1993, ISBN: 9781156311646

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: … More...

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Hong Kong film director Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China action-adventure film series is a mostly fictional account of the kung fu master, Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung. Jet Li portrayed the hero in films I, II, III, and VI, while Vincent Zhao Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Hong Kong film director Tsui Hark's Once Upon a Time in China action-adventure film series is a mostly fictional account of the kung fu master, Traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, and Chinese folk hero, Wong Fei Hung. Jet Li portrayed the hero in films I, II, III, and VI, while Vincent Zhao starred in films IV and V. The first two films of the franchise were among the most popular of the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema (usually dated from 1986 to 1993) and were well known for their depiction of Chinese nationalism as well as fighting choreography. Once Upon a Time in China was Jet Li's largest hit at the time. Using the renowned kung fu master and doctor as the main character, the films deal with the negative effects of Western imperialism in China. The second film has Dr. Sun Yat-sen a revolutionary leader and the founding father of the Chinese republic, as a character. Unlike the majority of Hong Kong action films, the Once Upon a Time in China series is clearly politicised. However, as they were regarded foremost as commercial entertainment films, the political implications seem to have had less impact. Moreover, the main thrust is non-partisan nationalism, and because Sun Yat-sen is highly regarded by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China (on Taiwan), the films are not as politically divisive as they may seem. The films are: In addition to the various individual dvd releases, the first three films in the series have been released in a number of collection box sets. As was relatively common in the Hong Kong film industry, the successful Once Upon a Time in China series quickly gained imitators. Whilst these films also focussed on Wong Fei Hung, they were not part of the series, and had different stars and dir. More: Books, , Once-Upon-a-Time-in-China-Series~~Books-LLC, , , , , , , , , , General Books LLC<