Ip Man (movie)

[George H. Smith]

I am not normally an enthusiast of martial arts films, to say the least, but I just watched "Ip Man" (2008) on Netflix streaming video, and I cannot recommend it too highly.

This movie is very loosely based on the life of the Chinese martial arts legend Ip Man, the teacher of Bruce Lee and many others, during the Japanese invasion and occupation of China, beginning in 1937. Everything about this Hong Kong film (in Chinese and Japanese, with English subtitles) is top notch. The fight scenes, dramatic and brutal, are among the best I have ever seen.

I don't know how much control the Chinese government exercises over Hong Kong productions, but I'm rather surprised they permitted this film to be made, given the strong pro-freedom sentiments that are expressed throughout. Of course, some of these sentiments are draped in pro-Chinese nationalistic rhetoric, but the veneer is thin, and the individualism beneath is easily visible.

For more information -- with spoilers -- see the Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ip_Man_(film)

Ghs

[Selene]

I am not normally an enthusiast of martial arts films, to say the least, but I just watched "Ip Man" (2008) on Netflix streaming video, and I cannot recommend it too highly.

This movie is very loosely based on the life of the Chinese martial arts legend Ip Man, the teacher of Bruce Lee and many others, during the Japanese invasion and occupation of China, beginning in 1937. Everything about this Hong Kong film (in Chinese and Japanese, with English subtitles) is top notch. The fight scenes, dramatic and brutal, are among the best I have ever seen.

I don't know how much control the Chinese government exercises over Hong Kong productions, but I'm rather surprised they permitted this film to be made, given the strong pro-freedom sentiments that are expressed throughout. Of course, some of these sentiments are draped in pro-Chinese nationalistic rhetoric, but this veneer is thin, and the individualism beneath is easily visible.

For more information -- with spoilers -- see the Wiki article:

http://en.wikipedia....ki/Ip_Man_(film)

Ghs

this is a better Wiki link

[Rich Engle]

I just saw it last week on Netflix, via Roku.

I'm a lifelong martial artist (1969). My last teacher was with both Ed Parker and Danny Inosanto (who developed many things with BL and ran his Hollywood studio). I was a Bruce Lee fan from day one, even though I never got to formally train kung fu until much later in life (but for a brief stab when I was 18). Anyway, I became a JKD man. Bruce Lee's books, particularly "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do," are as good as it gets, and that includes on the philosophical level.

Inevitably, you study the Wing Chun, and you learn about Yip Man (as we knew the western spelling). He was an opium addict, but that doesn't bear all that much relevance to his teaching.

This movie is elegantly filmed, and much closer to truth than most MA films. It was very inspiring for me to see MA represented in this manner.

I was looking at the Wing Chun wooden dummy and it brought things back.

Ah, the bliss that is Chinese Boxing.

Even if you aren't into MA, this film is lovely.

Wiki thing on Yip Man

rde

Makes you wanna do some pak sao and lop sao!

Edited July 20, 2011 by Rich Engle

[George H. Smith]

I just saw it last week on Netflix, via Roku.

I'm a lifelong martial artist (1969). My last teacher was with both Ed Parker and Danny Inosanto (who developed many things with BL and ran his Hollywood studio). I was a Bruce Lee fan from day one, even though I never got to formally train kung fu until much later in life (but for a brief stab when I was 18). Anyway, I became a JKD man. Bruce Lee's books, particularly "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do," are as good as it gets, and that includes on the philosophical level.

Inevitably, you study the Wing Chun, and you learn about Yip Man (as we knew the western spelling). He was an opium addict, but that doesn't bear all that much relevance to his teaching.

This movie is elegantly filmed, and much closer to truth than most MA films. It was very inspiring for me to see MA represented in this manner.

I was looking at the Wing Chun wooden dummy and it brought things back.

Ah, the bliss that is Chinese Boxing.

Even if you aren't into MA, this film is lovely.

Wiki thing on Yip Man

rde

Makes you wanna do some pak sao and lop sao!

Another huge Bruce Lee fan from (virtually) day one was the late Roy Childs. During the early 1970s, while I was writing ATCAG, Roy and I lived in the same Hollywood apartment building, and Roy was always bugging me to go with him to see one of Bruce Lee's early Hong Kong films. Roy was ecstatic when "Enter the Dragon" was released in 1973, because he was convinced that it would propel Lee to major-league stardom.

