Hanna-Joy Farooq
Film Styles
GENRE: ACTION (SUB-GENRE INTO MARTIAL ARTS)
The martial arts sub-genre of action closely resembles the American Western
(reference needed). The development of the action genre in general has led to
shorter shot lengths, which can lead to audience confusion. The story is quick-paced,
usually including multiple fighting sequences. The plot archetypally involves a male
protagonist who uses fighting (action) in order to restore order and good in his
environment. In both Western and action genres, there is tension but they differ in
that the former tends to introduce a gradual build up whereas the latter has
continuous tension throughout. Martial arts movies originated in Japan and held
mass appeal because they were one of the first kinds of movies where real men of
action, rather than movie stars, held leading roles. Popular examples include Jet Li,
Bruce Lee back in the 70's and Jackie Chan.
The popularity of this subgenre rises for North American audiences in the
70's and 80's in large part due to Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee. They starred
together, in 1973, in Way of the Dragon, where they fight in the Coliseum. The
movie's reported net gross is $85 000 000.
Here we have four notable Hollywood men of action I think everyone, or
almost everyone, is familiar with. To the left we have Jean-Claude van Damme and
Steven Seagal; to the right, Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham. They're all the
same in the sense that they are all action stars. However the first two have a
background training in martial arts fighting, which is conveyed in the movie.
Stallone and Statham, while they do train for their roles, star in movies where action
relies heavily on props, stunts and editing.
Whether or not the martial arts movies rely on props and editing, the critics
generally divide them into two distinct categories. On one hand we have minimal
plot and character development, low artistry and an action-driven story, which
translates to commercial success. On the other hand we have a complex plot, high
character development, superior artistry in terms of the filming and a story that is
not action driven, which translates to mediocre earnings. Here's an example for each
type: Mortal Kombat in 1995 and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon just five years
later.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, was made by Ang Lee. He is a Taiwanese
director who also made Hulk (2003) and Brokeback Mountain (2005) for which he
won the best director Academy Award. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon won the
best foreign film Academy Award and went on to win three others. The movie is
pretty special because, looking back on the two categories of martial arts films, it
falls under the second category but it was commercially successful so it's an
exception to the rule. Why I'm talking to you about Ang Lee is because he's a great
example of a director who makes good martial arts movies, but then goes on and
dabbles in Hollywood productions or other genres. This is the case with most
popular martial arts movies we see. There isn't really a director who specializes in
it; it's more a base of filmmakers who explore the genre with one or two movies. Of
course, in the Asian market, it's different as martial arts movies are produced on a
much larger scale.
Editing tricks in the majority of action films include: stunt doubles, use of
specific camera angles, wire works, editing and CGI. Martial arts movies use a lot of
bodywork, which means less tricks and lower production costs. Therefore martial
arts, or, more generally, man-to-man fighting, is favoured by producers. Right now
for example there aren't a great deal of martial arts movies out in the market but we
do have movies like The Fighter, The Warrior, Fighting, Never Back Down, etc. which
feature man-to-man action.
Finally, the clip I have is from Way of the Dragon, so the Bruce Lee and Chuck
Norris feature made in 1973. At the time, it was the highest grossing movie of all
time in the Asian market, in China specifically I believe. There's an interview where
Chuck Norris states the movie made 11 million dollars in that market alone.
Anyway, in the clip you will see a martial arts fighting sequence. The movie was
made more than three decades ago so the sound effects and stunt performance may
not be quite up to our standards, but you'll be able to see the main characteristics of
the sub-genre. You'll notice they often slow some movements down. They also use a
bit of humour to kind of alleviate the tension, and then they bring it back up again.
The setting is bare, very minimal; all the attention is focused on the two fighters. The
music provides a certain rhythm with the banging of the drum.
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3Qrgw3ncOg&feature=related
Bruce lee vs Chuck norris la pelea del siglo
Hanna-Joy Farooq
Film Styles
Action Project
Fall 2011
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
GENRE: ACTION (SUB-GENRE INTO MARTIAL ARTS MOVIES)
Beale, Lewis. "Revenge of Kungfu". http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-1115/entertainment/9204130690_1_martial-arts-kung-fu-tv-series-bruce-lee. Chicago
Tribune. 15 Nov. 1992. Web. No update available.
