Traditional 武狀元黃飛鴻 | Simplified 武状元黄飞鸿 | |
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Mandarin Wǔ Zhuàngyuán Huáng Fēihǒng Xì Liè Cantonese Mou Zong Jyun Wong Fei Hung Hai Lit Directed by Tsui Hark (I, II, III, V)
Yuen Bun (IV)
Sammo Hung (VI) Produced by Tsui Hark (all)
Raymond Chow (II)
Ng See-Yuen (II, III, IV, V)
Dick Tso (VI) Characters Wong Fei Hung, Leung Foon, Club Foot Directors Bun Yuen, Lau Kar-wing, Tsui Hark, Sammo Hung Production companies Orange Sky Golden Harvest, Film Workshop, Win's Entertainment Cast Jet Li, Rosamund Kwan, Hung Yan‑yan, Vincent Zhao, Max Mok | ||
Once Upon a Time in China is a Hong Kong film franchise directed, written, and produced by Tsui Hark. The stories are based on the life of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung, who is portrayed by Jet Li in the first three films and Vincent Zhao in the fourth and fifth films. The first two films in the franchise were among the most popular of the Golden Age of Hong Kong cinema (usually dated from 1986 to 1993) and were known for their depiction of Chinese nationalism as well as action choreography. The Once Upon a Time in China films were among Jet Li's best known hits at that time.
Contents
Overview
With Chinese folk hero Wong Fei-hung as the main character, the films deal with the negative effects of Western imperialism in China during the late Qing Dynasty. The second film features as a supporting character Sun Yat-sen, a revolutionary leader and founding father of the Chinese republic. Unlike the majority of Hong Kong action films, the Once Upon a Time in China series is clearly politicised. However, even with its clear showcase of Chinese nationalism, it also displays the inevitable nature of accepting western cultures, and the progression of China into the "modern" century. This theme is repeated through various actions of the characters, but prominently displayed through the character Master Yim in the first movie. He is a Kung-Fu master, but the likes of him are dwindling and barely making a livelihood. Once, he boasts that his Kung-Fu can even withstand bullets. In irony, he is killed by the onslaught of bullets fired by American soldiers. In his last words, he tells Wong Fei-Hung, "Martial arts cannot win against guns..." His character represents the dying of old traditions, and the begrudging abandonment of hand-to-hand combat.
Films
The six films in the series are:
Music
Home media
In addition to the various individual DVD releases, the first three films in the series have been released in a number of collection box sets.
Imitators
As imitation was relatively common in the Hong Kong film industry, Once Upon a Time in China quickly gained mimics. Whilst these films also focused on Wong Fei-hung, they were not part of the series, and had different cast members and directors. They include:
However, one imitator had more direct links with the original series, Last Hero in China (黃飛鴻之鐵雞鬥蜈蚣). This film was released in 1993 after the original Once Upon a Time in China trilogy. It is derivative of these films, and unlike other imitation films, it can be considered a spin-off or parody to some extent. It was directed by Wong Jing in place of Tsui Hark. The film's action director was Yuen Woo-ping and once again it starred Jet Li as Wong Fei-hung. However it differs greatly in tone from the Once Upon a Time in China series, containing stronger elements of violence and broader slapstick comedy.