As I recall, Roy convinced BB to see "Enter the Dragon" with him on his second or third go-around. Roy claimed that Barbara liked the film, but I don't think I ever heard a confirmation of this from Barbara herself.

Ghs

[George H. Smith]

I was looking at the Wing Chun wooden dummy and it brought things back.

Ah, the bliss that is Chinese Boxing.

Even if you aren't into MA, this film is lovely.

Wiki thing on Yip Man

Let us not forget Moe, an early pioneer of Wing Chun:

Ghs

[Rich Engle]

I just saw it last week on Netflix, via Roku.

I'm a lifelong martial artist (1969). My last teacher was with both Ed Parker and Danny Inosanto (who developed many things with BL and ran his Hollywood studio). I was a Bruce Lee fan from day one, even though I never got to formally train kung fu until much later in life (but for a brief stab when I was 18). Anyway, I became a JKD man. Bruce Lee's books, particularly "The Tao of Jeet Kune Do," are as good as it gets, and that includes on the philosophical level.

Inevitably, you study the Wing Chun, and you learn about Yip Man (as we knew the western spelling). He was an opium addict, but that doesn't bear all that much relevance to his teaching.

This movie is elegantly filmed, and much closer to truth than most MA films. It was very inspiring for me to see MA represented in this manner.

I was looking at the Wing Chun wooden dummy and it brought things back.

Ah, the bliss that is Chinese Boxing.

Even if you aren't into MA, this film is lovely.

Wiki thing on Yip Man

rde

Makes you wanna do some pak sao and lop sao!

Another huge Bruce Lee fan from (virtually) day one was the late Roy Childs. During the early 1970s, while I was writing ATCAG, Roy and I lived in the same Hollywood apartment building, and Roy was always bugging me to go with him to see one of Bruce Lee's early Hong Kong films. Roy was ecstatic when "Enter the Dragon" was released in 1973, because he was convinced that it would propel Lee to major-league stardom.

As I recall, Roy convinced BB to see "Enter the Dragon" with him on his second or third go-around. Roy claimed that Barbara liked the film, but I don't think I ever heard a confirmation of this from Barbara herself.

Ghs

The death was tragic. There continues to be a conspiracy theory on this, which got even more punctuated when Brandon Lee died during the filming of "The Crow" (another excellent film) via a blank gun that got live-loaded. The funny thing about that is this was a plotline in one of his father's films, where the character faked his own death in almost precisely the same manner. Linda Lee says there is nothing to any of it, which I tend to believe because, well, because truth truly is capable of being far stranger than fiction. Call it irony.

"Enter The Dragon" is probably overall the best MA film of that era. I have been watching kung fu flicks for years and years (you tend to do that if you are a practicing MA, and/or are black and/or smoke dope), and you watch them, obviously, for different reasons. IP Man was a real breakthrough, hadn't seen something quite that in a good while. Why do black people never join the Objectivism but they love kung fu movies, right? You go into a vintage black dude's house, you are sure to see a Bruce Lee poster.

"Game of Death" was supposed to be BL's opus magnus, but by then he was dead. There is a terrible cut of it where they actually have this paste-on head thing for him that . . .

Nonetheless, the main idea at the end is kind of Jungian--going from the bottom of the house to the top, each time encountering a more dangerous opponent.

r

[George H. Smith]

The death was tragic. There continues to be a conspiracy theory on this, which got even more punctuated when Brandon Lee died during the filming of "The Crow" (another excellent film) via a blank gun that got live-loaded. The funny thing about that is this was a plotline in one of his father's films, where the character faked his own death in almost precisely the same manner. Linda Lee says there is nothing to any of it, which I tend to believe because, well, because truth truly is capable of being far stranger than fiction. Call it irony.

"Enter The Dragon" is probably overall the best MA film of that era. I have been watching kung fu flicks for years and years (you tend to do that if you are a practicing MA, and/or are black and/or smoke dope), and you watch them, obviously, for different reasons. IP Man was a real breakthrough, hadn't seen something quite that in a good while. Why do black people never join the Objectivism but they love kung fu movies, right? You go into a vintage black dude's house, you are sure to see a Bruce Lee poster.