The writer analyzes the integration of martial arts sequences in blockbuster
movies since its popularization by Bruce Lee in the seventies. His analysis as
to why more and more movies adapt martial arts into their screenplay is best
explained by writer/director Rob Cohen (whom he directly quotes in his
text): "When you go as far as you can go in movies with blood, explosions, and
so on, and yet you still want action, you can`t go back to the old John Wayne
bar fight, and you can`t go back to non-action, so you inevitably go to a kind of
action which is violent, but not repulsive. And it`s innately heroic. It`s hand-tohand, it`s very up close and personal." The writer takes note of various
Hollywood action actors (à la van Damme, Lundgren, etc.) and looks at their
work with martial arts elements. What's important is the profitability of
martial arts movies even after their theatrical release (such as Bruce Lee's
films), when offered for home viewing. There is a niche crowd willing to see,
time and time again, their favourite martial arts moments played out on the
screen.
Horgan, Richard. "LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! From buddy cops to one-man armies
to a cliffhanging archaeologist, action movies have become video's most popular
rental genre".
http://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2352/docview/436137971/132755253BC153CF77
A/5?accountid=27014. Toronto Star. 4 Feb. 1990. Web. Updated 06 Jun. 2010.
Horgan explains why westerns have gone out of fashion (people don't want
to wait for a gradual build-up, people prefer immediate, continuous tension)
and why action movies have risen in popularity. He analyzes the action genre
very deeply and breaks it down into its different sub-genres from light
comedies to military adaptations. Of interest to myself is his overview on
martial arts films. He briefly states their origin, Japan, and talks about the
various actors who portray the style in Hollywood. Useful in my research is
his mention of Chuck Norris as having a great influence in bringing the
discipline to North America and of his collaboration with Bruce Lee.
Monk, Katherine. "Bad times good for martial arts movies; Wong Kar Wai reflects on
genre's appeal during economic turmoil."
http://dc153.dawsoncollege.qc.ca:2352/docview/460072096/1327503EF60497E08C
F/1?accountid=27014. Postmedia News. 29 Oct. 2008. Web. Updated Sept. 27 2011.
Here Wong Kar Wai discusses why the martial arts subgenre is appealing
during rough times. He says the reason for its rising popularity in times of
trouble is that people need an outlet to voice their frustration about specific
issues and the characters found in martial arts movies are best able to
express this because they fight back and, in some way, establish some justice
for themselves. The article focuses mostly on the re-release of his film Ashes
to ashes but it was nonetheless insightful to me as it helped me understand
the connection between the western and the martial arts movie with a clear
example: he compares Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to Ashes to Ashes.
Wong Kar Wai explains that: "The martial arts movie and the western have
so much in common, and I really see Ashes of Time as a Butch and Sundance
kind of movie because it reaffirms the same themes . . .it's about a man's
ability to recreate his place in society by how well he fights." Again, this
statement shows a recurring theme of a man overcoming the odds through
his great physical efforts; no gun, no elaborate set-up or tools, just his body
and his mind.
Reid, Craig D. "Fighting without fighting: film action fight choreography."
http://www.jstor.org/stable/1213200. University of California Press. Winter 1993.
Web. No update available.
This article was extremely helpful in giving me a clear idea of the techniques
used to choreograph a martial arts routine for the screen. The author, Craig
Reed, a screenwriter with experience directing fight scenes, clearly explains
how stunts are choreographed, rehearsed, performed and shot in intricate
detail. What's also great about this article is how he compares American
action films to Chinese martial arts films in every aspect of filmmaking, from
the actors, to the set-up, right down to the props each market uses (or
doesn't). He provides us with a clear understanding of the backstage work
required to make a short martial arts sequence flow effortlessly on film. He
even mentions how sound can help a badly choreographed and performed
routine by masking them to the audience. He ends with a critique on the
dullness, the lack of originality, of American choreography in film fighting
sequences and suggests the actors need more rigorous training.