CHI321 Midterm Essay

Tung Tran

10/14/2013

Once Upon a Time: Two Different Approaches

Once Upon A Time in China was released in 1991 and was well-received enough to spawn an entire series with five subsequent sequels. The first three films were written and directed entirely by Tsui Hark and are imbued with his signature style and approaches to storytelling. Last Hero in China (1993) was released as a spin-off to Hark’s first three film in the series; however, it is written and directed by a different director by the name of Wong Jing. The cast is replaced entirely, except for Jet Li, who returns as the main protagonist Wong Fei Hung. The two directors have drastically different approaches to filmmaking, with Hark taking a serious, albeit less violent approach, whereas Jing tries to appeal with comedy, vulgarity, and a touch of violence. In this discussion, we will analyze the different approaches by Hark and Jing in terms of story and style. Then we will examine each director’s background and their ideologies with respect to their profession.

The first comparison will be on each director’s take on story writing. With Hark, we have a thoughtfully laid out story with interwoven plot devices, which strives to be authentic to the time period and source material. There are characters with various levels of depth and personal motivation that do not always align, such as the Master Yim and Foon, which makes the interactions believable.

Once Upon a Time in China (1991) : Master Yim and Foon on empty stomachs

  Last Hero in China lacks this element; in fact, the plot is actually fairly straightforward. Wong relocates Po Chi Lam to a different building, which, to his dismay, turns out to be situated next to a brothel. A general facilitates kidnapping of local women by temple monks, who are sold off to south asia for profit, shutting down Po Chi Lam to spite Wong Feihung . Feihung must defeat the general and his centipede (lion dance costume equivalent) to redeem himself and Po Chi Lam. The story feels very loosely tied together and some plot points seem nonessential to the story. The brothel next door, for example, is a recurring element used for comic effect, but does not otherwise create any sense of conflict or serve to advance the story. 

Last Hero in China (1994) : Jet Li in a chicken costume fighting a centipede. Yep.

Foon and Bucktooth So return as supporting characters, but they are flat and one dimensional. In Hark’s version, they are different characters with their own personal quirks; Foon is acrobatic and has a frank personality, while So is somewhat of a scholar and has a more reserved personality. This distinction is blurred in Jing’s rendition, as Foon and So are portrayed with the same sharp-witted, comedic personality throughout the film.

In terms of style, there’s an especially notable difference. While both directors attempt to put forth a serious central story, only Hark succeeds at this. With Hark, each scene is deliberate and in service to the story, with no time wasted. Jing’s approach is in a different direction altogether, with witty remarks and slapstick comedy being arranged at every opportunity, most of which are more miss than hit. For fans of slapstick, this film can be an enjoyable experience, but the emphasis on comedy detracts from the heavy plotline that it is otherwise trying to convey. There are comical moments in Hark’s original film, of course, but they come off as situationally genuine; the scene in which Foon pretends to be a customer at the opera theater he works at in an attempt fool the Shaho gang from extorting him is a good example of this. With Jing, expect over the top, outlandish attempts at comedy, such as the scene in which Feihung’s disciples fawn over the brothel girls flirting with them while making exaggerated, drooling faces.

Once Upon a Time in China (1991) : Foon pleads the opera master to let him back inside as Shaho approaches.

Last Hero in China (1994) : Wong Feihung's disciples fawning over brothel girls.

The action scenes are good in either film, but there are subtle differences in the way each director handles them. Hark opts for a direct delivery, with each action and reaction, to some extent, believable. His scenes are grounded in the fictional universal that it has created, adhering to its set of natural laws (e.g. no flying). Viewers will observe that besides blunt strikes, there is actually very little depiction of gore and violence in Hark’s film; not very often do you see a henchman get stabbed. Jing focuses on flashy, exaggerated scenes that make extensive use of inanimate objects such as chairs and tables; not to mention human flight. His film also embraces violence, with plenty of blood along with cuts and broken bones. 

Clearly, the directors have different takes on what encompasses a good film and know the audience they are trying to appeal to. Hark takes a very quick and lean approach to cinematography, making every movement deliberate and piece of dialog count. This is best described in Craig Reid’s interview with Hark, who notes that Hark “has a restless, knife-edge quality that insists on moving a narrative along at breakneck speed- in other words, there is no time left to play with, the present is forever slipping through your fingers, whatever has to be said must be said very quickly.” This approach gives his films a recognizable level of substance and polish. Wong Jing takes a much more lax, unconventional approach in his films, making slapstick comedy the centerpiece while the story takes a backseat. Jing’s approach can best be described by a quote by his character in his film titled Whatever You Want (1994): “Vulgarity is the basic instinct of human beings. Humans misinterpret vulgarity. I change vulgarity into art as to let you enjoy it.” Jing caters to what the audience wants to hear and see, while Hark is more concerned with crafting a product of his own vision.

Works Cited   

Reid, Craig. Interview with Tsui Hark. University of California Press.

Wong Jing Biography. Web. <http://www.hkfilm.net/wj_bio.htm>.