MA in the Movies

[Steve Williams]

Just wondered what people thought were the best portrayal of Martial Arts in the movies.

They can include fight scene, philosophy, anything MA related. (Even if the story line is really bad).

[Leo Chang]

for the best portrayal of Chinese martial arts, simply can't go wrong with "Once upon a time in China" series, (starring Jet Li). Especially installments I and II. Great fight scenes, and a story that actually makes some sense in the given context..
and pretty good cinematography.

for the best portrayal of Japanese martial arts...I am still looking...

(just watched "Zatoichi: Life and Opinion of a Masseur" , "Zatoichi's Flashing Sword" and "Miyamoto Musashi I" starring Toshiro Mifune. )

[Kolschey]

"Sword of Doom" which stars Toshiro Mifune as a teacher of Kenjutsu. The story, techniques, and cinematography are all superb!

[Nick]

I like fist of legend with Jet Li, the Lone wolf and Cub series is good, and of course any Mifune movies.

Also, Kolschey- I'm relatively sure it was Tatsuya Nakadai (better known as the Crazy Old Man in Ran) and not Toshiro Mifune that started in Sword of Doom, but I could be mistaken, I haven't seen it in a looong time.

Nick Porter

[glad2bhere]

I have a copy of THE YAKUZA which is pretty much transparent from being run though my VCR so much. The concept of On and Giri are not something that is particularly easy to define or explain and the movie does quite a nice job. IMHO the final show-down is probably some of the more authentic looking sword work I've ever seen.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

[Leo Chang]

" Sword od Doom"
I am not sure who starred the movie, but Toshiro Mifune was the kenjutsu teacher the main character challenged.

The story was pretty good, but I felt that it wasn't ended properly plot-wise. However, the carnage at the end is a very very good climax...
-------------
btw, in all the Zatoichi movies, Zatoichi seems to use only the reverse grip in all of his techniques. (from nukitsuke to noto) While the reverse grip, to my understanding, is a valid technique, is the exclusive use of this grip a valid tactic?

[MarkF]

T. Mifune (not to be confused with Kyuzo Mifune) seems to have made many a martial art movie, or at least many scenes of martial arts (type casting more than a possibility here?). Order the movie Sanshiro Sugata (The judo Saga), based on a novel which lightly covered the life of Kodokan judo's "super hero" Saigo Shiro. This was Akira Kurosawa's first film, made in 1943. After you catch yourself saying "that stunk" or "What a piece of crap that was," consider the time it was made, the budget, but most of all, that it was made during WWII and was heavily censored. After that, see if you can track down a copy of Judo Saga II, starring T. Mifune as Yano (read Jigoro Kano) and check out the scene in both of how both Yano characters chunked a bunch of hooligans, out to prove this new "jiudo" was no good, in the drink, as stepping out of a ricshaw. The first was very crudely made, but the guy who played Kano (Yano) looked so much like Kano, it was scary. Not the best of MA films, but certainly one of more veracity than those of Jet li, Chuck Norris, or anyone else, for that matter.

For the rest of the judoka here, Red Sun with Charles Bronson and T. Mifune, in a scene of jujutsu, or a really good movie tomoe nage. Also a good film, to boot.

(a great line in the first Judo Saga was this: "Don't be haughty! Don't be haughty!") Well, I suppose it was the best one could do when translating in those days, whenever it was make available. I saw the first one in 1964.

Mark

[Steve Williams]

I am surprised that Bruce Lee has not been mentioned, certainly his fight scenes are amongst the best.


I am also a fan of Jackie Chan movies, ok the stories are generally really bad but that guy can really move, the use of props and surroundings is excellent.

[Cameron Wheeler]

Gost dog!!!!!!
I belive that it shows the Samuari spirit in a modern context. heavy lashings of quotes from HAGAKURE
and if you poy attention he always puts his gun away with a florish.

[MarkF]

Bruce Lee was a weenie and thought much too much of himself. As for Jackie Chan, his movies are not about martial arts. They are comedies with comical scene take-offs of Bruce Lee movies. Of course, some of the most serious of the Chinese arts movies are hysterical, but are not meant to be seen that way. Besides, laughing at them is laughing at yourselves. That is healthy and a good way to make sure we don't think too much of ourselves.

Mark

[Joachim]

A good protrayal of the spirit of the japnese martial arts can be found in the movie "Tampopo" (dandelion).
It's about a female owner of a ramen-resaturant (ramen = japnese noodle soup) who learns the right way of preparing soup from a truck driver. He even takes her to his "master", the leader of a group of gourmet hobos, who live in a Tokyo park.

[Cady Goldfield]

Being a low-class and tasteless individual with a low-brow sense of humor, I must confess that my favorite portrayals of MAs in the movies were 1. a 3 Stooges episode in which Moe pulls off a koshinage on an actor playing the role of General Tojo. 2. The "Kato" character in Peter Sellers' "Pink Panther" movies. 3. Bong Soo Han (hapkidoin)and Eric Kim in the Abrahams-Zucker classic, "A Fistful of Yen" (part of the "Kentucky Fried Movie").

Sorry...

Cady

[Margaret Lo]

Mark - for Jackie and martial arts, check out young Jackie Chan in the Young Master, where he fights for what must be 10-20 minutes nonstop. I hear he faced a well known hapkido master. Also, in Drunken Master I or II he fought Benny Urquidez in a great fight scene.

Fong Sai Yuk is excellent too for great stunts and a very very funny story. It has a hysterical scene where the new mayor of Canton holds a martial arts contest to win over the locals. The theme of the contest is that whoever can beat his wife at martial arts can marry his daughter.

AlsoI hear that the new movie by Ang Lee "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" is actually excellent for MA and for the story. Yo Yo Ma provides the music. I hear general release is to be in December.

-M-

[Steve Williams]

Originally posted by Janty Chattaw
In all seriousness, Jackie Chan has to be the most amazing stuntman/martial arts movie star. I would love to see anybody do the stuff he does at age 47, and still have all of his bones in tact. [/B]

Who said all his bones are still intact, he must break at least 2 or 3 a movie.

They say he broke his back making "Armour of God", (Titled "Operation Condor" in the US I think).
He still makes physical movies, no matter what you think Mark you must agree he is one tough mother.

[Cady Goldfield]

Don't forget Jackie's first English language production, "The Big Brawl"! His scenes with Mako as his sifu uncle are priceless.

Cady