He fights for justice, suppresses evil and promotes good, and consistently upholds the spirit of traditional Chinese Confucian morality. He emphasizes propriety, righteousness, patience, forgiveness, and peace. In particular, special emphasis is placed on martial virtues, emphasizing that martial arts are practiced for fitness, and that one should never use one's skills to bully others, and opposing the abuse of violence. In the course of the movie, no one is hurt as a last resort. Instead of killing or injuring the wicked, he is persuaded to change his ways and become a good person. For personal gains and losses and even insults can not care, but in order to get rid of violence, suppress evil and promote goodness must stand up. It should be said that the Wong Fei Hung series of films this follow the spirit of tradition, the maintenance of the existing cultural order, ethical and moral cultural strategy, especially in line with the original Hong Kong society to pray for stability, to keep the peace of the people's customs, but also the spirit of traditional Chinese culture is an embodiment of.

Second, Jackie Chan's movie

The success of Jackie Chan's movie is the result of his conscious pursuit of the entertainment tide of the world's movies, his continuous learning from advanced movie experiences, and his acceptance of new culture and new values. Although Jackie Chan has constantly discarded old concepts and customs, old production guidelines and routes, and old production methods and techniques that do not fit in with today's world trend, he has never given up the Chinese concept of benevolence, compassion, and the spirit of bitter struggle.

In Jackie Chan's movies, Jackie Chan always plays the image of "a good man", fighting against crime, protecting the peace of the world, and reflecting on the mistakes and faults of mankind, which of course can make all mankind produce a strong psychological ****sound; his friendliness, amiability, and spirit of benevolence, his mischievousness, humor, comicality, and never-say-die personality, his rebelliousness, challenge, and spirit of love, his spirit of love, and the spirit of the Chinese people, which is the most important thing in the world. character, his rebellion, challenge, pain and perseverance of the will, all make people y moved. At heart, Jackie Chan is still, and will always be, a "descendant of the dragon", an inheritor and propagator of the spirit of traditional Chinese culture.

The warm emotional color of the positive characters in Jackie Chan's films (what he calls the good guys) is a distinctive oriental feature. Warm and generous heroes rather than cold heroes is the nuance of the need for heroes between the East and the West. The warmth of the bet, so that Jackie Chan's heroes suffer humiliation and more infectious power, heroes and heroes are more driven by human color. Jackie Chan movie hero is the hero of human feelings, intimacy is greater than the sense of intimidation and majesty. He starred in the Wong Fei Hung series of movies in the image of Wong Fei Hung is also different from the past, seems to be particularly friendly and lovely, more likely to be recognized by the audience. Heroes must go through the hard grind, and often lonely, which for the general public, difficult to reach. The emergence of the hero image in Jackie Chan's movies is respectable and relatable, and fills people's spiritual vacancies without any barriers, shortening the realization of the dream of aspiring to be a hero. Undeniably, Jackie Chan's fighting scenes in his films can also be said to satisfy the public's violent tendencies, but the emotional factor makes it acceptable tolerance. Moreover, his defiance of power, fighting the weak with the strong, and committing the following crimes are more cathartic in a highly commercialized society, where the public is burdened with the pressure of a fast-paced life, thus winning the audience's physical and mental steal the goodwill.

Three, martial arts movies and family ethics, morality

The heroes of martial arts movies are not only the warriors who eliminate violence and uphold justice, but also the defenders of national cultural traditions and family ethics. In the movie "Fong Sai Yuk" (1993), the final duel between Fong Sai Yuk and the evil forces unfolds on the execution ground of rescuing Fong Sai Yuk's father. Fang Shiyu is a man who is heroic and fearless for his nation and country, and at the same time a man who sacrifices his life for his father and his family. In order to rescue his father who has fallen into the tiger's mouth, Fang Shiyu, with his strong martial arts skills, bravely robbed the court. After a fight to the death, Fang Shiyu, who was stained with blood and tears, could not pull down the giant guillotine blade that was about to fall on his father's head! A filial son of life and death to save his father's feat, look to be turned into a let people heart and lungs broken life tragedy. However, just at this time, an old mother for Fang Shiyu this kind of world of filial piety moved, resolutely rushed to the court, and Fang Shiyu together with the struggle to pull up the butcher knife hanging over the head of Fang's father, followed by two young children, is the elders, is the countless number of people ...... The film Fang Shiyu this ethical coding, the center of the words are The central word in this ethical coding of the movie "Fang Shiyu" is the word "filial piety". It is the main driving force to promote the development of the film's narrative plot and strengthen the audience's psychological identification with the film's protagonist.

