The literary era since 1979

As George Lam finished singing "A Man Should Be Self-reliant", the premiere entered the final question-and-answer session.

Li Bihua, who represented Oriental Daily, stood up and asked a question:
"Mr. Fang, what exactly is new about the 'new martial arts' that you and Director Xu have been emphasizing?"

"The art world of Eastern martial arts, like the American Western cowboy and the Japanese Bushido, has its own unique spirit, thought, aesthetics and values. The most typical martial arts culture of Hong Kong is the martial arts works of the four masters, Jin Gu, Wen and Liang, from a literary perspective."

Fang Yan said: "Tracing back from the movies, we can start with Shaw Brothers' One-Armed Swordsman, which takes the promotion of martial arts justice as its main spiritual core and has formed a complete creative routine in terms of plot and story. Since then, it has become a pearl in the glorious era of Hong Kong movies."

Then he changed the subject, "But by the 80s, audiences had become aesthetically fatigued. Whether it was the plot or the fighting moves, they gradually lost their novelty. If traditional martial arts films want to be revitalized, they must break down and then build up, and open up a new path!"

"I think the 'new' of this new martial arts should be new in concept, new in elements, new in chivalrous sentiment, and new in action!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a commotion at the scene, and everyone in the audience was whispering and talking.

Among them, Liu Jialiang, Liu Jiarong and other old-school martial artists from Shaw Brothers, as well as the disciples of Chang Cheh, who pioneered Hong Kong martial arts films, were quite dissatisfied. Their words were full of criticism, disdain, doubt, accusation, and ridicule...

Even if Fangyan is a famous writer both at home and abroad, even if he is an Oscar-winning screenwriter, even if traditional Hong Kong martial arts is declining, it is not your turn, a scholar without any school or sect and who does not understand martial arts, to point fingers and criticize in front of a room full of martial artists!
"Cough cough!"

At this moment, Zou Wenhuai, Fang Yihua, He Guanchang and others who were sitting in the VIP seats looked around calmly with dignity on their faces.

All of a sudden, the lively discussions came to an abrupt halt. No matter how dissatisfied they were, they could only keep it to themselves.

There's nothing we can do, because the person speaking on the stage is a guest of honor of several major Hong Kong film companies including Golden Harvest, Cinema City, Shaw Brothers, and Silver Metro!
In such a situation, Fangyan raised a finger and said bluntly:

"This so-called 'new in conception' means that the early traditional martial arts are based on the grudges in the martial arts world and the struggles in the rivers and lakes. As the saying goes, wherever there are people, there are grudges. The deepest part of grudges is the rivers and lakes. Once you are in the rivers and lakes, you have no choice. It is difficult to get rid of love and hatred, and there are endless grudges."

"The new martial arts, on the other hand, shifts the perspective from the distant world of Jianghu to the high places of government, national righteousness, state affairs, and the heart of civilization. Just like this film, Huang Feihong is not only a martial arts master, but also a pioneer in the awakening of national and state consciousness, seeking self-reliance and independence."

"Precisely because of the purpose of this grand narrative, we cannot simply build on the historical background and contemporary environment."

“We must combine history with reality, the country with the nation, the collective with the individual.”

Then he extended his second finger, "This is the second point I want to make. The new element is in the elements. On the basis of properly handling the relationship between the three elements just mentioned, it can appropriately integrate suspense, thriller, horror, disaster, comedy, and even fantasy and weird elements..."

Hearing this, He Guanchang savored it carefully and said in a serious tone:
"Although I haven't seen the movie yet, based on what Fang Sheng said, I can bet that the box office of Once Upon a Time in China will definitely not be low!"

"I think so too."

Zou Wenhuai couldn't help but sigh: "Mr. Fang's views on martial arts films are unique, sophisticated, insightful, novel, and profound. They are incredible!"

"This suddenly reminded me of Fist of Fury and The Big Boss."

Ho Kwun-chung said: "The success of Bruce Lee and his martial arts films can almost be found in Fang Sheng's new martial arts concept."

Zou Wenhuai nodded in agreement, "In "Police Stories" and "Die Hard", we can also see the shadow of his new martial arts films. In my opinion, this time Aaron can get help from Fang Sheng, and it won't be a problem for him to make it in Hollywood or even take root there." Then he turned around and asked Cheng Long when the film could start.

“I plan to start work in August!”

Cheng Long's eyes were burning with anger, and he vowed to avenge the shame brought by "Police Story".

Lin Qingxia was listening quietly at the side, and she saw He Guanchang patting Cheng Long on the shoulder and said earnestly:
"According to the plan we discussed with Mr. Fang, Police Story is to help you and Golden Harvest recover the loss and influence of Die Hard, and also to gain experience for the subsequent Die Hard. This time, Mr. Fang will be your producer, so you should ask him for advice on everything, understand?"

"no problem!

Cheng Long was beaming with joy and couldn't stop smiling.

Lin Qingxia saw everything and fell silent for a moment. Then she shifted her gaze to the stage and stared at Fang Yan.

