Post by klep on May 3, 2021 11:20:36 GMT -6
MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/3: Kung Fu Hustle
MARTIAL ARTS WEEK!
CW: Homophobia
For as much as we lump them all together, martial arts films can come in a wide range of styles. On one end you can have graceful, flowing wuxia that's balletic in its beauty like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and on the other hand you can have fights which are fast and brutal, ugly in their violence but with a certain severe beauty all their own.
And then somewhere in the middle you can find slapstick, and that's where you'll come across Kung Fu Hustle.
While the unquestioned king of martial arts comedy in America is Jackie Chan, he has always insisted on a certain level of realism in his fights, famously doing all of his own stunts to the detriment of his health and, no doubt, his insurers. But what Stephen Chow does that sets him apart is that he embraces the fundamental unreality of his films. Plenty of films have used wire-fu or CGI trickery to enhance the superhuman capabilities of their fighters, but Stephen Chow is making a comedy, and that means he goes full Looney Tunes.
Characters speed, power, and other special techniques are exaggerated in ways you might expect, but you also see things like sandals flipping up into the air after a character is suddenly knocked over or to distort characters' bodies in absurdist ways. The famous chase sequence from the film even has the characters' legs spinning like the Road Runner.
This level of cartoonish exaggeration gives the film a madcap energy that makes it possible for anything to happen. So sure, three innocuous residents of the Pig Sty turn out to be martial arts masters and sure, the landlord and landlady turn out to be even greater martial arts masters.
It also helps to conceal the film's final reveal. Sure, we expect the whole time that Sing (Stephen Chow), the incompetent ne'er-do-well we've been following, will somehow turn out to be critical for resolving the conflict for the side of the angels, but we don't necessarily expect he's going to evolve into some kind of chosen one kung fu deity. The seeds are there, but it's easy to dismiss them as just more nonsense Chow is using to get another laugh. But even as he does, there's a clear respect for the rhythm and tropes of a conventional martial arts film. Kung Fu Hustle isn't a spoof or satire; it's a genre film that is just also meant to be a comedy.
Not all the jokes land well it should be noted. The tailor - when not actively fighting - is a painful homophobic caricature and the film veers towards misogyny in a number of places - particularly with regards to the landlord's (Wah Yuen) womanizing behavior in his introduction. But as much as the landlady (Qiu Yuen) is initially painted as something of a harridan, she is also shown to be a true master of martial arts and is never body-shamed for having a typical middle-aged woman's body.
While I don't want to diminish Kung Fu Hustle's missteps, I still can't help but like the film overall. It's not often that we get a film which shows such deep respect for its genre conventions while also being this funny. While he hasn't had another big crossover hit, Stephen Chow has continued to be a highly successful director in China; this rewatch makes me want to look up some of his more recent work and see how he's doing.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/10: Dick Johnson is Dead
2020 CATCHUP WEEK!
As Solutions voting begins, we're taking the chance to get caught up on one of 2020's greatest films to help some of us with our ballots. Join us next week as we discuss Kirsten Johnson's deeply personal documentary, Dick Johnson is Dead, available on Netflix.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 5/4: Shiva Baby
The podcast concludes its current pairing with Shiva Baby, about a woman who goes to a funeral and winds up the center of attention. Join us Wednesday for our discussion of this film, available for rent at the usual places.
MARTIAL ARTS WEEK!
CW: Homophobia
For as much as we lump them all together, martial arts films can come in a wide range of styles. On one end you can have graceful, flowing wuxia that's balletic in its beauty like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and on the other hand you can have fights which are fast and brutal, ugly in their violence but with a certain severe beauty all their own.
And then somewhere in the middle you can find slapstick, and that's where you'll come across Kung Fu Hustle.
While the unquestioned king of martial arts comedy in America is Jackie Chan, he has always insisted on a certain level of realism in his fights, famously doing all of his own stunts to the detriment of his health and, no doubt, his insurers. But what Stephen Chow does that sets him apart is that he embraces the fundamental unreality of his films. Plenty of films have used wire-fu or CGI trickery to enhance the superhuman capabilities of their fighters, but Stephen Chow is making a comedy, and that means he goes full Looney Tunes.
Characters speed, power, and other special techniques are exaggerated in ways you might expect, but you also see things like sandals flipping up into the air after a character is suddenly knocked over or to distort characters' bodies in absurdist ways. The famous chase sequence from the film even has the characters' legs spinning like the Road Runner.
This level of cartoonish exaggeration gives the film a madcap energy that makes it possible for anything to happen. So sure, three innocuous residents of the Pig Sty turn out to be martial arts masters and sure, the landlord and landlady turn out to be even greater martial arts masters.
It also helps to conceal the film's final reveal. Sure, we expect the whole time that Sing (Stephen Chow), the incompetent ne'er-do-well we've been following, will somehow turn out to be critical for resolving the conflict for the side of the angels, but we don't necessarily expect he's going to evolve into some kind of chosen one kung fu deity. The seeds are there, but it's easy to dismiss them as just more nonsense Chow is using to get another laugh. But even as he does, there's a clear respect for the rhythm and tropes of a conventional martial arts film. Kung Fu Hustle isn't a spoof or satire; it's a genre film that is just also meant to be a comedy.
Not all the jokes land well it should be noted. The tailor - when not actively fighting - is a painful homophobic caricature and the film veers towards misogyny in a number of places - particularly with regards to the landlord's (Wah Yuen) womanizing behavior in his introduction. But as much as the landlady (Qiu Yuen) is initially painted as something of a harridan, she is also shown to be a true master of martial arts and is never body-shamed for having a typical middle-aged woman's body.
While I don't want to diminish Kung Fu Hustle's missteps, I still can't help but like the film overall. It's not often that we get a film which shows such deep respect for its genre conventions while also being this funny. While he hasn't had another big crossover hit, Stephen Chow has continued to be a highly successful director in China; this rewatch makes me want to look up some of his more recent work and see how he's doing.
OUR NEXT MOVIE OF THE WEEK for 5/10: Dick Johnson is Dead
2020 CATCHUP WEEK!
As Solutions voting begins, we're taking the chance to get caught up on one of 2020's greatest films to help some of us with our ballots. Join us next week as we discuss Kirsten Johnson's deeply personal documentary, Dick Johnson is Dead, available on Netflix.
NEXT PICTURE SHOW PODCAST for 5/4: Shiva Baby
The podcast concludes its current pairing with Shiva Baby, about a woman who goes to a funeral and winds up the center of attention. Join us Wednesday for our discussion of this film, available for rent at the usual places.