On the ethical level, chivalry is indifferent to fame and fortune, but brave enough to bear the responsibility of suffering. Chivalry can ignore the requirements of political power, can disregard the claims of Confucian scholars and literati, but in any case, can not disregard the basic moral requirements of chivalry - the responsibility to save suffering. And it is precisely this responsibility that chivalry carries. Take Hero as an example, Nameless wants to assassinate the King of Qin, the fundamental reason is that his own country has been destroyed by the King of Qin, and he wants to assassinate the King of Qin in order to save the fate of his country. Nameless is a chivalrous man who does not want to be promoted and become rich, but it is the moral requirement of a chivalrous man to die for his country and his people. It became his responsibility to save the fate of the country and the nation. Thus, he sacrificed the three assassins and used their weapons as a token to gain trust from the King of Qin in order to find an opportunity to strike. The reason lies in the fact that the basic responsibility of chivalry is to save the nation from peril. The moral measurement of chivalry begins with whether one can stand up for the country and the people. This, in turn, is the fundamental reason why people call for chivalry.

Four, martial arts movies and nationalism, patriotism

Zhang Huaxun shot "Wulin Zhi" is a distinctive patriotic spirit of the film, the traditional Chinese martial arts movie of the righteousness of the jianghu, leading to the promotion of the national righteousness of the avenue, in the psychology of the majority of the Chinese people's recognition. At that time, Chairman Li Xiannian was greatly encouraged by the movie and said, "The weak can defeat the strong, and the small can defeat the big, depending on whether people have the will." Thus, the role of martial arts films in educating and influencing the people was affirmed. The spiritual culture reflected in martial arts movies rose to the height of the nation.

"Shaolin Temple", Xiaohu (Monk Jueyuan) in order to avenge his father's murder into the temple to learn martial arts, but the film will be his enemy depicted as an evil demon, a charcoal martial arts holy land, plotting to usurp the power of the state thieves. Therefore, Jue Yuan's act of upholding justice is not only to avenge his father's death, but also to rid the people of evil and destroy thieves for the country. In the sense of family ethics, he is doing filial piety; in the sense of religious ethics, he is doing good; in the sense of the world's society, he is serving the country.

Throughout the 1970s, Hong Kong's "kung fu" films emerged as the most popular martial arts film style. The Chinese "kung fu film" represented by "Brother Tangshan" and "Jingwumen" has become a symbol of Chinese culture and spirit because of its strong national characteristics and the national spirit of defiance, and Bruce Lee, the kung fu superstar who became famous by these two films, has also become the embodiment of the strong and unyielding national spirit. Later on, Bruce Lee wrote, directed and acted in films such as "Dragon Crossing the River" and "Dragon Warrior", with the theme of anti-Western nationalism, he used his own "Intercepting Fist Do" to promote the Chinese martial arts culture and martial arts spirit to the whole world. The heroes portrayed by him, with their superhuman martial arts skills and perseverance, are either powerful overseas or vengeful at home, prompting the repression and hidden pain accumulated in Chinese hearts for centuries to be given vent to in a painful way, and the humiliation of the Chinese people to be symbolically dissolved psychologically and emotionally, which gives the film a tragic aesthetic style.

Since most of the creators in this period were conscious of their cultural pursuits and national consciousness, martial arts movies paid more attention to the nationalism and patriotism while inheriting the traditional spirit of chivalry, thus Chinese martial arts movies won the recognition and attention of the world with their strong national style and deep cultural meaning.

The spirit of chivalry shown to people in martial arts movies, that is, the traditional spiritual culture and civilization of China, is the glory and dream of mankind forever. In the heroes and chivalrous heroes, people often feel their own exuberant desire for life and the will to live, and the chivalrous heroes who come and go without a trace, free to do whatever they want, and with excellent martial arts skills, to get rid of the violence and pacify the conscience of the action is a spiritual reference for people to face the reality of the society when they face all kinds of situations. In the process of watching martial arts movies, people go through a personality transcendence and moral sublimation with the knight-errant, and in this way, they get a great psychological satisfaction in the ethical sense.

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