Then, he moved to Gong Xing next to him, with a look of surprise mixed with a bit of complexity. Is she Mr. Fang's wife?

At this moment, Gong Xing did not notice how many people were looking at him, as his mind was completely focused on the fluent dialect.

"As for this last new thing, it's new in the movements!"

"The action design of Once Upon a Time in China is completely different from the style of previous martial arts films that used realistic moves and postures."

"What we pursue is the power and beauty of Kung Fu, so that the fighting can be both entertaining and fresh."

At the end, Fang Yan smiled and said, "When the movie is shown later, everyone will be able to feel these characteristics of the new martial arts."

The eagerly anticipated journalists, film critics, and fans who were lucky enough to be in attendance, couldn't wait to catch a glimpse of the film.

After much anticipation, the lights finally dimmed, and the entire theater was in darkness, with only the screen glowing.

Although Cheng Long, Hong Jinbao, Yuen Biao and others were far apart, their eyes were all on "Once Upon a Time in China II".

As the new force of the martial arts film reform movement, they have introduced a series of innovative and visually impactful martial arts genres such as "supernatural martial arts", "kung fu comedy", and "fashion martial arts". Naturally, they have a liking for and curiosity about movies that subvert traditional martial arts.

The action scenes in "Once Upon a Time in China" go against the long-shot martial arts aesthetics, using sharp and fast editing to replace the exchange of moves and hard fists, and more imaginative fighting moves, which give traditional martial arts routines a brand new look and highlight the ferocity of the duel.

However, to Liu Jialiang, Huang Feihong's genuine disciple, all this was seen as an insult to Huang Feihong!
Seeing his elder brother's angry expression, Liu Jiahui lowered his voice and asked, "What's wrong, elder brother?"

"Nonsense! What a nonsense!"

Liu Jialiang had a gloomy face. Huang Feihong was obviously a southern boxer, how could he only use his legs and not his fists? And he used northern legs!

Seeing that his elder brother was about to leave in anger, Liu Jiahui was startled:
"Boss, can you at least finish reading it before you leave?"

"The way Xu Ke and Fang Sheng filmed "Once Upon a Time in China" is going to make all my 100,000 Hung Gar disciples laugh their heads off!"

"Even if you don't give face to Fang Sheng and Xu Ke, you should at least give face to Fang Tai, right?"

"Humph!"

Liu Jialiang snorted coldly, suppressed his anger, and sat down reluctantly.

As the great-grandson of Wong Fei-hung, he has always been proud of Wong Fei-hung and his identity as a southern boxer. The Liu Clan, which specializes in Hung Gar, has therefore stood out in the Hong Kong martial arts world which is full of northern martial arts. Therefore, he does not understand this extraordinary action of making Wong Fei-hung fly into the sky.

However, I thought the subversion of Wong Fei-hung's image and the nonsense of Hung Gar had reached this point, but I didn't expect that there would be another master!
At the end of the film, Huang Feihong was dodging and moving around in the ladder battle with Yan Zhendong, and finally used the incredible "Foshan Shadowless Kick".

"Bang bang bang!" When Jet Li kicked the third time in the picture, the audience began to get excited, their eyes flickering.

When four or five feet appeared, some stretched their necks, some widened their eyes, and some opened their mouths, with expressions of disbelief on their faces.

After all, even someone as strong as Bruce Lee could only kick three times in the air. How could someone kick so many times in a row while lying horizontally in the air?

But just when everyone's heads were buzzing, the sixth and seventh kicks of the "Foshan Shadowless Kick" suddenly made their brains go blank.

Not to mention the media and film critics who are used to watching martial arts films, even the martial artists who claim to have seen all kinds of scenes were deeply shocked.

They had never seen such a scene before!
Cheng Long, Hong Jinbao and others were shocked at first, and then quickly realized that this didn't seem to be 100% real kung fu, but relied on wire suspension.

However, no matter how fake it is, the fighting scenes are indeed more beautiful and exciting than the traditional martial arts films with hard-core fighting and every move.

Liu Jialiang didn't think so. Just like Newton who couldn't hold down the coffin lid, his face was so gloomy that water seemed to drip out.

Liu Jiahui's heart skipped a beat, fearing that his elder brother would do something outrageous and offensive. Suddenly, he heard a series of screams in his ears.

"Wow!"

"Oh my, that's amazing!"

There was an uproar for a moment, and the fans who had come to their senses stood up, applauded and cheered for the Foshan Shadowless Kick.

When Liu Jialiang saw this scene, he was stunned. He and Liu Jiahui, Hui Yinghong and others who were on duty looked at each other in confusion.

No way, my dear audience, the earth is attractive!
For this anti-Newton, unscientific "Foshan Shadowless Kick", instead of questioning it, why are you applauding it?!

This thought also appeared in the minds of Cheng Long, Hong Jinbao, Zou Wenhuai, Fang Yihua and others. Although they did not understand it, they were greatly shocked.

