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Let us now praise ordinary heroes who rise to greatness
By Ni Tao |
January 20, 2009, Tuesday
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TO kung fu movie fans, Bruce Lee is a resonant name. It's a pity that Ip Man isn't. Until recently, mention of his name would probably draw nothing but blank stares.
Not any more. Thanks to the namesake film "Ip Man," we know a lot more about this legendary figure, who was the sifu (teacher) of Lee and a grand master of the Wing Chun-style of martial arts.
The biopic, set in Foshan, a city in Guangdong Province, circa 1930s depicts the early life of Ip preceding and during the tumultuous years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945).
Born into a wealthy family, Ip lived an idyllic existence with his wife and son until their upscale bungalow was taken over by Japanese invaders as their headquarters. That Ip devoted most of his spare time to kung fu while leaving his wife as solo parent drove her into frequent fits of petulant sulkiness.
But don't let his facade of a kung fu aficionado fool you. Ip was a loving husband and fine father and more obviously, a man of noblesse oblige - not only toward his friends and the rank and file, but also toward pugilists he defeated.
He always promised to keep secret his easy victory over a fellow kung fu practitioner, out of concern that the reputation and finances of the latter's school might suffer as a result.
Contrary to his rowdy superstar disciple Bruce Lee, Ip is portrayed as a taciturn, humble and somewhat gauche man. Even when confronted with a churlish challenger whose arrogance deeply irritated him, we barely sense the menace simmering under his placid surface.
Ip seldom revealed his emotions. But when he did, his outpouring of fury towards the Japanese invaders is what best captures the film's theme.
As a departure from traditional kung fu pictures featuring an anti-imperialist storyline, there's little fulmination against the Japanese in "Ip Man."
The film's lack of suspense may also have been inspired by the director's consideration not to consecrate Ip as though he were what the country was waiting for - a savior.
Indeed, Ip was not the ideal hero some would like to portray. His primary loyalty and duty lay with his family. As the breadwinner, he found a menial job at a coal yard, where he met his bosom friend before losing him again - he was killed in a fight with the Japanese general Miura.
When Ip was led to a karate dojo to learn the whereabouts of his missing friend, he witnessed the callous murder of a compatriot by a Japanese officer. Finally, he exploded in rage and offered to fight 10 Japanese, whom he clobbered hands down.
Impressed by his skills, General Miura asked Ip his name. Ip replied, in a composed yet powerful manner, that he was "only a Chinese." This laconic response, along with his soul-searching over initial indifference to the nation's fate, marked the beginning of Ip's trajectory as a man filled with national honor.
It was precisely the sense of awakening that propelled Ip to break with the time-honored code of teaching Wing Chun only to formal students behind closed doors. He began to spread the fighting art to broader segments of society, including workers at his friend's cotton mill. This made them less vulnerable to pillage by bandits.
Real heroes
Ip's pride in being Chinese leads to his public showdown with Miura, who planned to snuff out any remaining Chinese resistance by showing the "upper hand" of karate's might. Though threatened in advance with death should he win, Ip moved on defiantly to fight for the dignity of the oppressed Chinese. Every effective punch he threw in the duel was greeted by roars of applause from a sea of excited countrymen, even though they were silenced at gunpoint.
After delivering a fatal blow that knocked out Miura in a gripping fight scene, Ip was predictably shot. The film ends with a spectacular twist as restive crowds breached the cordon of Japanese Kempetei (military police) and rallied to the aid of their wounded hero.
The notion that virtue is innate in people destined for greatness has long lost its allure. Heroism, as illustrated by Ip's saga, is neither knee-jerk wrath at the enemy, nor spontaneous desire to struggle for the country's freedom from foreign chains.
Real heroes in human history are often not selfless figures who never thought of themselves. They just happen to see the reason for sacrificing the self for the larger good.
That's the punch line of this superb kung fu blockbuster.
Not any more. Thanks to the namesake film "Ip Man," we know a lot more about this legendary figure, who was the sifu (teacher) of Lee and a grand master of the Wing Chun-style of martial arts.
The biopic, set in Foshan, a city in Guangdong Province, circa 1930s depicts the early life of Ip preceding and during the tumultuous years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-1945).
Born into a wealthy family, Ip lived an idyllic existence with his wife and son until their upscale bungalow was taken over by Japanese invaders as their headquarters. That Ip devoted most of his spare time to kung fu while leaving his wife as solo parent drove her into frequent fits of petulant sulkiness.
But don't let his facade of a kung fu aficionado fool you. Ip was a loving husband and fine father and more obviously, a man of noblesse oblige - not only toward his friends and the rank and file, but also toward pugilists he defeated.
He always promised to keep secret his easy victory over a fellow kung fu practitioner, out of concern that the reputation and finances of the latter's school might suffer as a result.
Contrary to his rowdy superstar disciple Bruce Lee, Ip is portrayed as a taciturn, humble and somewhat gauche man. Even when confronted with a churlish challenger whose arrogance deeply irritated him, we barely sense the menace simmering under his placid surface.
Ip seldom revealed his emotions. But when he did, his outpouring of fury towards the Japanese invaders is what best captures the film's theme.
As a departure from traditional kung fu pictures featuring an anti-imperialist storyline, there's little fulmination against the Japanese in "Ip Man."
The film's lack of suspense may also have been inspired by the director's consideration not to consecrate Ip as though he were what the country was waiting for - a savior.
Indeed, Ip was not the ideal hero some would like to portray. His primary loyalty and duty lay with his family. As the breadwinner, he found a menial job at a coal yard, where he met his bosom friend before losing him again - he was killed in a fight with the Japanese general Miura.
When Ip was led to a karate dojo to learn the whereabouts of his missing friend, he witnessed the callous murder of a compatriot by a Japanese officer. Finally, he exploded in rage and offered to fight 10 Japanese, whom he clobbered hands down.
Impressed by his skills, General Miura asked Ip his name. Ip replied, in a composed yet powerful manner, that he was "only a Chinese." This laconic response, along with his soul-searching over initial indifference to the nation's fate, marked the beginning of Ip's trajectory as a man filled with national honor.
It was precisely the sense of awakening that propelled Ip to break with the time-honored code of teaching Wing Chun only to formal students behind closed doors. He began to spread the fighting art to broader segments of society, including workers at his friend's cotton mill. This made them less vulnerable to pillage by bandits.
Real heroes
Ip's pride in being Chinese leads to his public showdown with Miura, who planned to snuff out any remaining Chinese resistance by showing the "upper hand" of karate's might. Though threatened in advance with death should he win, Ip moved on defiantly to fight for the dignity of the oppressed Chinese. Every effective punch he threw in the duel was greeted by roars of applause from a sea of excited countrymen, even though they were silenced at gunpoint.
After delivering a fatal blow that knocked out Miura in a gripping fight scene, Ip was predictably shot. The film ends with a spectacular twist as restive crowds breached the cordon of Japanese Kempetei (military police) and rallied to the aid of their wounded hero.
The notion that virtue is innate in people destined for greatness has long lost its allure. Heroism, as illustrated by Ip's saga, is neither knee-jerk wrath at the enemy, nor spontaneous desire to struggle for the country's freedom from foreign chains.
Real heroes in human history are often not selfless figures who never thought of themselves. They just happen to see the reason for sacrificing the self for the larger good.
That's the punch line of this superb kung fu blockbuster.
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