Wuxia cinema: Asian martial arts films with a message

Wuxia films are the cinematic counterparts of an Asian literary tradition in which the main characters use their knowledge of martial arts to battle corrupt evildoers in a bid to ensure social justice.

The films in this genre feature some of the most beautifully choreographed martial arts sequences. They combine a social philosophy with an amazing visual style.

On this page I will give you the most interesting links and talk about some of the best films within this genre.

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General resources

General introduction to the wuxia genre: The word wuxia is composed of two characters. The first character, wu is used to describe things having to do with martial arts, war, or the military. The second character, xia refers to the type of protagonist found in wuxia fiction, and is also a synonym for chivalry. Thus, wuxia fiction is translated as martial-chivalric fiction.
The Wuxia-page on Wikipedia: * 1 History and Context
o 1.1 Earlier precedents
o 1.2 20th century
+ 1.2.1 Modern Wuxia
* 2 Themes
o 2.1 Plot and setting
o 2.2 Philosophy of Xia
o 2.3 Jiang Hu
o 2.4 Martial arts
o 2.5 Suspension of disbelief
* 3 Films
* 4 See also
* 5 External links
Knowledge base of the wuxia genre: Wuxiapedia aims to be a knowledge base of the wuxia genre by providing the database and tools for fans to contribute and share their knowledge and passion of fictions, adaptations and related topics, such as Asian cultures, history and arts.
Heroic Grace: The Chinese Martial Arts Film: Editor's Introduction to the catalog of the landmark touring film series curated by Cheng-Sim Lim for the UCLA Film and Television Archive, 2003
HK Martial Arts Cinema by David Bordwell: DAVID BORDWELL is a Jacques Ledoux Professor of Film Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and his many books include On the History of Film Style and the recently published, Planet Hong Kong: Popular Cinema and the Art of Entertainment.
Wuxia Pian - Introduction: All throughout Chinese film history there exists two major categories of martial arts film, the wuxia pien and kung fu. Where kung fu, which is grounded in reality and has its roots in Hong Kong's Cantonese serials based upon the legends of famous martial arts masters like Wong Fei-hung, the wuxia pien has existed as a popular storytelling genre in written form since the 9th century. To know wuxia pien, is to know the very foundations of martial arts cinema and its continued popularity in all mediums.
Do We Need Another Hero?: In the past, wuxia, or swordfighting heroes, relished violence. Now, they wax lyrical about peace.
Everybody was Kung-Wu fighting: Your typical Wuxia film will feature some or all of the following, in no particular order: a fight in a bamboo forest; a knight-errant, preferably an outlaw; a chivalric code; secret societies; honest peasants; super powers. Many of the films are based on novels rooted in a mythical China.

Quintessential wuxia films

If you want to get to know this genre I can highly recommend the following movies. They represent some of the finest highlights of martial arts cinema.

A Touch of Zen

Amazon Price: $17.99 (as of 08/20/2008)

Iron Monkey

Amazon Price: $10.49 (as of 08/20/2008)

Once Upon a Time in China Trilogy

Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 08/20/2008)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Amazon Price: $9.99 (as of 08/20/2008)

Kung Fu Classic - Dragon Gate Inn

Amazon Price: (as of 08/20/2008)

Film specific resources

Going to the Source: Kung Fu Hustle and Its Cinematic Roots at the 29th HKIFF: Gina Marchetti had the opportunity to look at the cinematic roots of the Hong Kong blockbuster Kung Fu Hustle through the lens of the Hong Kong Film Archive's Pearl River Delta.

Resources about particular directors

King Hu: Senses of Cinema page: Stephen Teo, author of Hong Kong Cinema: The Extra Dimensions (London: BFI, 1997) is currently doing a Ph.D on the subject of wuxia cinema. Parts of this essay are extracted from the thesis.

Contemporary wuxia films

If you feel a little apprehensive of trying out the older wuxia films be sure to give the following contemporary films a look! I am sure they will get you hooked!