Talk About Chop Sockey!
Before World War II the film industry in Hong Kong was small compared to Shanghai, but after Mao's takeover many producers fled Shanghai in fear of censorship and loss of creative freedom. Even so, Hong Kong's films were small in scale and rarely received international attention until the Shaw brothers brought color and widescreen productions to Hong Kong.
The Shaw Brothers violent Kung Fu formula was huge in Hong Kong, and with the 1972 release of director Chang Ho Chen's "The Five Fingers of Death" ("King Boxer") starring and written by Lo Lieh, they introduced Kung Fu to the world. Another Shaw Brother's prolific director, Chang Cheh, directed the Shaw brothers classics, Vengeance, One Armed Swordsman, The Five Venoms, and the Shaolin Masters.
The Shaw Brothers former contract Producer Raymond Chow left the studio in 1970 to form his own Golden Harvest Studio. When the Shaw Brothers offered Hong Kong newcomer Bruce Lee too little, Raymond Chow quickly signed him. Lee had starred in the American series "The Green Hornet" as Kato. The series was quite successful in Hong Kong, and Chow believed in Lee's power to draw at the box office. Lee made four movies with Golden Harvest before his death in 1973. (see Bruce Lee Page).
After Bruce Lee's mysterious death in 1973 the Hong Kong film industry struggled to find a successor. Several sound alikes were presented: Bruce Li, Bruce Lei, Dragon Lee, etc., but young Jackie Chan was Golden Harvest's and Raymond Chow's next superstar. At first Chan tried to emulate the late Lee, but shortly his own humor and good nature began to define his screen character.
Hong Kong Cinema was entering an age of international appeal. The Shaw Brothers'formula was fast becoming a cinematic genre. In the late seventies Hong Kong's "New wave" of filmmaking began. Ushered in by "Once Upon a Time in China" director Tsui Hark, the new wave boasted such talents as Ann Hui, Clarence Fok, Kirk Wong, and Stanley Kwon.
Arguably the finest director in Hong Kong cinema, Hark applied beautiful cinematography and an occaisional strong performance to the Shaw formula. The hugely popular "Once Upon a Time in China" was a vehicle for young Jet Li as the legendary nineteenth centruy Chinese hero Wong Fei Hung. But Hark also departed completely from the Shaw brothers formula, creating horror ("A Chinese Ghost Story") and Drama ("Peking Opera Blues"). In 1999 Hark created an animated version of "A Chinese Ghost Story".
Labels: Hong Kong Film
