BALLETIC SWORDFIGHTS, FLYING HEROINES AND BAMBOO FORESTS: KING HU, MASTER OF WUXIA

One of East Asia’s most pivotal filmmakers, King Hu (1932–1997) redefined the wuxia genre by combining realistic violence with masterfully choreographed martial arts sequences inspired by Chinese opera. In his youth, Hu was captivated by Beijing Opera and comics adapted from martial arts novels but took little interest in film until he moved to Hong Kong in 1949. It was there that he stumbled upon a job in the film industry, working as an actor and set director on various films until joining the Shaw Brothers Studio in 1958. During his tenure at Shaw Brothers, Hu was able to earn his stripes as a director before making his influential breakout feature, Come Drink With Me (1966). The film was Hu’s first in the wuxia genre and would prove to be a commercial success as well as a pioneering work that would establish the themes and motifs he would become renowned for: the depiction of realistic but stylised violence; strong female leads who were as tough as their male counterparts; and operatic action sequences. Following the success of Come Drink With Me, Hu left Hong Kong for Taiwan, establishing his own production company in the search for more creative freedom. It was in Taiwan where Hu created his most crucial works in the wuxia genre, Dragon Inn (1967) and A Touch of Zen (1971). These films would go on to significant success at home and abroad and would serve as key inspirations for a generation of filmmakers including John Woo, Tsui Hark, Ang Lee and Tsai Ming-Liang, cementing Hu’s place in the pantheon of great Chinese directors. The films selected in this season highlight Hu’s mastery of wuxia, including almost all of his major works: Come Drink With Me, Dragon Inn, A Touch of Zen, The Fate of Lee Khan (1973) and Raining in the Mountain (1979).

Wednesday 12 February

7:00pm DRAGON INN

King Hu (1967) 111 mins – PG

Hu’s first feature after leaving Hong Kong for Taiwan in the pursuit of greater creative freedom – while forming the company Union Film with Taiwanese producer Sha Yung-Feng – was widely acclaimed in East Asia upon its original release. The distillation of setting and plot, staging of masterfully choreographed martial arts sequences and dazzling widescreen cinematography cemented Hu’s film’s place as a cornerstone of the modern wuxia genre, influencing a generation of filmmakers from Ang Lee to Tsai Ming-Liang (Goodbye, Dragon Inn).

4K DCP courtesy of Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute.

CTEQ ANNOTATION
Glimpses of Grace: A Dialogue on King Hu’s Dragon Inn
by Austin Lancaster & Alex Williams

9:10pm RAINING IN THE MOUNTAIN

King Hu (1979) 120 mins – Unclassified 15+

Shot simultaneously with Legend of the Mountain in South Korea and with the same cast, this extraordinarily evocative film is set apart from its meditative twin by its compact heist-like structure, as three travellers arrive at a Buddhist temple in search of a hidden sutra. Hu – as director, writer, editor and art director – displays an unparalleled poetic sense of movement in a film which “is designed for the big screen, where details can blossom in distant crannies” (David Bordwell). Included in the 2005 Hong Kong Film Awards’ Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures list.

Courtesy of Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute.

CTEQ ANNOTATION
Raining in the Mountain
by Darragh O’Donoghue

Wednesday 19 February

7:00pm A TOUCH OF ZEN

King Hu (1971) 200 mins – PG

Although a relative failure on its initial release, Hu’s epic wuxia masterpiece has come to be regarded as one of the most influential works of modern Asian cinema. Based on a short story by Pu Songling first published in 1679, Hu’s often balletic, mythic and visually audacious orchestration of the widescreen frame, and the film’s phantasmagorical staging of specific scenes such as the mesmerising bamboo forest fight sequence, have become a touchstone of martial arts cinema. A hugely ambitious film, drawing together the various traditions of Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese cinemas, it “marks the apex of Hu’s work in the [wuxia] genre” (Stephen Teo).

4K DCP courtesy of Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute.

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A Touch of Zen
by Tony Williams

Wednesday 26 February

7:00pm COME DRINK WITH ME

King Hu (1966) 95 mins – PG

This pivotal film in the wuxia genre, renowned for its poetic storytelling and dynamic action sequences, stars Cheng Pei-Pei in the role that launched her career. She plays Golden Swallow, a fearless swordswoman who embarks on a perilous quest to save her kidnapped brother, crossing paths with the mysterious Drunken Cat (Yueh Hua). Lush visuals, intricate dance-inspired fight choreography and Cheng’s powerful performance combine with Hu’s direction to reshape the martial arts film into an artful blend of gravity-defying balletic action and drama. A key influence on Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, also starring Cheng.

© Licensed by Celestial Pictures Limited. All rights reserved.

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Come Drink with Me
by Dana Polan

8:50pm THE FATE OF LEE KHAN

King Hu (1973) 105 mins – M

The titular Mongol General (Tien Feng) journeys to a remote inn to obtain a map of rebel attack plans, where he is met by an eclectic, all-female team of resistance fighters disguised as waitresses. Hu’s exuberant, playful and highly cinematic wuxia relies upon a classic western set-up, with most of the action confined to a single multifaceted set. The wonderful Sammo Hung-choreographed fighting takes a partial backseat to spunky characterisations, pithy exchanges and a ratcheting up of tension that evokes Sergio Leone and Quentin Tarantino in its mastery of staging, framing and editing.

© 2010 Fortune Star Media Limited. All rights reserved.

CTEQ ANNOTATION
The Fate of Lee Khan
by Shea Gallagher