"Game of Death" was supposed to be BL's opus magnus, but by then he was dead. There is a terrible cut of it where they actually have this paste-on head thing for him that . . .

Nonetheless, the main idea at the end is kind of Jungian--going from the bottom of the house to the top, each time encountering a more dangerous opponent.

r

I assume you have seen "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story," starring Jason Scott Lee. How accurate was the film? I thought it was a good flick.

Ghs

[Rich Engle]

The death was tragic. There continues to be a conspiracy theory on this, which got even more punctuated when Brandon Lee died during the filming of "The Crow" (another excellent film) via a blank gun that got live-loaded. The funny thing about that is this was a plotline in one of his father's films, where the character faked his own death in almost precisely the same manner. Linda Lee says there is nothing to any of it, which I tend to believe because, well, because truth truly is capable of being far stranger than fiction. Call it irony.

"Enter The Dragon" is probably overall the best MA film of that era. I have been watching kung fu flicks for years and years (you tend to do that if you are a practicing MA, and/or are black and/or smoke dope), and you watch them, obviously, for different reasons. IP Man was a real breakthrough, hadn't seen something quite that in a good while. Why do black people never join the Objectivism but they love kung fu movies, right? You go into a vintage black dude's house, you are sure to see a Bruce Lee poster.

"Game of Death" was supposed to be BL's opus magnus, but by then he was dead. There is a terrible cut of it where they actually have this paste-on head thing for him that . . .

Nonetheless, the main idea at the end is kind of Jungian--going from the bottom of the house to the top, each time encountering a more dangerous opponent.

r

I assume you have seen "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story," starring Jason Scott Lee. How accurate was the film? I thought it was a good flick.

Ghs

Historically, it is kind of close. You have to, of course, ignore that whole haunting thing they ran through there, that sucked. Since you have Netflix, there is tonnage there, but maybe try an older one called "Martial Arts Master: The Life of Bruce Lee."

Bruce Lee cut a pretty wide swath, George; you can study him for years and barely hit the surface. I wish I could've met him, but I was only 11 turning 12 when I started MA in '69. He was only with me for a short time, you know? Just when I got the awareness of him, he was gone. I remember the cover of Black Belt Magazine, an article called "Liberate Yourself From Classical Karate." He was wearing boxing gloves and cross-training shoes, which was unheard of (Inasanto was a track star and that's where that came from--it is arguable that those two were the founders of what is now called cross-training. Well, at least cross-training shoes, because before then, Bruce was wearing these boots).

Philosophically, he is of great interest as well.

This interview has always been a fave in the JKD world:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pIEKv_Tyno

rde

Be Like Water, My Friend.

[Rich Engle]

Here's some more interesting stuff when you cut through the swamp, Ghs--this should keep you going for a bit. Quite interesting, even if you are a non-MA person:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMSgJqGW0YY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8GGz82Ib6M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w9bRQTHd9g

Regards,

rde

[9thdoctor]

I assume you have seen "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story," starring Jason Scott Lee. How accurate was the film? I thought it was a good flick.

That has one of my all time favorite movie lines. Bruce Lee is talking about majoring in philosophy, but that it only qualifies him to “think deep thoughts about unemployment”.

[Mike Renzulli]

I will check it out. Ip Man sounds very promising. There are 2 more pro-freedom martial arts/action films that were released from Hong Kong that I recommend: Iron Monkey and The House of Flying Daggers.

Both films have different plots but have very strong pro-freedom/individualist messages. The former is a marital arts version of Robin Hood while The House of Flying Daggers has an original storyline that I thought was quite good.

If you do get Iron Monkey, avoid the U.S. release backed by Quentin Tarantino as a few scenes were edited out. I recommend the Hong Kong version instead.

Three other good Chinese films in the Drama genre are Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress, Farewell My Concubine, and To Live. Balzac has a plot similar to Ayn Rand's book Anthem. To Live is slow at times, but all of the movies I list are very well done.

Edited July 26, 2011 by Mike Renzulli

[sbeaulieu]

I've seen Ip Man, and Ip Man 2. Both are amazing films. I've been watching a lot of period pieces, and some biopics. This has got to be one of the best films. George mentioned the pro-nationalist slant of the film, which I agree with, with regard to the Chinese govt' allowing the filming. I've watched another film with Donnie Yen, Bodyguards and Assassins (IMDB link) where he was helping out a benefactor of the anti-Qing dynasty movement masterminded by Sun Yat-sen. I think these may have been set around the same time.

