Hong Kong Cinema... Low Art to High Art???

Culture when divided by the term “high” and “low” is usually meant to signify, the audience that has embraced the film is not always the audience that the work has been created for. High and low culture is usually consumed by the “high” class and “low” classes. Often it is argued by those of low culture that high culture is just a label made by those of high culture to alienate or place themselves above those of “low” class. Often stating that those in the high classes making themselves feel more important or different to the “masses”. Low class is often considered as the more popular, numbers game end of film where dollars are spent in advertising to make sure dollars are made at the box office.

When a form of entertainment is looked at from it’s native market in this case Hong Kong, china and maybe the rest of Asia and the other possible markets this case the western world the U.S. in this case non-Chinese speaking countries. It takes on a different form. Because it was not so accessible to everyone it took on a specialty market role at first in the west r

In the 1980s, Jackie Chan infused new life into the kung fu film with Project A and Project A II, followed by the Police Story and Armour of God series. With their mix of authentic martial arts techniques with comic and adventure elements, Chan's films represent the high point of the modern kung fu style. While these films are rightly known as "Jackie Chan films," they are also unquestionably rooted in classic kung fu models.

L au Kar Leung pioneered the exploration of authentic martial arts techniques and training procedures, and he became the first instructor to make the jump to director. With the growing popularity of the comedy genre in television and the films of the Hui brothers, comedy seemed an inevitable addition to martial arts. Lau's Spiritual Boxer (1975), followed by Karl Maka's The Good The Bad and The Loser (1976), heavily influenced by Western cinema, and is regarded as the first kung fu comedies. The Shaolin-derived kung fu styles in Lau's films are prime examples of the practical combative aspects of Southern style kung fu.

In the earlier era of Hong Kong kung fu cinema it was Chang Cheh who defined the style of the Shaw Brothers martial arts movies. He made kung fu cinema in the early colour era, painting screen red with blood. Chang's finest work was that undertaken in collaboration with some of the greatest martial arts choreographers Lau Kar Leung and Tang Chia. The One-Armed Boxer launched a whole sub-genre of structurally challenged martial arts heroes, while Shaolin Martial Arts and Men From The Monastery introduced a new style for on-screen kung fu combat. Chang Cheh's influence on modern action cinema is still evident, even in Hollywood, with John Woo readily acknowledging the influence he owes his former mentor.

Some topics in this essay:
Hong Kong, Fei Hong, Storm Brothers, Bruce Lee, Ying Chieh, martial arts, Kar Leung, Bad Loser, Jackie Chan, John Woo, Kar Wai, hong kong, kung fu, hong kong martial, kong martial, martial arts films, kong martial arts, arts films, bruce lee, john woo, arts film, low art, martial arts techniques, special effects, martial arts film,