Modern martial arts movies based out of Hollywood could learn a lot from classic Kung Fu cinema.
In direct contrast to the old style of long takes in action
films, today's features have been greatly edited into small pieces.
These current fight scenes are harder to follow and lack the
brilliant choreography acted out by legends such as Gordon Liu.
Back in the early days, we didn't watch Kung Fu movies for the plots. Viewers tuned in to witness the
acrobatic flips and tumbles that were clearly visible, although they did often
include some "cheesy" sound effects.
Nevertheless, the scenes were as entertaining as watching an
elaborate dance routine.
One man's work stands out ahead of all the rest in this
classic footage.
Every true fan of this genre is familiar with the name Liu Chia Liang, perhaps the most famous
director to come out of the Shaw
Brothers' studios.
Two of his most known projects are "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin" and "Drunken Master II," but there were many others.
The Shaw Brothers are
responsible for producing more than 1000 movies before ending operations in
1987.
This was a powerful combination of talent that perhaps
lacked the huge budgets of today's blockbusters, but they certainly released
some memorable footage.
Chinese film industries
These days, thanks to increased funding for films,
innovative developments, and tax breaks, The Chinese film market is ready to
compete with Hollywood.
Though there is still a large gap in revenue from ticket
sales when compared to the United States and Canada, recent reports show
profit increases within the region.
The Chinese finance ministry is using these efforts to
improve the overall strength and make domestic films more competitive within
the industry.
They will additionally offer support when these projects
move to the overseas market.
Hong Kong film industries still play a big part in
the world's cinema stage as well with a unique identity to their product.
There has always been a bit of a "cult following"
associated with these projects, but today the industry has gone more
mainstream.
Still, we must pay tribute to Orange Sky Golden Harvest, who were most responsible for bringing
Hong Kong films into the Western marketplace.
These included movies featuring legends Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.
Given China's history
they will find a way to become more competitive in the motion picture
industry, but it won't happen overnight.