Anyway, my point being that part of the attraction for the Chinese govt' may have been sticking it to the man (Japan). The last fight in both movies were the most brutal, but drove the point home that China was not to be messed with. I admire the nationalist pride of the Chinese majority in those days. They endured some heavy shit... tyranny, invasion and subjugation, you name it. Yet they persisted with quietly powerful individuals like Ip Man.

~ Shane

[George H. Smith]

I've seen Ip Man, and Ip Man 2. Both are amazing films. I've been watching a lot of period pieces, and some biopics. This has got to be one of the best films. George mentioned the pro-nationalist slant of the film, which I agree with, with regard to the Chinese govt' allowing the filming. I've watched another film with Donnie Yen (love his stuff) where he was helping out a benefactor of the anti-Qing dynasty movement masterminded by Sun Yat-sen. I think these may have been set around the same time.

Anyway, my point being that part of the attraction for the Chinese govt' may have been sticking it to the man (Japan). The last fight in both movies were the most brutal, but drove the point home that China was not to be messed with. I admire the nationalist pride of the Chinese majority in those days. They endured some heavy shit... tyranny, invasion and subjugation, you name it. Yet they persisted with quietly powerful individuals like Ip Man.

~ Shane

Good analysis. The atrocities inflicted by the Japanese on the Chinese almost defy belief.

I agree with your assessment of Donnie Yen. He pulls off the "peaceful until provoked" role perfectly. A very charismatic actor with humor to boot. From what I have seen of him in two films, I would rate him second only to Bruce Lee among my favorties in this genre. In fact, as much as I like Lee, I would say that Yen is the better actor.

Ghs

[sbeaulieu]

I've seen Ip Man, and Ip Man 2. Both are amazing films. I've been watching a lot of period pieces, and some biopics. This has got to be one of the best films. George mentioned the pro-nationalist slant of the film, which I agree with, with regard to the Chinese govt' allowing the filming. I've watched another film with Donnie Yen (love his stuff) where he was helping out a benefactor of the anti-Qing dynasty movement masterminded by Sun Yat-sen. I think these may have been set around the same time.

Anyway, my point being that part of the attraction for the Chinese govt' may have been sticking it to the man (Japan). The last fight in both movies were the most brutal, but drove the point home that China was not to be messed with. I admire the nationalist pride of the Chinese majority in those days. They endured some heavy shit... tyranny, invasion and subjugation, you name it. Yet they persisted with quietly powerful individuals like Ip Man.

~ Shane

Good analysis. The atrocities inflicted by the Japanese on the Chinese almost defy belief.

I agree with your assessment of Donnie Yen. He pulls off the "peaceful until provoked" role perfectly. A very charismatic actor with humor to boot. From what I have seen of him in two films, I would rate him second only to Bruce Lee among my favorties in this genre. In fact, as much as I like Lee, I would say that Yen is the better actor.

Ghs

George,

I would agree that Yen is the better actor. However, to Lee's defense, back in those days, action was the primary focus. These days, it's the opposite. If you can marry the two, awesome! I wonder what Lee's movies would have been like today!

The first movie I saw Donnie Yen in was about 5 years ago, in Dragon Tiger Gate. Kind of anime-ish in its action sequences, it had a pretty nice story, and tons of action... the good quality kind. I started watching another one with Donnie Yen from the mid 80s called Tiger Cage, but I'm having to watch that painfully, in pieces, to digest the story...ha!

He's had a bit over 30 years to hone his craft. And I've really enjoyed his work ever since 5 years ago. I look all the time for his movies. Like you, I'd put him at the top today, even over Jet Li and Jackie Chan... his acting is a notch above theirs.

~ Shane

[George H. Smith]

I've seen Ip Man, and Ip Man 2. Both are amazing films. I've been watching a lot of period pieces, and some biopics. This has got to be one of the best films. George mentioned the pro-nationalist slant of the film, which I agree with, with regard to the Chinese govt' allowing the filming. I've watched another film with Donnie Yen (love his stuff) where he was helping out a benefactor of the anti-Qing dynasty movement masterminded by Sun Yat-sen. I think these may have been set around the same time.