…………

The next day, when "Once Upon a Time in China" was released in cinemas of all sizes in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong media, which had received red envelopes, naturally went into full gear, reporting in a continuous stream, finding all kinds of angles, and praising and promoting the film from all aspects.

For example, in Ming Pao, there is an article called "Huang Feihong is coming with great force, and Detective Sergeant is in danger."

The Oriental Daily even wrote a long article, focusing on the viewpoint of "extension of the core value of martial arts":
"If we want to evaluate the historical contributions that Fangyan and Xu Ke have made to the development of Chinese films in the future, the most important one is the reshaping and interpretation of Eastern martial arts films, which can be seen from the image of this version of 'Huang Feihong'."

"Wong Fei-hung, played by 'Shaolin Kid' Jet Li, not only adheres to traditional morality but also conforms to the trend of the times, creating the image of a national hero who relies on his meager strength to support the country and help the poor, highlighting his elegant and wise 'kingly demeanor'."

"........."

"The film is full of Chinese elements and is full of national consciousness and emotions."

In addition to Li Bihua's film review, newspapers such as the Hong Kong Wen Wei Po and the Hong Kong Commercial Daily commented on Fang Yan and Xu Ke's "new martial arts" from the innovative fight design to the analysis of new chivalrous sentiments, from the new narrative style to the outstanding visual effects.

“The action scenes in Once Upon a Time in China are full of imagination and rhythm, and each move exudes rhythmic beauty, with the beauty of dance. It is very entertaining, visually elegant, beautiful, magnificent and fantastic, and completely subverts the design concept of traditional martial arts films.”

In the studio, Shi Nansheng held the newspaper and read it word for word.

"Snapped!"

Xu Ke slammed the table excitedly, "It's done, Fang Sheng, we succeeded this time!"

Fang Yan smiled. "Once Upon a Time in China" had already set off a wave of new martial arts movies in the previous life, and it was bound to be even better in this life. After all, Wong Fei-hung himself was a big IP in Hong Kong, and his own "Once Upon a Time in China" trilogy was also a bestseller.

With such support, people like Jet Li also came to help.

The "Shaolin Boy" at this time is different from the previous life. When Jet Li in his previous life was filming "Once Upon a Time in China", his star path had already faded and his reputation was not well-known. The movie "Dragon on the Edge of the World" he filmed with Stephen Chow previously only had a box office of 680 million, which was a complete flop.

It was not until he took on the role in "Once Upon a Time in China" that he became completely popular again and reaffirmed his status as a top martial arts superstar.

Today, Jet Li, with the momentum of "Shaolin Temple", is making a comeback. Not only can he use the image of "Grandmaster Wong Fei Hung" to tear off the label of "Shaolin Boy", but he can also open up a new situation for himself, "Wong Fei Hung" and new martial arts in Hong Kong.

"Based on current statistics, it is conservatively estimated that the box office will exceed 2000 million."

Shi Nansheng said: "As for whether it will be 20 million or several million in the end, it depends on the momentum in the future."

"I think the box office is secondary. The most important thing is to set off this new martial arts trend in Chinese-language films."

Dialect looks left and right.

"That's absolutely true!"

Xu Ke was quite excited. The "Once Upon a Time in China" created by him and Fang Sheng would become a watershed between old and new martial arts films, or even a turning point. The martial arts films, which had been declining and heading towards a trough, might soon have a second spring, rise strongly and return to the top.

Just as the three of them were happily discussing something, Shi Nansheng accidentally turned to a page of the newspaper and his brows involuntarily frowned.

Fangyan was very surprised. He looked carefully and found that it was Liu Jialiang, the genuine disciple of Huang Feihong, who criticized the media:
“Although Once Upon a Time in China was well-made, it seriously violated the common sense of traditional martial arts.”

"The shadowless kick is a real and solid kung fu, not as beautiful as in the movies. What is the shadowless kick? It means that when it is performed, it makes a feint to the east and attacks in the west, disrupting the enemy's aim and then kicking the opponent, rather than kicking seven times in a row horizontally in the air."

"What's more, Huang Feihong was a martial artist from eastern Guangdong. He used northern kicks instead of southern fists, which seriously violated the historical reality of traditional martial arts."

"........."

"If the movie is made like this, even if I can agree, I'm afraid 100,000 Hong Quan disciples won't agree!"

"This Liu Jialiang!"

Xu Ke was quite unhappy. "I originally wanted to hire him as a martial arts instructor, but because he insisted on sticking to his own Hong Quan style and doing hard-core martial arts, I found the Yuan Clan." Then he curled his lips and said, "He is largely responsible for the decline of Shaw Brothers' martial arts films."

"I think this is a good thing. We are worried about not having new gimmicks to promote the movie!"

Fang Yan was overjoyed and said, "Look, the popularity is coming. We must not miss it."

Xu Ke and Shi Nansheng understood immediately, and their eyes sparkled with intriguing light. (End of this chapter)