Anyway, my point being that part of the attraction for the Chinese govt' may have been sticking it to the man (Japan). The last fight in both movies were the most brutal, but drove the point home that China was not to be messed with. I admire the nationalist pride of the Chinese majority in those days. They endured some heavy shit... tyranny, invasion and subjugation, you name it. Yet they persisted with quietly powerful individuals like Ip Man.

~ Shane

Good analysis. The atrocities inflicted by the Japanese on the Chinese almost defy belief.

I agree with your assessment of Donnie Yen. He pulls off the "peaceful until provoked" role perfectly. A very charismatic actor with humor to boot. From what I have seen of him in two films, I would rate him second only to Bruce Lee among my favorties in this genre. In fact, as much as I like Lee, I would say that Yen is the better actor.

Ghs

George,

I would agree that Yen is the better actor. However, to Lee's defense, back in those days, action was the primary focus. These days, it's the opposite. If you can marry the two, awesome! I wonder what Lee's movies would have been like today!

The first movie I saw Donnie Yen in was about 5 years ago, in Dragon Tiger Gate. Kind of anime-ish in its action sequences, it had a pretty nice story, and tons of action... the good quality kind. I started watching another one with Donnie Yen from the mid 80s called Tiger Cage, but I'm having to watch that painfully, in pieces, to digest the story...ha!

He's had a bit over 30 years to hone his craft. And I've really enjoyed his work ever since 5 years ago. I look all the time for his movies. Like you, I'd put him at the top today, even over Jet Li and Jackie Chan... his acting is a notch above theirs.

~ Shane

Although I appreciate the skills of Jackie Chan, I have never been able to get into most of his films. Humor is his trademark, of course, but when humor pervades virtually every fight sequence the result, for me, is a continuous awareness that I am watching something akin to a vaudeville act. There is no sense of reality.

Ghs

[sbeaulieu]

Although I appreciate the skills of Jackie Chan, I have never been able to get into most of his films. Humor is his trademark, of course, but when humor pervades virtually every fight sequence the result, for me, is a continuous awareness that I am watching something akin to a vaudeville act. There is no sense of reality.

Ghs

He does corner that market, though. ;)

~ Shane

[George H. Smith]

I just watched another terrific Hong Kong film: "The Warlords" (2007), starring Jet Li.

This is an old fashion epic on the grand scale of "Spartacus," but without the clearly defined moral lines. The massive battle scenes are amazing, but there is much more to the film, which focuses on three men who swear a blood oath.

Everything about this film --from the script to the acting to the cinematography to the music -- is first rate. It can be seen (with subtitles) on streaming video on both Netflix and Amazon. (The latter is free if you are an Amazon Prime customer. I have found reception from Amazon better than Netflix.)

Here is the trailer:

Ghs

[sbeaulieu]

I remember watching this some time ago. I'll have to watch it again, but I remember liking it. Sometimes, I have trouble distinguishing some of the Chinese epics because the battle scenes in most of these movies are somewhat similar (and they have lots of battles) ;)

~ Shane

[George H. Smith]

I remember watching this some time ago. I'll have to watch it again, but I remember liking it. Sometimes, I have trouble distinguishing some of the Chinese epics because the battle scenes in most of these movies are somewhat similar (and they have lots of battles) ;)

~ Shane

I noticed a couple odd inconsistencies in the film. This may be due to the editing. An Amazon reviewer complained that the version released for the English-speaking market is heavily edited, and that the original Chinese version is much better.

Some people may find this film difficult to enjoy, since the three major characters are all basically murderers (as illustrated in the killing of three innocent men to seal their oath of brotherhood). But it is meant to be a quasi-historical account of real characters.

The conflict in the latter part of the film, in which the three commanders argue about whether to kill thousands of prisoners of war, is one of the best scenes of its kind I have ever seen.

Ghs

[Mikee]

I am not normally an enthusiast of martial arts films, to say the least, but I just watched "Ip Man" (2008) on Netflix streaming video, and I cannot recommend it too highly.

Ghs

Wonderful movie. Donnie Yen is very, very good as Ip Man. Very engaging, will try to find the 2nd one. Amazon streams the first one free for Prime customers. Thanks very much for the heads up.